If you are like most blackjack players then you probably only know the basic rules of the blackjack game. Knowing only basic blackjack rules is fine if you enjoy playing blackjack for fun. However, if you are involved in high stakes blackjack or competitive tournament play then it is important to understand the more advanced rules of the game. Important advanced blackjack rules include understanding splitting, doubling down, insurance and hard hands versus soft hands.

Many blackjack players are unaware that when their initial 2-card hand is a double they can split the hand into 2 separate hands. This is a rule which, when put to use, can also be a great blackjack strategy that can increase a players odds of winning by quite a large amount. When you have 2 Aces you should always split them, as an Ace is worth 11 points and the largest percentage of cards in the deck are worth 10 points so your chances of earning at least one 21 blackjack hand are very good. There are several card values that are not so worthwhile to double down on, such as when you have double 10s or face cards for a 20-point hand. Doubling down may cause you to be left with 2 lower-valued hands so it is better not to double down in this case.

Many players are also unaware of the option that they have to double down. When you double down in blackjack you double your bet after receiving your initial 2 card hand. You then receive 1 additional card.

Another important part of advanced blackjack rules to understand is hard hands versus soft hands. In a blackjack game, a soft hand is a hand that contains an Ace which is valued at 11 points. A hard hand is a hand that contains an Ace that must be valued at 1 point because if it was 11 the player would bust. When you play blackjack and have a soft hand you can always add an additional card without any fear of busting because the Ace can always be valued at 1 rather than 11. Additionally, it is important to note that the dealer must always hit on soft 17.

Insurance is another important advanced rule in blackjack. When the dealer’s up-card is an Ace you may place an insurance bet. An insurance bet is equal to half the value of your initial bet and if the dealer gets blackjack when you have placed an insurance bet then you will only lose half of your initial bet.

When you are participating in blackjack gambling, whether it be in a regular table game or in a blackjack tournament, it is very important to have an understanding of advanced blackjack rules. Knowing everything there is to know about how to play blackjack can help you to improve your odds of winning so that you can minimize your losses and maximize your wins when you play blackjack online or off.

Online blackjack expert Gene Marshall works for many recognized blackjack publications. The author writes commentaries about blackjack rules and online blackjack Other readings and articles published by Gene Marshall about online blackjack are available on the net.

Blackjack card counting is an advanced technique to win on blackjack. A player must first learn the basic strategies of blackjack before learning “counting”. By learning the technique of counting you will have the odds with you.

The basic concept of blackjack counting is that a deck filled with 10s and aces will be to your advantage. While the deck of the dealer is filled with smaller cards but is to the dealer’s advantage. Simply put, when the deck is in your favor bet to the maximum, when it’s with the dealer’s bet minimum.

This is because a deck filled with 10 increases the chance of the dealer getting bust. You on the other hand can just opt to stand. In an opposite manner, a deck filled with smaller cards makes the dealers chance to bust less. If you know the deck is filled with 10s or smaller cards, this can give you the advantage of knowing what strategy to use.

The dealer must then always hit until having a soft 17. To hit with a hand of 10 & 6 and knowing the deck is filled with 10s is a bad idea.

If the deck is filled with aces, there is high chance that you’ll hit blackjack. When the player has blackjack, the pay off odds are 3:2. The dealer will only win on the other hand if he also gets a blackjack. That’s why a deck filled with aces is always to the player’s advantage.

Blackjack counting is not done by memorizing each card that has come out of a 6 deck shoe of cards. If you are able to do that, I’d be in awe: you should be in the world records book or maybe even the loony bin.

Blackjack card counting is done by assigning the different card numbers with different point values. Always remember to pick a system that is easy to remember. This will cause fewer mistakes and you will lose less money.

As stated above, you will assign a point value for each card and you will have to add the value of the cards that have come out. This is called the running count. Based on the plus/minus strategy, here are the values assigned.

2, 3,4,5,6 = +1;

7, 8, 9 = 0;

10, J, Q, K, Ace = -1

To illustrate this more clearly:

The first card dealt is an ace, so we start by having -1. Then 6 is the next card dealt so we add 1. This makes the run count back to zero. Then a 3 and 4 follows, making the run count now 2.

After figuring the run count, you can try to figure the true count. You take the running count you have and divide it with the number of decks remaining from the shoe.

The true counts tell you the appropriate bet size and you can base your strategy from there. Good luck!

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