Betfair Official Blog

Blackjack has always been the favourite for skilled casino players as the house advantage on blackjack is naturally very low. A seasoned player can actually succeed in reducing the house edge to almost zero by following optimal Basic Blackjack Strategy or BBS.

It takes discipline and a keen eye to follow BBS, which varies according to the rules of each specific blackjack game. At Betfair Casino you can play Zero Blackjack, Classic Blackjack, European Blackjack, lucky 7 Blackjack, and single deck Blackjack. The rules of each create their own optimal BBS.

To play optimal blackjack strategy you need to stay focused, know when to hit, stand, split etc based on knowing only your hand and the dealer's face up card.

As you can tell, blackjack is a game of strategy. The aim is to obtain a hand value that is closer to 21 than that of the dealer, without going over 21. Your game is strictly with the dealer, other players at the table do not affect your game. The rules of play for the dealer are strictly dictated, leaving no decisions up to the dealer. For a full set of rules click here.

Once you've mastered the basics, your key to success is BBS. Each month we will cover one BBS topic in our newsletter; today we are 'splitting pairs'.

Splitting pairs

When you're dealt a matching pair of cards, you have the ability to split the hand into two separate hands, and play them independently. Let's say you are dealt a pair of eights which total sixteen. Sixteen is statistically the worst possible player hand. It is unlikely to win if you stand, and is very likely to bust if you hit. Here's a great chance to improve a dire situation.

Splitting, in effect doubles your bet, therefore, you will only be able to split if you have enough available funds. The 2 cards will be separated and treated as two independent hands. At Betfair Casino you could even double down on each hand, which means that if you feel that any hand has a good chance of beating the dealer, you can double your bet, thus double your possible winnings. This is called "double after split".

You can only split pairs once during any hand.

BBS Tips!

Never split 10s. You can split any 10-value card pair if you so wish, such as a "Queen, King" or "Ten, Jack" pair. Tempting though it may be, statistically it is always a bad idea. Stick with the 20!

Always split Aces. When you split Aces, you can only draw one more card per hand. And, if you draw a ten-valued card on one of your split Aces, the hand is not considered a blackjack, simply a 21. However, despite the restrictions, it always makes sense to split Aces.
To sum up, blackjack is a classic game of skill which is capturing the imagination of more and more players worldwide. Will it explode in popularity like Texas Hold'em? Who knows? Still, it would be interesting to be a part of it. Good luck on the tables!