After all these years, blackjack remains the most popular card game at casinos across Canada – both live and online right here at Bodog Casino. Blackjack first arrived on these shores back in the 1700s, with different variants brought over by settlers from different parts of Europe. Then came the first provincially run casinos in 1989, and the birth of online blackjack in 1994 – just in time for the launch of Bodog.
Blackjack is a game of skill as well as luck, so if you want the best results when you play blackjack online at Bodog Casino, you need to learn the optimal way to play your cards. Each of the 12+ blackjack games on our menu has its own twist on which moves you should make. We’ll show you the ropes in our comprehensive guide to blackjack basic strategy.
What is Blackjack and Why Use a Strategy?
Blackjack is a casino “banking” game between you and the dealer, who acts as banker for the house by handing out the cards, enforcing the rules and distributing the chips. You’re betting that your blackjack hand will beat the dealer’s by being closer to 21 points in value without going over. Kings, Queens and Jacks are 10 points apiece, Aces can be 1 or 11, and all other cards are face value.
After you place your bet, the dealer hands you two cards, face-up. The dealer also gets two cards, except one of them is kept face-down. If you have an Ace and a 10-value card for the maximum 21 points, congratulations: You’ve got a “natural” 21, aka Blackjack. That means you win the maximum payout of 3:2 for this game – provided the dealer doesn’t also have 21, in which case it’s a push, all monies returned.
Every other winning hand in blackjack pays out at 1:1, including when you reach exactly 21 points with three cards or more. Speaking of which, if you don’t already have a natural 21, you have to decide whether to stick with what you’ve got, or risk it for the biscuit. Here are the different moves you can make in blackjack:
– Stand: Keep the cards you have and end your turn.
– Hit: Receive one card; your turn continues if you’re still under 21.
– Double (aka Double Down): Double your bet, receive one card, and end your turn.
– Split: When dealt a pair, separate those cards to create two individual blackjack hands, doubling your bet in the process. Your turn continues.
– Surrender: Available for your first action; enables you to fold immediately and retrieve half of your wager.
If your turn is over and you’re still in the hand, then it’s the dealer’s turn. They reveal their hole card; if the dealer hasn’t won yet and they have 16 points or below, they keep drawing until they win or go bust. Once the dealer has 17 or more, they have to stand – unless they have Soft 17, meaning they have an Ace and their hand could be worth 7 or 17 points. Some blackjack games force the dealer to hit on Soft 17, as we’ll discuss further in a moment.
Once you know the rules of blackjack (including how many decks of playing cards are being used) and the payouts involved, you can start working out the optimal way to play your cards. There’s a mathematically best way to handle every possible scenario, based on the cards you can see: yours, plus the dealer’s up-card. Let’s take a closer look at how we arrive at the answer.
The Foundation of Basic Blackjack Strategy
The key thing to remember about blackjack is that it’s all about probability – the chance of something happening. There are 52 cards in the deck, so the chances of the dealer’s up-card being an Ace in Single Deck Blackjack are 4-in-52, or 1-in-13. These odds are exactly the same from hand to hand; you’re never “due” to get a natural just because you haven’t been dealt one in a while.
Unless you’re a savant, figuring out the blackjack odds in your head while you’re at the tables is too much to handle. Good thing we have computers; the first blackjack basic strategies were churned out on giant IBM mainframes in the 1950s and are now available for you to download in chart form – one for each of the specific blackjack variants you play.
Included here is a Classic Blackjack basic strategy chart for the most popular game on our menu at Bodog Casino, which takes the following rules into account.
– Six decks of cards, automatically reshuffled between hands
– Dealer hits on Soft 17
– Surrender any first two cards
– Split up to three hands
– Split Aces only receive one card
– No re-splitting Aces
– Dealer “peeks” to see if they have 21 before your turn
As you can see, this chart is laid out so that you can quickly see what play to make given the score of your hand (including separate sections for Hard and Soft hands, as well as Pairs) and the dealer’s up-card. For example, if you’re dealt a Hard 12 and the dealer has a Seven, the letter “H” on the grid indicates that you should Hit.
Bodog’s Blackjack Games and Specific Strategies
Because each blackjack variant changes the odds slightly (varying numbers of decks in the shoe, the dealer could hit or stand on Soft 17, etc.), you need to adjust your blackjack strategy if you want the best results. Here’s a quick look at some of the different blackjack games at Bodog Casino and suggestions on how to adjust your play:
Classic Blackjack
– Rules: Six decks, dealer hits on Soft 17
– Strategy Tips: Stick with basic blackjack strategy. Knowing what to do with hard vs. soft hands is key; when in doubt, go ahead and hit on Soft 17 as a simplified strategy, but always stand on Hard 17.
Single Deck Blackjack
– Rules: One deck, dealer stands on Soft 17
– Strategy Tips: Where available, Single Deck is ideal for live blackjack players. This structure is best suited for card counting – more on that shortly.
Double Deck Blackjack
– Rules: Two decks, dealer stands on Soft 17
– Strategy Tips: Know which pairs to split differently when the second deck is introduced. For example, if you have a pair of Fours and the dealer shows a Four, split in Single Deck and hit in Double Deck.
European Blackjack
– Rules: Dealer receives no hole card, and therefore cannot peek for blackjack.
– Strategy Tips: Play more conservatively in general; double/split less often when dealer shows a high-value card (Seven or higher).
Zappit Blackjack
– Rules: Starting hands between 15-17 can be “zapped” and replaced; Dealer 22 results in push.
– Strategy Tips: Always ZAP when you can – unless you have a pair of Eights, which you’ll split sometimes once you’ve learned the optimal strategy, which needs to account for the dealer not busting when they have 22.
21 Burn Blackjack
– Rules: Option to burn your second card after placing additional side wager on whether replacement card will be an Ace.
– Strategy Tips: Use the burn option sparingly to mitigate risk while boosting your weakest hands – provided your first card is Eight or higher, or maybe a Seven in very rare cases.
Perfect Pair & 21+3 Blackjack
– Rules: Includes “Perfect Pair” and poker-style “21+3” side bets.
– Strategy Tips: The side bets do not affect the regular gameplay, but they do come with a higher house edge, so play sparingly.
Super 7 Blackjack
– Rules: Includes “Super 7” side bet on how many Sevens you’re dealt.
– Strategy Tips: As with Perfect Pair & 21+3 Blackjack, sprinkle in those higher-risk Super 7 side bets judiciously.
Pirate 21 (aka Spanish 21)
– Rules: Uses “Spanish” deck with Tens removed; special payouts for different ways of making 21, plus a Dealer Match side bet.
– Strategy Tips: Taking out the Tens means you’re less likely to bust, so be more willing to chase down those higher-paying five-card 21s.
Pontoon 21
– Rules: Similar to blackjack, but with many more bells and whistles – including its own terminology and bonus payouts.
– Strategy Tips: Take the time to learn the different rules and terms (like trick, twist and stick) so you can better understand their effect on the odds.
Other Blackjack Variants at Bodog
We recently added a host of new blackjack games here at Bodog Casino, the most recent being American Blackjack and One Hand Blackjack. You’ll also find 22 Blackjack and Dragon Blackjack on our menu, with more to follow. Each game has its own unique take on the world’s most popular table game, so be sure to read the game descriptions included, as well as the rules sheet provided in-game.
General Tips for Blackjack Beginners
If you’re relatively new to playing blackjack at Bodog Casino, focus on risk management while you’re learning the ins and outs. Protect your bankroll by making smaller bets in general – set a budget and a bet size and stick to it, and don’t chase down wins or losses. It’s also a good idea to play lower stakes until you get the hang of which plays you should be making.
Even if you know the optimal strategy, online blackjack still comes with a house edge built in, usually somewhere around 1%. You can’t change your blackjack odds with perfect strategy, but you can get very close to that minimum edge using a simplified strategy that applies to all the blackjack games at Bodog. Learn those common plays first, like never splitting Tens, then work on those subtle differences in strategy as you get more comfortable. Many of our blackjack games at Bodog come with a Practice Play mode that lets you hone your craft for free, so take advantage and try out those riskier moves ahead of time before hitting the real money blackjack tables.
Advanced Strategies for Enthusiasts
Online blackjack might come with a house edge, but if you’re trying to be a “professional” blackjack player, you can try counting cards at the live casinos for a living. While it’s harder to do these days now that so many casinos have automatic shuffle machines, but if you keep track of the cards you see dealt before they get shuffled back in, you can veer from your blackjack basic strategy and/or switch up your blackjack betting strategy by wagering more when the deck is in your favour.
Advanced blackjack players at Bodog are also in a better position to play those side bets we mentioned above – as well as the standard “Insurance” bet that comes with most blackjack games (pays out when the dealer has a natural 21). Again, these side bets aren’t part of the regular gameplay, so you might find them a bit distracting if you’re a beginner and you still need time to think about which moves you’re making.
Why Play Online Blackjack at Bodog?
Beginner, intermediate or expert, there’s a blackjack game waiting for you at Bodog Casino. Everything from play money Practice games to high-roller blackjack is on the menu. Kick the tires for free, then switch to Real Money mode so you can feel the excitement that comes when real money is on the line. This will also help sharpen your strategic decision-making as you try all of the different blackjack variants we have on the menu.
Most importantly, you’ll be playing the best blackjack games the internet has to offer, backed by our impeccable Customer Service team and the most generous bonus reward packages in the business. Sign up for your free Bodog Casino account today, make your first deposit and claim your 100% Casino Welcome Bonus for up to $600 in free bonus cash – plus 50 Free Spins at our popular Golden Buffalo online slot – and get your blackjack odyssey started on the right foot here at Bodog.