When Should I Double Down In Blackjack

You should usually always double down when you have a hand that totals 11, except when the dealer is showing an ace as their face up card. In this case, many blackjack games will offer insurance. However, the RTP on insurance is always lower than the main game, so we suggest you decline this. Rather than teach you 9 different basic strategy charts for each variant of blackjack you will ever see, we decided to run our simulation against the games people will most commonly see and teach one basic strategy that is sufficiently effective against all numbers of decks. Learn more about doubling down 👉 down is a thrilling move to pull off in a game of online blackjack. It's a way to double your. A double down in blackjack is when you double your original wager after receiving your first two cards. Once the cards have been dealt, you will be given the option to double down if the rules permit. If you win this double down bet you will collect double your original wager. A double down in blackjack is when you double your original wager after receiving your first two cards. Once the cards have been dealt, you will be given the option to double down if the rules permit. If you win this double down bet you will collect double your original wager. Double Down Blackjack Rules.

A Brief History of Blackjack

In playing blackjack, these strategies in question weren’t always a part of the game. The modern casino variant has come a long way from its European roots, where players never had to think of while playing blackjack when to split.

Blackjack is thought to have originated from an English version of the game Twenty-One, or Vingt-Un, which itself was probably of Spanish origin. Through French and English channels, the game made it to America in the 1800s, and became popular during the Gold Rush, with records of the game becoming called blackjack officially at the close of the century.

It was around the time of American popularisation of blackjack that the game picked up the mechanics of splitting and doubling down. These dual additions to the game added a skill dynamic that helped draw a few more players over to blackjacks camp and popularised the simple game further with a deeper strategy.

Blackjack – A Little Refresher

Before we get stuck into the nitty-gritty of the strategy involving splitting and doubling down, let’s briefly go over the mechanics of blackjack. It’s never a bad idea to go back to the basics, especially when it comes to a simple game like blackjack.

In blackjack, bettors are playing against the dealer, against the house. The player makes their wager before dealing begins, and the dealer deals each player two cards, face-up, while they themselves have two cards, one facedown. The goal is to beat the dealer’s hand without going over 21, or ‘busting’.

Your choices in blackjack are simple. You can either ‘hit’ and be dealt another card by the dealer, or you can ‘stand’ and keep the cards that you have. If you bust and go over 21, the dealer beats you no matter their hand, but the dealer can bust, and what’s more, they must keep hitting themselves until their cards total 17 or more.

The card values in blackjack are logical and fairly simple. They can be quickly picked up by beginners of the game due to the small amount of moving parts on the table, compared to a game like casino poker. Here are the rankings, in order:

• Two – 2
• Three – 3
• Four – 4
• Five – 5
• Six – 6
• Seven – 7
• Eight – 8
• Nine – 9
• Ten – 10
• Jack – 10
• Queen – 10
• King – 10
• Ace – 1/11

Players can choose whether they value an ace in their hand as a 1 or 11, which can change as they get dealt more cards. For example, if a player has an ace and a seven, totalling 18, and hits for a four, their ace will have the value of 1 and their hand will total 12, rather than busting.

Aces shape the lingo of your hands. When a player has an ace valued at 11 in their hand, their hand is called ‘soft’, as there is some breathing room if they hit and get a high card. If a player has no ace or an ace valued at 1, their hand is called ‘hard’.

Splitting

Splitting has been standardised into most iterations of blackjack you’ll come across. It’s a rule that is very welcomed by blackjack players, given that you can turn one bad hand into two great ones. This gives you double the chance of winning against the dealer’s hand, so it’s an incredibly useful mechanic when you know when to use it.

So, what exactly is splitting and how do you do it? Essentially, whenever a player is dealt a pair of identically ranked cards, they have the option to split them into separate hands and get two more cards for each hand. Your bet from the initial hand must be placed on the new second hand.

When to Split: Aces and Eights

Splitting in blackjack isn’t something you should do whenever you get dealt a pair – there are more appropriate times to split than others. One of the most basic of splitting strategies is Aces and Eights, which encourages players to always split when dealt pairs of aces and eights.

What’s the reasoning behind the strategy? Well, a pair of aces has a poor value, of 2 or 12, which are not the most ideal hands. What’s more, if you split, you have quite a good chance of being dealt a face card to pair with one of the aces, giving you blackjack!

A pair of eights gives you the value of 16, which is said to be one of the worst hands in blackjack. It’s usually too weak for a winning hand, and you’re likely to bust if you hit on 16. The likelihood of then getting a value 10 card or higher is pretty great, so the option to split on an 8 pair is a no brainer.

When Should I Double Down In Blackjack Card Game

When to Not Split

There are a few pairs in which splitting is a bad idea. When you have a pair of an already high value, it’s likely to beat the dealer, and you don’t want to ruin those chances. So, when you get a pair of 9’s, 10’s or face cards, just hold on to them.

The same goes for pairs of 4’s and 5’s, but for a different reason. A 5 pair gives you 10, a great position to double down on (more on that later), and less so but still strong for a 4 pair. Splitting these pairs gives you two weaker hands.

Should I Split? You Vs. The Dealer

As for all the other potential pairs, it depends on what the dealer has as their face-up card. For a 2, 3, 6, and 7 pair, it’s worthwhile splitting if the dealer is showing a low card, up to 7, as those hands have such a low value that it’s worthwhile making the most of the dealer’s potential poor start for two marginally better hands.

Doubling Down

To double down in blackjack is to take a risk, but one that can be hugely profitable. The mechanic allows players to double their bet in the middle of a hand and receive only one more card by the dealer. It requires a bit of faith in the strength of your hand vs. the dealer’s, and likelihood that your dealt card will complement it.

When to Double Down

There are a few instances where we recommend you should double down. Firstly, when your cards total 11, you should double down. The likelihood of hitting blackjack is pretty strong, and if not, you’ll probably get close and beat the dealer.

The following instances you should double down when the dealer shows a low card as their face up. You should double down when you have a ‘soft’ 16, 17 or 18, as both a high and low card can help you, and also when you have a ‘hard’ 9 or 10, but here you are reliant on a high card coming up.

When to Not Double Down

Firstly, if you’re unsure about doubling down, just don’t. That’s rule number one, as you’d rather keep your wagering chips for more certain bets, and it’s best to be confident about your hand the way the game is being played and to stay in control.

There are some definite no-nos, however. When the dealer is showing an ace, definitely don’t double down, as the odds of them having blackjack are too high. It doesn’t matter if you get blackjack too, no-one wins in a tie.

On the flipside, never double down if you’re showing higher than a ‘hard’ 11, as the odds of you busting are too high. Instead, hold on to your cards or hit and hope for a lower-valued card, and pray that the dealer busts.

Control the Risk

Splitting and Doubling Down are handy tools in the blackjack arsenal, but with anything probability related, they’re as useful as the timing and restraint of the player. You shouldn’t split and double down all the time, only when the situation shows a higher likelihood of you beating the dealer, and the nerve to hold on and employ those strategies effectively is what makes a great blackjack player.

Frequently Asked Questions

Blackjack is a game that sparks a flame in our readers, and we get a huge range of questions asked about it. Splitting and doubling down is no exception – here we’ve compiled the most common questions we get about the mechanics.

When should you double down?

You should double down when you have a likelihood of getting a strong hand with one more hit. Always double down when you have 11, and sometimes when you have a ‘soft’ 16, 17 or 18, and a ‘hard’ 9 or 10, depending on the dealer’s face up card. Have a read of our blackjack strategy page to see some more tips.

Can you split and double down?

It depends on the casino operator. Sometimes they allow you to double down after a split (DDAS), so it would help to check the rules of their blackjack before you try. Most games roughly follow the basic rules of blackjack, but each game will have its own specific regulations, so it is always good to read the rules for the product you are playing.

Do you always double down on 11?

Most of the time, yes. You should usually always double down when you have a hand that totals 11, except when the dealer is showing an ace as their face up card. In this case, many blackjack games will offer insurance. However, the RTP on insurance is always lower than the main game, so we suggest you decline this.

What are the perks of being an expert gambler? One that you can enjoy any venture without worrying about how difficult the levels are going to be as what matters to them is the level of entertainment they can get from such ventures where they can showcase their skills but blackjack is something that almost ever great player is partial to compared to others and so much so that PKV Games are coming out with a separate theme entirely dedicated to it.

Doubling down is a major variation in any blackjack play, but that does not necessarily mean that everyone knows how and when to use it. Use it too often, and you will look like a greedy player, while using it too infrequently (if at all) just makes you look uninformed about how to double. While it is true that doubling down can maximize your profits in certain cases, these occasions do not always occur, and doubling down at the wrong time can cause you to lose more money than you normally would.

A Low Down on Doubling Down

Double down is a blackjack rule that is beneficial for you in the end because it effectively reduces the house edge by about 0.12%. When used properly, it can help you maximize your winnings, especially when the dealer is weak. Think about it, you are betting double on good cards against a dealer with really bad cards up. So you are best off doubling down when the dealer has either low cards or a combination that just might go bust, or really low cards that have no hope of getting better. You should not look on doubling as a gamble, but rather a decision made when everything is in your favor. The most ideal combination that can occur for you as a player is to be dealt a high pair (lower than ten value), then splitting, then doubling against a dealers low card. If you get dealt for example the four eights in the deck against a dealers 6, it is possible you can be doubling up to four hands a round! On the other hand, doubling down could work against you when it is used improperly. Remember that you are putting twice your initial bet on the line when you double down, so it actually magnifies your losses. Doubling down should not be done just because it is an option.Good timing is critical at all times.

When to Double Down

There are some fundamental rules for when you should and should not double down. For example, you should not bother splitting when you have got a pair of cards like 5-5 against a dealers 5. It will be wiser to do

uble here on any dealer card up to and including a 9. When the dealer is showing an A , even if you have a 5 and a 6 for 11 do not double. A hit here is good enough as that is already a strong enough hand by itself, and you need not go through the extra effort and risk of doubling down. There are also some cases when it is most advantageous to double down, and you really should not pass up the chance. Any time the dealer is showing a 6 and you have any hand with a total under 11, then you should be doubling. this is where you will make the majority of your profit. Any time the count is good, combined with low dealer cards is another opportune time.

When Should I Double Down In Blackjack Winnings

Some casinos will only allow a player to double on a two card total of 9,10,11, ifyour not playing at one of these casinos, then you should be looking to double at any opportunity available. Be careful though when the dealer has a 2 showing, as its tempting to double against a dealers 2, though often the dealer will beat your hand/s in the long run in this situation. It is wise to only hit in this situation if you have a total of 9, though still double on 10 or 11. Correct doubling down takes practice and skill for you to correctly determine when doubling down is most in your advantage. Knowing some basics of doubling down coupled with a good card counting strategy is a great way to maximize your profits in blackjack. Using a strategy card is also useful.

Free Tip: Refer to a strategy card for optimal double down strategy.

When Should I Double Down In Blackjack