Learn the Best Blackjack Strategies in Ireland

Choosing the right blackjack strategy can greatly impact your odds of success in the long run. While there’s no guaranteed way to beat the dealer every time, strategies like card counting or basic strategy charts can help you increase your chances of winning by making the right moves.

This online blackjack strategy guide will introduce you to several strategies you can implement to play better blackjack. We’ll also provide expert tips and debunk some common blackjack myths to help you sharpen your skills and play confidently at Betiton Ireland.

Basic Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack basic strategy is generally considered the perfect blackjack strategy because it’s based on real statistics for every situation. The basic strategy system comes in the form of a blackjack chart, which tells you what to do for any hand. It also considers the dealer’s face-up card, something new players often overlook.

Basic strategy is the best blackjack strategy for beginners and experienced players, especially when you’re dealt a tricky hand. For example, a hand worth 15 points is tough to play, and the right decision depends on what the dealer has.

That’s where a blackjack strategy chart will come in handy and give you the best way to play the hand. A good tip for mastering basic strategy is to use a blackjack strategy trainer to get some practice before you play real blackjack.

Counting Cards in Blackjack

The card counting method is another highly effective blackjack table strategy, but it’s much more advanced than a basic blackjack strategy chart. This system of playing blackjack games involves assigning a value to each card type and using the values to keep a running count.

Expert card counters can estimate how many low/ high-value cards are left in the deck, use that to determine the casino’s advantage and make betting decisions accordingly. It should be noted that while the counting cards in blackjack strategy can be effective, it’s difficult to master accurately and can’t be used for online blackjack games due to continuous shuffling machines.

Blackjack Strategy Charts

You can easily find a blackjack strategy card online, which can be used as a guide to help you play better blackjack. A blackjack perfect strategy chart is always split into two sections: on the left is the player’s hand, split into soft and hard totals, while the top row contains the dealer’s upcard.

Using a perfect strategy blackjack chart can be easily done by finding your hand total and the dealer’s card. The cell in common to both will tell you whether you should hit, stand, split, double, or possibly surrender. You can also use a blackjack strategy calculator, which will tell you what your next move should be.

What’s most important about following a basic strategy chart is to find the correct one based on the game’s rules. Different basic strategy charts should be used for a single-deck games, multi-deck games, and so on.

Blackjack Betting Systems

In addition to using a blackjack strategy guide, many players also use a betting system to play blackjack. Unlike a playing strategy (like card counting), a betting strategy won’t help you decrease the casino’s house edge in a blackjack game, nor can they guarantee you’ll win. However, they can be useful for bankroll management and possibly to make the game more fun.

Martingale System

The Martingale system is the most common betting strategy used to play blackjack. It’s a negative progression system with the following rules:

• Choose any amount for your initial bet. We suggest starting with a small stake.
• If you lose, your bet should be double your initial bet for the next round.
• If you win, you bet the same amount or return to your original bet if you’ve already doubled it.

The Martingale betting strategy is one of the easiest to follow but also quite risky. It can quickly eat up your bankroll if you get a number of consecutive losses, which is why starting with a small bet is safer.

Reverse Martingale System

As you can probably guess from the name, the Reverse Martingale system instructs you to do the exact opposite of the betting system above. Here’s a quick summary of the rules to follow if you want to play blackjack with this system:

• Place your first bet in the game. This can be any amount of your choice.
• If your bet loses, bet the same amount on the next round.
• If you beat the dealer, double your bet for the next game.
• The Reverse Martingale states you should keep doubling your bet on consecutive wins.
• When the winning streak ends, go back to your original bet.

Fibonacci System

The Fibonacci system is a more advanced blackjack betting system based on the Fibonacci number sequence. The idea is to follow the sequence below according to the outcome in each round, as explained below:

• The Fibonacci sequence starts as follows: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13.
• The sequence can be continued by adding the last two numbers to get the next one.
• To use it for blackjack, start with a unit like €1 or €10 to make it easier to use the system.
• If you lose your bet, increase your bet according to the next number.
• If you win, the strategy states your bet should move two numbers in the sequence.

D’Alembert System

The D’Alembert System is a simpler blackjack betting system that beginners can use. It’s also less risky than the two previous systems and might help you stretch your bankroll further. Here’s how to apply it in practice:

• Set a betting unit to use for the whole game. For example, a unit of one or 10 to keep things simple.
• Your initial bet should be equal to the chosen unit.
• On a loss, the bet should be increased by one unit. For example, if you chose a unit of one, your next bet will be €2.
• On a win, your bet should be decreased by one unit.

1-3-2-6 System

The 1-3-2-6 blackjack system is a positive progression system similar to the previously described system but based on a 1-3-2-6 unit sequence. Here’s a quick explanation of how to play blackjack using this betting strategy:

• Choose a betting unit. This will be your first bet.
• If you win, the next bet should be three units.
• The sequence should be followed so long as you have consecutive wins. This means that if your third round is also successful, the next stake should be two units, and so on.
• If a loss occurs, you bet one unit on the next round and start the process again.

Oscar’s Grind

The Oscar’s Grind betting strategy is typically used to play roulette but can also be applied to blackjack. This system is designed to generate a profit equal to one betting unit. Here’s how to apply the Oscar’s Grind blackjack betting strategy in practice:

• Choose a betting unit. As always, picking a simple unit with an even number is easier.
• Your bet should be kept the same on a loss and increased by one unit on a win.
• The idea is to generate a profit equal to your betting unit.
• If you do, you return to betting one unit.

Parlay System

The Parlay System is another online casino blackjack strategy that can be classified as a positive progression betting system. However, instead of doubling your bet on a win, you also bet the equivalent of your original wager. This makes it even riskier than most progressive betting systems and requires quite a large bankroll to keep up with.

These are the rules to remember if you want to apply the Parlay System in blackjack:

• Choose your starting bet amount.
• On a win, you should increase your bet by betting your winnings and the original amount.
• On a loss, you simply return to your original wager.

2-1-2 Manhattan System

The 2-1-2 Manhattan system is similar to the 1-3-2-6 and Fibonacci betting methods, but it’s even easier for blackjack players to follow. Here are the rules to keep in mind if you want to apply it in practice:

• Set a betting unit to start with. As always, it’s best to make it an even number.
• Your first bet should be two units.
• On a win, the next bet should be decreased to one unit.
• On the other hand, if you lose, you should bet the same amount in the next game.
• The idea of using this system is to get three wins in a row to complete the 2-1-2 sequence.

Labouchere Betting System

The Labouchere online blackjack strategy is another advanced betting method that can be used in a blackjack game. This is how it works:

• Set a winning goal.
• Split the amount into various numbers that total it.
• Your first bet should be the sum of the first and last numbers in the sequence.
• If you win, cross off the numbers you used and repeat the process.
• If you lose, your bet amount should be added to the end of the sequence.
• Repeat these steps until the winning goal is reached but remember to stick to your allocated budget for the game. There’s no guarantee you’ll win the goal you set for the game.

Paroli Betting System

The Paroli System is a positive progression betting system similar to the Reverse Martingale Strategy. If you want to use it to play blackjack games, we suggest setting a maximum win limit or target. If you reach it, you collect your winnings and start again or end the game.

These are the rules of the Paroli Blackjack System:

• Start with any bet amount to join the table.
• Double your stake if you win the game.
• Bet your original amount on any loss.
• If your first bet loses, keep betting the same amount until a win occurs.

Learn the Hand Signals in Blackjack

You won’t need to worry about the correct hand signals when playing online blackjack, but in a land-based casino, getting the hand signals right is very important. Professional blackjack players know how to signal what they want to do with their cards without speaking to the dealer, so let’s review the basic hand signals you should learn.

Face Up Playing

In most blackjack games, cards are dealt face up. The dealer gets a hole card that stays facing down until players have taken their turns, but the players’ cards are dealt face up for everyone to see. In this case, here’s how to signal what you want to do:

• Stand – Wave your hand over your cards (from left to right).
• Hit – Gently tap the table once or point at your cards.
• Double Down – Place a stack of chips next to your original wager. It should be the same size, and you’ll also want to hold up your index finger.
• Split – Point at your cards with two fingers in the shape of a ‘V’.

Face Down Playing

Blackjack variations played with the cards dealt facing down are not very common, but a few games might be played this way. In this case, here’s how you’ll need to signal the different actions in the game:

• Stand – Slowly slide your cards under your chips without moving them.
• Hit – Run your index finger across the table, making an invisible line.
• Double Down – Place a second stake of chips equal to your first bet and hold up your index finger.
• Split – Place another stake of chips equal to your original bet as described above but hold up two fingers to indicate you want to split.

Blackjack Myths Unravelled

Since blackjack is one of the few casino games that doesn’t rely solely on chance, it’s natural for players to seek the best online blackjack tips and advice to enhance their winning odds. Unfortunately, there are also several myths about blackjack and tips that promise you can beat the dealer every time.

Let’s debunk some common blackjack myths:

• You need to get as close to 21 as possible – One of the most common blackjack myths is that you must get a total of 21 to win the game. However, this isn’t the aim of the game. As long as your cards have a higher value than the dealer’s, the value doesn’t matter.
• Other players can influence your chances of winning, especially if they’re inexperienced – blackjack is always played against the dealer, so the other players and their cards are insignificant. Remember, multiple players can win in the same round.
• A win is bound to happen after a losing streak – It’s common to expect a win after a losing streak, but each round has the same house edge. Cards are dealt randomly from the blackjack shoe, so there’s an equal chance of winning or losing every time.
• The insurance bet should be taken if the dealer has an Ace – New players often tend to take the insurance bet if the dealer shows an Ace. However, it’s often a losing bet and any professional blackjack player or strategy chart will tell you to avoid this bet.
• Card counting is illegal – Many people believe card counting is illegal because casinos reserve the right to ban card counters if they’re spotted (in physical casinos). However, it’s not actually illegal to count cards.
• Basic strategy guarantees you can beat the dealer – Basic strategy blackjack charts can significantly reduce the game’s house edge, but it’s not a foolproof method. It’s impossible to eliminate the game’s house edge and the element of chance.

How to Choose the Best Blackjack Strategy for You?

Picking the right blackjack strategy for your game is an important step; remember, none of the strategies discussed in this guide can guarantee a win every time you play. So, it’s more important to choose a strategy that fits your expertise level, bankroll, and style of play.

If you’re a beginner, it’s best to stick to simple and low-risk strategies like the D’Alembert System rather than going for a high-risk strategy like the Martingale System. Make sure you know what kind of bankroll is required to follow the strategy for your whole game and understand how to apply it in practice.

Frequently Asked Questions about Blackjack Strategies