Basic New Player Blackjack Tips

As far as overall blackjack strategy goes, numerous books have been written on the subject.

Depending on how serious a student of the game you want to become, you can read them and teach yourself everything from basic winning Blackjack strategy to more advanced techniques, including a technique professional blackjack players use called “card counting,” where you basically remember the cards that have been played so you can predict what cards are likely to come up next.

But we’ll leave that strategy to the experts, at least for now. For beginners, whom this article is intended, we’ll leave you with a simpler strategy. Follow these basic rules, and you’ll be able to hold your own at any casino blackjack table. And with a little luck, you might even win.

These tips can be used for general Blackjack tables or also Elimination Blackjack tables (Tournament Blackjack).

Best 11 Tips for Blackjack

If your first two cards total 9 or lower, hit.
If your first two cards total 10 or 11, double down.
If your first two cards total 12, 13, 14, 15 or 16, stand if the dealer’s “upcard” (exposed card) is 6 or lower and hit if the dealer’s “upcard” is 7 or higher.
If your first two cards total 17 or higher, stand
When one of your first two cards is an ace—which we told you can be worth 1 or 11—make the following strategic adjustments:
If your first two cards total 17 or lower, hit.
If your first two cards total 18, stand when the dealer’s “upcard” is 7 or higher and hit when the dealer’s “upcard” is 6 or lower.
If your first two cards total 19 or higher, stand.
In addition, if your first two cards total 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 or 18, double down when the dealer’s “upcard” is 5 or 6.
If all those numbers are too much to remember, and you just want to get out there and start playing without having to recall what move goes with what card total, then just remember this one rule:
Follow the dealer. In other words, no matter what cards you’re dealt, hit on 16 or lower, and stand on 17 or higher.

Good luck!