While blackjack is a game of luck, knowledge and skill can help you win more often than not. It is therefore advisable to develop a winning strategy that you can use consistently in your blackjack games, to maximize the chances of you making a good start to your hand. This article will look at the best starting hands in blackjack and how they should be played, as well as the worst ones, and will provide you with the best tips to help you improve your playing style.
The first thing that players need to understand is that there are two types of blackjack hands – hard and soft. The best starting hand in blackjack is a ‘blackjack’, which consists of an ace and a card worth 10 (such as a ten, jack, queen or king). This is considered the highest scoring hand in the game, since it cannot be beaten by the dealer unless he/she also has a blackjack, which is extremely rare.
A close second is a ‘hard 20’, which consists of two cards that are each valued at 10. While some players may be tempted to split these hands into two separate hands, basic blackjack strategy recommends standing on them. This is because a made 20 is a winner nearly 80% of the time, so splitting them would significantly reduce your odds of winning.
Other good blackjack starting hands include a pair of 8s, 9s or 10s. These should always be hit, as they are strong enough to beat most of the dealers’ up cards. However, you must be wary of doubling down with a ten against a dealer showing a ten-card, as this is likely to result in you busting your hand.
One of the worst starting hands in blackjack is 16 when faced with a dealer card valued at 10. This is an extremely poor hand, and it should be stood on as you have a very low chance of your third card making 21 or higher. It is also important to note that a dealer can still win with his/her own blackjack, so you will not have any guarantee of beating them with your hand.
There are a number of other good and bad hands that you will encounter in the course of playing blackjack, and these will determine what strategy you should follow. Some strategies will be easier to learn than others, but it is always advisable to stick with basic blackjack strategy, as this can improve your odds of winning by quite a margin. While it won’t give you a 100% chance of winning, following it will cost you about one hand in twelve hours of play. This is a far better result than the house edge, which is around 50%. It is also important to consider your betting limits, as some strategies can require larger minimum and maximum bets than you might have available. This is why you should choose a system that fits your playing budget and blackjack limits.