All basic blackjack strategy cards have information on when a player should double down and split their hand. This extra bet amounts will help players maximize returns and lower the house edge for the casino. Let’s first take a look at the hands a player should double down to maximize their return when playing blackjack using the basic strategy. When to Split 10s in Blackjack? Henry Tamburin Ph.D. June 22, 2017. Blackjack Strategy. And the only way to do that was to either pair split or double down (I still had $5,000 in unbet chips to use for a pair split). The leader had an 18 and stood. Fortunately, I was dealt of pair of queens so I split them, made another $5,000 bet,. The double down feature is one of the primary moves in blackjack and one that any blackjack player should become familiar with. To double down is to increase the size of your bet to twice its value. When this happens, you will be dealt one more card and you will have to stand on that particular hand.

Blackjack is one of the most widely played games in any casino, brick-and-mortar or online. The game is popular for many reasons, including the fact that it is one of the easiest casino table games to learn to play and offers plenty of strategically-based decision-making to enhance winning opportunities.

While the most common decisions you would make in each round of blackjack include knowing when to hit or when to stand, other crucial strategic decisions include knowing when to split and when to double down.

Splitting Cards – What Is it and When Should You Do It?

The opportunity to split cards usually occurs when any player is dealt two identically-ranked cards, known as a pair, in the initial deal. The player can then split them into two new and separate bets and request another card for each. The two new hands will then each get a full bet, the same as if it were just a single blackjack hand.

Should it be on any two same-ranked cards, or is there a better way to go about splitting cards?

As a matter of fact, there is, and it’s loosely referred to as the aces and eights “rule.” In the case of a pair of aces, the player can either see the hand as a 2 (total), which is very bad, or as a soft 12, which can be just as bad. However, if the player splits the aces into two new bets, they automatically give themselves two separate opportunities to potentially hit a 21 or blackjack.

Similarly, if a player receives a pair of eights in their initial round, it adds up to a total of 16, which is considered to be one of the worst hands in blackjack. However, splitting the eights gives the player an opportunity to build on both hands.

If the player should receive either a 10 card or an 11 card, they will have a total of 18 or 19, which are both much better than going up against the dealer with a total of 16 only, should they choose not to split.

Double Down – What Does It Mean?

As the name implies, doubling down entails doubling your initial bet once you have received your first two cards. Of course, doubling down also depends on the rules of the particular game of blackjack that you happen to be playing.

It is always a good idea to ensure that you can double down in the game of blackjack you want to play before actually sitting down (or playing online). The double-down can be risky since you are putting down twice as much on your hand. If you lose, you lose twice as much. However, if you win, you instantly double your profits for very little extra work.

How the Double-Down System Works

To get your double-down going, you will need to signal to the dealer that this is your intention. In order to do this, simply place the same amount of chips next to your original bet. This is generally the accepted signal for a double-down in most brick-and-mortar or online casinos.

Note:

Some land-based and online casinos will also allow you to double down for less, meaning that you can still pull off a double-down move, but you won’t have to put down the same amount as your initial bet, a bit like a special deal.

Once the dealer has acknowledged your wish to double down, he/she will then place an additional card across your initial two cards. This is where the entire double-down procedure ends, as you will not be allowed to do anything else with this hand. In other words, whatever your total hand is with the three cards is the hand you will be playing, without any additional hits.

Letting the Dealer Know You Are Doubling Down and Not Splitting

In blackjack, the action for a double-down is exactly the same as the action for a split. This is usually not a problem if you are either doubling down or splitting. However, if you want to double down on a pair, you will need to let the dealer know that you are doubling down and not splitting the pair.

In order to do this, you will need to say the words “double down” when placing your additional bet. This will ensure that the dealer does not confuse your intention.

Letting the Dealer Know You Are Doubling Down and Not Splitting – Online

Of course, if you are playing blackjack online, you cannot actually say the words “double down” to the dealer since the dealer is effectively a computer program. However, you can simply hit the double-down button (in most instances of online blackjack), and your additional bet will be placed automatically.

Know the Rules

Not every game of blackjack will allow you to double down on your hand, and not every casino (brick-and-mortar or online) will follow the same rules regarding doubling down. The most common form of the double-down rule allows players to double down on their initial two-card hand. Let’s look at some variations of the blackjack double-down rule:

• The most common double-down rule covers your first two-card hand
• Some casinos will also allow you to double down on a blackjack
• Some casinos will restrict the double-down option to either hard 9, hard 10, or hard 11 – this means that your initial two-card total must be 9, 10, or 11
• Players can also double down after a split – this applies to most brick-and-mortar as well as online casinos

Blackjack Double Down Split

When to Double Down?

Doubling down is an enormously popular strategy in blackjack, and it is used by experienced players to potentially increase their profits very quickly. However, as with any technique or strategy, it is important to know what it is and when to use it for best effect.

There are inherent risks with using the double-down betting option that should be considered as well before attempting to use it in a real money blackjack game. While it does have the potential to instantly double your profits, the reverse is also true in that you could instantly lose twice as much as you would if a regular bet ended up as a bust.

When to Use It Strategically

One of the great things about playing blackjack is that there are plenty of opportunities to employ strategies to help improve your chances of success. Many experienced blackjack players also apply strategy to the double-down betting option, which can be combined with a card-counting technique for added effectiveness.

However, if you’re a novice blackjack player and wish to use the double-down betting option in your next blackjack game, you can simply follow these basic double-down guidelines:

• Double down on 11: if your initial two-card hand totals 11, you should probably double down. One of the main reasons for this is that there is always a good chance that you will receive a 10 card as your third card, giving you an instant total of 21
• Double down on a hard 10 if the dealer shows a 4, 5, or 6
• Double down on a hard 9 if the dealer shows either a 5 or a 6

Double Down in Card Counting

Card counting is one of the most notorious blackjack techniques for all the wrong reasons. Many people believe that this is a form of cheating, but in reality, it is just a smart way of figuring out what the blackjack deck may be holding.

The way that card counting works is actually quite easy to understand. Different cards in the deck are given a value, either a minus value or a positive value (-/+), to determine what the deck may be holding. A negative deck, therefore, means that most of the cards in the deck will be low-value cards, while a positive deck tells you that there are more high-value cards still to play.

Card counting can, therefore, be used to determine when to double down and when to avoid the option. If the deck is quite negative, it tells you that doubling down could be a bad idea. For instance, if you have a two-card total of 11, you would probably normally double down in hopes of receiving a 10 card.

For Example

On a negative deck, there is more of a chance of getting a low-value card such as a 4, 5, or a 6. If the dealer is showing a 10 card, your chances of losing your double-down bet are much higher.

Blackjack Double Down Split

Being Safe with Double Down in Blackjack

As you can see, the double-down technique can be very effective in providing instant double profits, should everything go right. However, there is always the chance that things could go horribly wrong (there are no guarantees in blackjack), and you could lose twice as much.

Blackjack Double Down Strategy

Ultimately, it is all about knowing as much as you can about the game, applying a solid blackjack strategy such as card counting, watching the dealer to see what he is showing as well as what he may be hiding with his hole card, and watching other players to see how strong their hands are (which could tell you how strong or weak the deck is).