Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Playing Online Blackjack

Blackjack is arguably the most strategic casino game. There is still a house edge—that’s to say an element of chance that tilts the odds of victory in the casino's favor. However, the odds of the house winning are smaller in this game than any other.

To win at blackjack, you need to understand the rules and develop systems that will remove uncertainty from your strategy. The best blackjack players play without emotion, implementing strategies that can be applied to any situation.

Blackjack is not like slots. You can’t saunter over with no prior knowledge of the game and expect good results. Only with planning and mistake-avoidance strategies can you prevent the sort of costly errors that give the house its edge. How do skilled blackjack players improve their chances?

Don't Get Timid on a Soft Hand

A soft hand refers to any number configuration that includes an ace counted as 11. For example, an ace and a seven play as 18, but you have flexibility because the ace can become a 1 if you draw a high card.

The dealer's up card should determine your aggression level with soft hands. When the dealer shows a 9, 10, or ace, you should hit on soft 18. The dealer has a strong chance of making at least 19 in these situations, so standing on 18 puts you at a disadvantage.

Against a dealer's 3 through 6, you can play more conservatively with a soft 18. The dealer has a higher chance of busting in these situations. Against a 2 or 7-8, basic strategy suggests standing on soft 18.

Remember that you can't bust a soft hand with one hit. Your ace will convert to 1 if needed, giving you more chances to improve your hand. For example, hitting a soft 18 and drawing a 9 gives you 18 again (the ace counts as 1 plus 7 plus 9).

This flexibility makes soft hands special. Don't fall into the trap of playing them like hard hands - use the ace's versatility to maximize your winning chances based on what the dealer is showing.

Splitting Tens

Splitting tens - should you? Shouldn't you? That's a controversial topic. The popular claim is that splitting gives you a chance to win double your money if you get strong cards on both hands. While this is true, it represents the least likely scenario.

Getting dealt twenty is a rare and exciting opportunity to sit pretty. What happens when you split in blackjack is that you take a great hand and make two lesser hands. Of course, you can still win with both splits, but your odds are much better with the original twenty.

Think about what you're giving up. A twenty beats everything except a natural blackjack. The dealer has to hit twenty-one exactly to beat you. When you split, suddenly you need good cards on both hands just to match the position you were already in.

Betting Badly

The most obvious and yet so often forgotten advice: In gambling, you never bet more than you can afford to lose. It's best to think of every wager as money you will never see again. This will help provide clarity to each bet. Am I ok with spending this much money? If you aren't, it's time to sign out.

This mindset matters more than any strategy. Even perfect blackjack play won't save you if you're betting with rent money. The house edge means that gambling should be treated as entertainment spending, not investment.

Insurance Bets

Insurance bets offer protection when the dealer shows an ace - you can place a side bet that pays 2:1 if the dealer has blackjack. It seems like smart protection for your main bet, but the math tells a different story.

In pretty much every situation, insurance is considered a low-probability move. The odds simply don't justify the cost, making it one of the highest house edge bets in blackjack.

The only situation where blackjack analysts suggest insurance bets could work? Card counting. If you have a truly refined system that takes some of the uncertainty out of the experience, it might make sense.

Timid Hitting

There are pretty clear systems for when to hit and when to stay. Many players get nervous holding mid-teen cards - say a sixteen. That is a bit of a tossup in that you have a reasonably high chance of busting. You still need to do it.

Otherwise, you're basically betting that the dealer will bust. Against a dealer's 7 or higher, standing on 16 means you're hoping they draw badly - and dealers are more likely to make a hand than bust in these situations.