All good players know that you should never miss a good double down or split opportunity. Doubling down is where you have the opportunity to ‘buy’ one extra card by doubling the size of your original bet. Splitting is where your first two cards are of the same value and you have the opportunity to ‘split’ them to create two separate hands. Again this is usually done by contributing an extra amount that is equal to that of your original bet. But why do some basic strategy tables tell you to double down with a total of 11 against a dealer’s 10, while others tell you not to? And one basic strategy table will tell you to always split a pair of 8s and Aces, and the next will tell you not to when the dealer has a 10? What are the right decisions? Well, it depends on which one of three different rules your casino uses.
The three rules
Casinos can use one of three different rules that determine which of the player’s bets are lost when the dealer achieves a blackjack. The ‘European No-Hole-Card’ rule is sometimes called ‘All Bets Lose’, and it means that if you have split or doubled, both your original wager, and the additional amount you have put out for the split or double will be lost if the dealer has a blackjack. This rule is used by many casinos outside of the US. The ‘Original Bets Only’ rule (OBO) is a little more generous, and results in only the original being lost if the dealer has blackjack, and is adopted in most US casinos. This means that even if your split hand has busted, it will not lose if the dealer has blackjack. The ‘Original and Busted Bets Only’ rule (OBBO) is almost the same as OBO except that all busted hands will lose, even if the dealer achieves a blackjack. So if you have split and you have not busted on your second hand then you will get to keep that bet if the dealer gets a blackjack.
The more changes to the original rules of blackjack usually mean that the house edge is increasing. When the blackjack rules allow players to double after splitting the casino loses a bit of their advantage. Generally, the more restriction on the players making this wager the higher the house edge for the casino. The double-down can be risky since you are putting down twice as much on your hand. If you lose, you lose twice as much. However, if you win, you instantly double your profits for very little extra work. How the Double-Down System Works. To get your double-down going, you will need to signal to the dealer that this is your intention.
So what should I do?
Confused by all the rule variations above? Don’t worry. You only need to identify which of these rules is used at your casino and then adapt the basic strategy accordingly. If your casino has the OBO or OBBO rules, you can use most of the basic strategies in books and on the internet. If your casino has the European No-Hole-Card rule, just remember that you should never double down on 11 versus dealer 10, split Aces against a dealer Ace or split 8’s against a dealer 10 or Ace.
- basic strategy | blackjack | double down | European No-Hole-Card | original and busted bets only | original bets only | split
Blackjack is one of the most widely played games in any casino, brick-and-mortar or online. The game is popular for many reasons, including the fact that it is one of the easiest casino table games to learn to play and offers plenty of strategically-based decision-making to enhance winning opportunities.
While the most common decisions you would make in each round of blackjack include knowing when to hit or when to stand, other crucial strategic decisions include knowing when to split and when to double down.
Splitting Cards – What Is it and When Should You Do It?
The opportunity to split cards usually occurs when any player is dealt two identically-ranked cards, known as a pair, in the initial deal. The player can then split them into two new and separate bets and request another card for each. The two new hands will then each get a full bet, the same as if it were just a single blackjack hand.
Should it be on any two same-ranked cards, or is there a better way to go about splitting cards?
As a matter of fact, there is, and it’s loosely referred to as the aces and eights “rule.” In the case of a pair of aces, the player can either see the hand as a 2 (total), which is very bad, or as a soft 12, which can be just as bad. However, if the player splits the aces into two new bets, they automatically give themselves two separate opportunities to potentially hit a 21 or blackjack.
Similarly, if a player receives a pair of eights in their initial round, it adds up to a total of 16, which is considered to be one of the worst hands in blackjack. However, splitting the eights gives the player an opportunity to build on both hands.
If the player should receive either a 10 card or an 11 card, they will have a total of 18 or 19, which are both much better than going up against the dealer with a total of 16 only, should they choose not to split.
Double Down – What Does It Mean?
As the name implies, doubling down entails doubling your initial bet once you have received your first two cards. Of course, doubling down also depends on the rules of the particular game of blackjack that you happen to be playing.
It is always a good idea to ensure that you can double down in the game of blackjack you want to play before actually sitting down (or playing online). The double-down can be risky since you are putting down twice as much on your hand. If you lose, you lose twice as much. However, if you win, you instantly double your profits for very little extra work.
How the Double-Down System Works
To get your double-down going, you will need to signal to the dealer that this is your intention. In order to do this, simply place the same amount of chips next to your original bet. This is generally the accepted signal for a double-down in most brick-and-mortar or online casinos.
Note:Some land-based and online casinos will also allow you to double down for less, meaning that you can still pull off a double-down move, but you won’t have to put down the same amount as your initial bet, a bit like a special deal.
Once the dealer has acknowledged your wish to double down, he/she will then place an additional card across your initial two cards. This is where the entire double-down procedure ends, as you will not be allowed to do anything else with this hand. In other words, whatever your total hand is with the three cards is the hand you will be playing, without any additional hits.
Letting the Dealer Know You Are Doubling Down and Not Splitting
In blackjack, the action for a double-down is exactly the same as the action for a split. This is usually not a problem if you are either doubling down or splitting. However, if you want to double down on a pair, you will need to let the dealer know that you are doubling down and not splitting the pair.
In order to do this, you will need to say the words “double down” when placing your additional bet. This will ensure that the dealer does not confuse your intention.
Letting the Dealer Know You Are Doubling Down and Not Splitting – Online
Of course, if you are playing blackjack online, you cannot actually say the words “double down” to the dealer since the dealer is effectively a computer program. However, you can simply hit the double-down button (in most instances of online blackjack), and your additional bet will be placed automatically.
Know the Rules
Not every game of blackjack will allow you to double down on your hand, and not every casino (brick-and-mortar or online) will follow the same rules regarding doubling down. The most common form of the double-down rule allows players to double down on their initial two-card hand. Let’s look at some variations of the blackjack double-down rule:
- The most common double-down rule covers your first two-card hand
- Some casinos will also allow you to double down on a blackjack
- Some casinos will restrict the double-down option to either hard 9, hard 10, or hard 11 – this means that your initial two-card total must be 9, 10, or 11
- Players can also double down after a split – this applies to most brick-and-mortar as well as online casinos
When to Double Down?
Doubling down is an enormously popular strategy in blackjack, and it is used by experienced players to potentially increase their profits very quickly. However, as with any technique or strategy, it is important to know what it is and when to use it for best effect.
There are inherent risks with using the double-down betting option that should be considered as well before attempting to use it in a real money blackjack game. While it does have the potential to instantly double your profits, the reverse is also true in that you could instantly lose twice as much as you would if a regular bet ended up as a bust.
When to Use It Strategically
One of the great things about playing blackjack is that there are plenty of opportunities to employ strategies to help improve your chances of success. Many experienced blackjack players also apply strategy to the double-down betting option, which can be combined with a card-counting technique for added effectiveness.
However, if you’re a novice blackjack player and wish to use the double-down betting option in your next blackjack game, you can simply follow these basic double-down guidelines:
- Double down on 11: if your initial two-card hand totals 11, you should probably double down. One of the main reasons for this is that there is always a good chance that you will receive a 10 card as your third card, giving you an instant total of 21
- Double down on a hard 10 if the dealer shows a 4, 5, or 6
- Double down on a hard 9 if the dealer shows either a 5 or a 6
Double Down in Card Counting
Card counting is one of the most notorious blackjack techniques for all the wrong reasons. Many people believe that this is a form of cheating, but in reality, it is just a smart way of figuring out what the blackjack deck may be holding.
The way that card counting works is actually quite easy to understand. Different cards in the deck are given a value, either a minus value or a positive value (-/+), to determine what the deck may be holding. A negative deck, therefore, means that most of the cards in the deck will be low-value cards, while a positive deck tells you that there are more high-value cards still to play.
Card counting can, therefore, be used to determine when to double down and when to avoid the option. If the deck is quite negative, it tells you that doubling down could be a bad idea. For instance, if you have a two-card total of 11, you would probably normally double down in hopes of receiving a 10 card.
For ExampleOn a negative deck, there is more of a chance of getting a low-value card such as a 4, 5, or a 6. Free online texas holdem tournaments. If the dealer is showing a 10 card, your chances of losing your double-down bet are much higher.
Being Safe with Double Down in Blackjack
As you can see, the double-down technique can be very effective in providing instant double profits, should everything go right. However, there is always the chance that things could go horribly wrong (there are no guarantees in blackjack), and you could lose twice as much.
When To Double Down And Split In Blackjack
Ultimately, it is all about knowing as much as you can about the game, applying a solid blackjack strategy such as card counting, watching the dealer to see what he is showing as well as what he may be hiding with his hole card, and watching other players to see how strong their hands are (which could tell you how strong or weak the deck is).
