Old Blackjack Strategy System

Learn the Old Blackjack Strategy System

Blackjack is one of the only games where with a little practice you can greatly increase your odds of winning. So don't rely on luck anymore, practice this strategy and you'll be a winner!

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Follow this chart for optimal results in most blackjack games. This chart should apply to the rules that most online casinos adhere to (such as Blackjack Ballroom), although there are always variations. To read it, locate your hand on the vertical column and find where it crosses with the dealer's upcard. If two options are available, go with the first if the house allows it, otherwise choose the second.Also, you should never take insurance, as in the long run it does not pay off.

S = Stand

H = Hit

P = Split

Su = Surrender

D = Double Down

Your Hand

Dealer's Upcard

	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
17	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	Su/H	Su/H	Su/H
15	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	Su/H	H
14	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
13	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
12	H	H	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
11	D/H	D/H	D/H	D/H	D/H	D/H	D/H	D/H	D/H	H
10	D/H	D/H	D/H	D/H	D/H	D/H	D/H	D/H	H	H
9	H	D/H	D/H	D/H	D/H	H	H	H	H	H
8 or less	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
Soft 19	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
Soft 18	S	D/S	D/S	D/S	D/S	S	S	H	H	H
Soft 17	H	D/H	D/H	D/H	D/H	H	H	H	H	H
Soft 16	H	H	D/H	D/H	D/H	H	H	H	H	H
Soft 15	H	H	D/H	D/H	D/H	H	H	H	H	H
Soft 14	H	H	H	D/H	D/H	H	H	H	H	H
Soft 13	H	H	H	D/H	D/H	H	H	H	H	H
2,2	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
3,3	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
4,4	H	H	H	SP	SP	H	H	H	H	H
5,5	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
6,6	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H	H
7,7	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
8,8	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P
9,9	P	P	P	P	P	S	P	P	S	S
10,10	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A,A	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P

*These results were arrived at through millions of computer simulations, testing each and every possibility to arrive at the optimal solution.

Betting Systems

Apart from following the above strategy, you may also opt to employ a betting system. This simply means following a system that instructs you on how much to bet and when to bet it. There are numerous systems, some more effective than others, largely depending on how far you are willing to go and what the casino's table limits are. We have included some of the more common ones below.

The Martingale System

This is one of the older and most well known systems. It has you double your last bet after a loss and bet your starting amount during a win. For example, say you start betting at $5. If you win, you bet $5 again; if you lose, you bet $10, and if you lose again, then $20, $40, $80 and so on. When you break the losing streak and win, you have made all your money back plus another $5. The drawback to this system, which is also why it is not that highly recommended, is that if you are on a losing streak the betting escalates quickly and you might tap out or reach the table limit. Otherwise, if you know when to cut your losses, it can be an effective system

Progressive Betting Levels for Blackjack

This system, unlike the Martinagale, rewards you during winning streaks and minimizes your losses during losing ones. To use this system, pick any number of levels of bets that you want to make. You could pick, for example, three levels, consisting of $5, $10, and $15. You start with your first level, $5, and go to the next level only when you win. If you lose, go back to the first level.

Two of the most popular progressive betting systems are 2-level and 4-level. In the 2-level system, during winning streaks you stay at your high bet until you lose. In the five level system, once you reach the highest level, you go back to your first one, irrespective of whether you won or lost. In this system, it is also popular to pick multiples of 1, 2, 3, and 5 (eg. $10, $20, $30, $50, then back down to $10).

Progressive systems reward you on your winning streaks and keep your losses low when losing. Since it is natural that some patters of streaks emerge, as opposed to win-lose-win-lose-win-lose, these systems can really pay off if you play them correctly.