Guide: When to Bet in Blackjack
In blackjack, you start by placing an initial bet before being dealt two cards. If you keep this bet unchanged throughout the game, it's known as a flat bet. However, after receiving your cards, you may have the option to increase your bet - either by doubling down or splitting pairs. Read on to discover how to adjust your bets and when to raise the stakes for the best chance at a winning session.
Table of Content:
- The Fundamentals of Betting in Blackjack
- Situational Betting: When and How Much to Bet
- Betting on Strong Hands
- Advanced Betting Strategies
- Table Dynamics
- Special Situations in Blackjack Betting
- FAQs
The Fundamentals of Betting in Blackjack
Most blackjack beginners focus their attention on when to hit (take an additional card) or stand (keep their current hand). However, knowing when to increase your bet, or not, during the hand is also crucial and can greatly impact your overall win rate.
If you fail to double down on certain hands, you're missing out on extra winnings. On the flip side, if you bet on the wrong hands, you're potentially compounding losses. Interestingly, your pre-hand betting habits have zero impact on your win rate. It doesn't matter if you're a flat bettor or live and breathe the Martingale system, it won't alter the house edge in any way.
Situational Betting: When and How Much to Bet
Under certain circumstances, you can double your initial wager. Below, we'll show you when it’s advantageous to increase your bet.
Initial Hands
After you've received your first two cards, you can either hit, stand, double down, or split pairs. If you hit or stand, your initial bet remains the same. However, if you opt to split pairs or double down, you need to double your initial wager.
These are the blackjack hands it’s recommended to hit on:
8 or less - Always hit
9 - Hit if tdealer's upcard is 2 or 7-A
10 - Hit if dealer's upcard is 10-A
11 - Always hit
12 - Hit if dealer's upcard is 2-3 or 7-A
13-16 - Hit if dealer's upcard is 7-A
17+ - Never hit
These are the blackjack hands it’s recommended to stand on:
A-9 - Always stand
A-8 - Stand unless the dealer's upcard is 6, then double down
A-7 - Stand if dealer's upcard is 7-8
12 vs dealer's upcard of 4 to 6
13 vs dealer's upcard of 2 to 6
14 vs dealer's upcard of 2 to 6
15 vs dealer's upcard of 2 to 6
16 vs dealer's upcard of 2 to 6
17+ - Always stand
Betting on Strong Hands
In blackjack, a "blackjack" refers to a hand consisting of an ace and a ten-value card (10, Jack, Queen, or King) as the initial two cards dealt.
This hand usually beats all other hands, except another blackjack. If both you and the dealer have blackjack, the hand is a push, meaning you neither win nor lose.
In that case, it's a push, and you’ll receive your bet back.
The second strongest hand is a hand value of 21, achieved using three or more of your cards. 21 beats all hands except a natural blackjack, and results in a push if the dealer also hits 21 with three or more cards.
Other strong hands are 20 or 19, as it's difficult for the dealer to make a superior total. Soft totals like A,6 can also be strong if the dealer is showing 3-6, as you can double down and potentially double your winnings.
You should always increase your bet in these scenarios:
- A,6 vs a dealer's 3 to 6
- A,5 vs a dealer's 4 to 6
- A,4 vs a dealer's 4 to 6
- A,3 vs a dealer's 5 or 6
- A,2 vs a dealer's 5 or 6
Betting on Weak Hands
Just like in poker, blackjack has strong and weak hands. You need to be able to identify weak hands so you don't end up doubling down at the wrong time and compounding your losses.
The weakest hand in blackjack is 16. This is because the dealer is likely to make a stronger hand, so you're forced to hit if the dealer's up card is 7 through A. However, when you do hit, you typically bust, as any card over 5 will cause your total to breach 21.
Other terrible hands in blackjack are 13 through 15. These suffer from the same problem as 16, where the hand is often too weak to stand, but there are too many cards which will cause you to bust when you hit.
Doubling Down
When you double down, you have the potential to double your winnings. However, you're also doubling your potential losses as you have to increase your initial wager. This is why you should only double down when you have these hands:
- 9 - Double down if the dealer's upcard is 3 to 6
- 10 - Double down if the dealer's upcard is 2 to 9
- 11 - Always double down
- A,6 - Double down if the dealer's upcard is 3 to 6
- A,5 - Double down if the dealer's upcard is 4 to 6
- A,4 - Double down if the dealer's upcard is 4 to 6
- A,3 - Double down if the dealer's upcard is 5 or 6
- A,2 - Double down if the dealer's upcard is 5 or 6
Splitting Pairs
When you split pairs, you also double your initial bet, as you’re taking one hand and making it into two separate hands. So, your newly created hand needs a wager that equals your first - but, it also gives you a second chance at winning (or losing, but we’re optimists). It’s optimal to split pairs when you’re looking at these hands:
- A,A - Always split
- 9,9 - Split if the dealer's upcard is 2-6 or 8-9
- 8,8 - Always split
- 7,7 - Split if the dealer's upcard is 2 to 7
- 6,6 - Split if the dealer's upcard is 2 to 6
- 4,4 - Split if the dealer's upcard is 5 or 6
- 3,3 - Split if the dealer's upcard is 2 to 7
- 2,2 - Split if the dealer's upcard is 2 to 7
Never split these blackjack hands:
- 10,10 (or J,J or Q,Q, or K,K)
- 5,5
Advanced Betting Strategies
Now that you know what to do after you've received your cards, let's look at different pre-hand betting systems and the effect of table dynamics.
Betting Systems
Picking the right betting system won't alter blackjack's RTP, but if you pick the wrong one, your blackjack session could end very quickly. Here are the most popular blackjack betting approaches:
The Martingale System - With this system, you double your bet every time you lose a hand. You keep doubling until you eventually win. Your profit will be your first bet. For example, you bet $10 and lose, then $20 and lose again. Finally, you bet $40 and win. Your total winnings are $80, and minus all of your bets ($10 + $20 + $40), you end up with a profit of $10.
The Paroli System - This is the opposite of the Martingale system, where you double your bet after wins. If you lose, you return to your first bet.
The 1-3-2-6 System - With this system, you follow the numbers which represent the multiplication of your first bet after every win. So, if you place a $10 bet and win, you then place a $30 bet. If you win again, you then place a $20 bet. At any point, if you lose, you revert back to your initial wager.
Table Dynamics
Table dynamics don't exist in blackjack. There is no such thing as a hot table or a weak table. Every hand in online blackjack is essentially random due to casinos using continuous shuffling, also, the rules are designed to prevent any card counting.
Special Situations in Blackjack Betting
Blackjack is not played in a vacuum. Your betting decisions are directly related to the dealer's upcard.
Dealer's Upcard
If the dealer has a strong upcard, you need to hit in many situations unless you have 17 or over. For example, if a hand value of 8-9 or 12-16, you should always hit if the dealer's upcard is 7 through A. If the dealer has a weak upcard, then you're more likely to stand. For example, if you have 13-16, you should always stand if the dealer's upcard is 2 through 6.
Side Bets
Side bets always increase the house edge of blackjack. However, they do offer you a chance to win significantly more than your initial stake. Here are the most common blackjack odds and their payouts:
| Side Bet | Odds | Payout |
| Perfect Pair | 1.7% | 25:1 |
| Colored Pair | 1.93% | 12:1 |
| Mixed Pair | 3.86% | 5:1 |
| Insurance | 44% | 2:1 |
| Suited Three of a Kind | 0.02% | 100:1 |
| Straight Flush | 0.21% | 35:1 |
| Three-of-a-Kind | 0.5% | 33:1 |
| Straight | 3.13% | 10:1 |
| Flush | 5.89% | 5:1 |
FAQs
Do you bet before or after in blackjack?
In blackjack, you bet before you're dealt your first two cards. You also have the option of doubling your initial bet during the hand (known as doubling down) or splitting pairs,, where you transform your hand into two hands and place a bet equal to your first wager on the second hand.
When should you hit in blackjack?
You should hit in blackjack when you have these hands:
- 8 or less - Always hit
- 9 - Hit if the dealer's upcard is 2 or 7-A
- 10 - Hit if the dealer's upcard is 10-A
- 11 - Always hit
- 12 - Hit if the dealer's upcard is 2-3 or 7-A
- 13-16 - Hit if the dealer's upcard is 7-A
- 17+ - Never hit
What is the best way to bet on blackjack?
Apart from knowing when to split pairs and to double down, it doesn't matter what betting style you use in blackjack because it won't alter the house edge. However, to avoid a few unlucky hands in a row wiping out your bankroll, it’s advised to not risk more than 1% of your bankroll on a hand.
When to bet high in blackjack?
In blackjack, double down on a 9 if the dealer’s upcard is 3-6, on a 10 if the dealer’s upcard is 2-9, and always double down on an 11.
Learn about other blackjack strategies in our guides: