Advanced Blackjack Strategy is probably one of the most popular casino games in the world and for good reason. While a lot of casino games rely entirely on luck and chance, Blackjack involves a good level of skill and expertise, something that means good players can win consistently if they use proper strategy.
If you’ve already read through our beginner’s Advanced Blackjack Strategy and Tips or know your way around the table, you’ll no doubt be looking to take your game to the next level. The basic Advanced Blackjack Strategy include knowing when to double down, when to hit or stand and when to split. If you’re unfamiliar with these, take a look at our Blackjack players guide which covers all the basics of the game.
We play a lot of casino games, and advanced Advanced Blackjack Strategy is one of our favorites. On this page, you’ll find all the advice needed to help improve how you play and start racking up some more wins.
Remember that all the knowledge in the world is no substitute for practice. If you would like to find the best online casinos for free Blackjack games to help practice more and improve your game, take a look at our top casino pages. Otherwise, read on for our full advanced Blackjack guide.
Betting systems
Betting systems are a structured and measured approach to gambling. Anyone who has been gambling for a while likely has some kind of system which they use to make their bets. It always makes a lot of sense to know exactly how much you should be betting and really helps with effective bankroll management.
If you don’t use a betting system, we recommend looking into them to help improve your game. Bear in mind of course that betting systems absolutely do not change the odds or lower the house edge. For most players, betting systems are a way of structuring their bets and staying on top of their bankroll.
There are two main types of betting systems that you’ll come across, the positive progression systems and the negative progression systems. Here are a few details about each:
Positive progression system – A positive progression system will increase your stake whenever you win and decrease the stake whenever you lose. The theory behind this is that it will help to maximize your winnings when you go on a hot streak and also keep your losses to a minimum when you lose. An example of a negative progression betting system is the Paroli system. Here you’ll double your bet each time you win, but on losing, you’ll return to your starting bet.
Negative progression system – A negative progression system is essentially the opposite of a positive progression system. You’ll increase your stake when you lose and lower your stake whenever you win. The idea behind this system is that wins are always likely to show up eventually, so you’ll be able to land them with a higher stake than your losses. This kind of betting system can be a lot riskier and involves the gambler’s fallacy that wins are more likely to come in after a long period of losing. If you don’t have a large bankroll, you can quickly use up all your funds when using these systems. Wins do tend to be much larger though, which is a big reason so many players are drawn to them.
If you’d like to learn more about betting systems, we’ve written up a short guide on several popular systems below.
Martingale – The Martingale method is probably one of the most famous betting systems out there. It’s a negative progression betting system that sees the player double their bet each time they lose. Not only is it the most famous, but it’s also probably the oldest betting system out there, having first started in the 18th century.
It’s most commonly used in Roulette, but some players also use it to good effect in Advanced Blackjack Strategy For the Martingale method to be successful, you need to ideally have a large bankroll as a big losing streak can quickly wipe out all your cash if you keep doubling your bets. The Martingale has the potential to give better wins but can easily lead to large losses very quickly.
Oscar’s Grind – Oscar’s Grind is a slightly less common betting system though it can be just as effective as the Martingale method. It was created by a Craps player as a way for players to maximize their winnings. It’s best used for betting on two results of equal value, for example, the flip of a coin but can still be effective with Blackjack.
The idea is to decide on the value of one unit and then place consecutive bets until one unit of profit has been made. The session starts by betting one unit, and in the event of a loss, the bet is repeated. If a win follows a loss, the bet is increased by one unit. As an example, you could start off betting $10 on Blackjack. If you lose your hand, you’ll bet $10 the next hand, if it then wins, you’ll bet $20 the next time. This process continues until $10 in profit has been made. This is a great system for preserving your bankroll over a long period of time.
Ultimately, when it comes to betting systems, it’s a good idea to use a combination of positive and negative progression systems. You can make the most out of your bankroll this way and also experiment by seeing which methods work best for you. As they don’t give you a direct advantage, it really comes down to personal preference. Just be sure to set loss limits before you play.
Multiple hand games
If you already fancy yourself a pretty decent Blackjack player, you might be tempted to jump into multi-hand games. These allow you to play with more than one hand at a time and while they can be extremely exciting, we don’t recommend it straight away. More hands mean a higher chance of winning, but it also potentially increases your losses.
The big advantage of playing multi-hand Blackjack online is that you can usually take as long as you like to decide your action. In a real casino, you might have pressure on you to act quickly as the dealer will be waiting. Online, playing against a computer, there’s no such pressure. Take as long as you need to make sure you’re making the best possible move for each hand.
If you’re set on playing multi-hand Blackjack, here are some tips that can help you to improve your wins and avoid big losses:
- Mix up your strategies for each hand – The main feature of multi-hand Blackjack is of course that there are multiple hands. This doesn’t just mean you can potentially win more. It also allows you to play different strategies for each hand. You can have one hand as a super aggressive option and another where you play a more cautious approach. Aim to have at least one hand going for 21 while at least one always holds on a low number in case the dealer busts.
- Remember that you can take insurance bets for each hand – Insurance is a side bet that protects you if the dealer has a Blackjack. It only becomes available if the dealer’s face card is an Ace so it’s not that common. Remember, with multi-hand Blackjack, you’ll be able to use it for each hand. It’s a good idea to use insurance on at least one of your hands as a safe option.
- Up to five hands can be used, but start off slow – It’s tempting to jump in with a five hand game straight away. It’s definitely a lot more exciting to play this way, but you’re also more likely to make mistakes. Slow it down and build yourself up steadily.
- Practice makes perfect – We always give this advice, but it really can’t be said enough. Before you start betting real cash, it’s a good idea to at least play a few practice hands. Get used to the game and how it feels to play with multiple hands. You can play multi-hand Blackjack for free at any top online casino.
Hope you understood all the details of Advanced Blackjack n you are ready to play Blackjack.
