As with any community, there’s certain activities that prove more popular than others, able to span the generations in its intensity and accessibility, like Blackjack.

Even if you’ve never played the game, you’ll be aware that it’s a casino classic you’ve heard of, and one with a long history. Even though the reports of when it first came about are sketchy, historians believe it was in the 1700s that Blackjack started being played.

Despite changes over time, the game has remained one that players pride themselves on knowing, especially if they have a particular talent for winning. The thing is, many novice gamers can struggle to get to grips with this card game, often being beaten by the game rather than beating it. Due to the high volume of places which cater for the activity, such as http://www.blackjacklivedealer.com/, a need for clear strategy, one that’s simple to follow, is greatly needed. As with any form of technique, it isn’t an exact science, however the tips can help you lay a firm foundation to work with.

Basic Understanding

This will seem obvious to everyone, but if you’re to be successful in Blackjack, you need a basic understanding of the game and its rules. Only then can you start to learn the basic strategy, which is simply to know how to play the cards you're dealt. For example, if you’ve got a 10 and 6 and the dealer has a 7, you should hit above all else. If you don’t understand why that is, it’s to do with the mathematics that are part and parcel of the game; if you know the mathematically correct way to play your hand, you’ll likely win more rounds.

Know When to Surrender

For some, especially those who think they understand the rules often regard the surrender rule is regarded as a cop out. And yet, if you play your hand right, that surrender is a clever little move that, when well timed, can change the course of the game. Of course, it’s not just a case of knowing about the surrender, it’s also knowing when to play it. There’s Late Surrender and Early Surrender, with the latter typically allowed in European casinos but not so much US ones. As for the logic behind it, a surrender is only useful if your anticipated loss is greater than 50%.

Split the Pair

Although having been created as a rule to help gamers, splitting the pair has actually resulted in casino dealers gaining an advantage. That being said, that status quo doesn’t have to remain. As some of you will already know, you can split when two cards have the same value. However, what you might not know is by doing so, you can increase your likelihood of winning if you’re already pitted as the favourite. What is more, you can reduce your losses if you happen to be the underdog of the game instead There’s a lot of different ways to do this, but an example would be to split 2 through 7 against the dealer's upcard when your hand is a double 2 and double 6.

In addition to the above, there’s a lot of other variations too, which can be found here, along with other helpful notes on Blackjack strategy. No matter which guide you opt for, if you keep testing yourselves by trying out the our advice, you should start to see an improvement in your gameplay.