When to Double Down in Blackjack

Blackjack is a simple enough game to learn the basics in no time. However, it also offers enough strategical options and requires thinking to optimize the winning opportunities that keeps getting the game more and more exciting. Because of these aspects, it’s one of the most popular table games in the casinos with no doubt. Now that you’re here to know when to double down in blackjack, we’ll assume that you’ve got the basics down.

Knowing when to double down or split can come quite handy in blackjacks. They are the next step after knowing when to hit or when to stand. When played right, it can double your winning or save you from losing all of your bets.

What is a double down in blackjack?

Doubling down is when you double your bet mid game with a chance to get only one card after that. You can double down after you get your first two cards. When used in the right situation, it can double your income. As exciting as this sounds, it’s a risky move since you can’t hit after receiving your one last card.

Since the casinos would like to keep the edge to themselves, you can’t double down when you have 21. So when you’re doubling down, make sure that you’re ready to handle the risk. Even though it can double your win, always remember that you can also twice as much as your initial bet. Knowing when to double down in blackjack can help you minimize the risk as much as possible.

The rules of the double down varies depending on the casinos. Most of the online casinos in the US allow players to double down when they receive their first two cards. The number of these two cards usually don’t affect the rules. However, there are some casinos where you can double down only when you have hard nine, ten or eleven. Some would even allow to double down after splitting. Most of the online gambling sites in the US allows you to double down for less. This means that you can increase your bet by less than your initial bet. However, obviously the win will not be doubled in that case.

When to double down in blackjack

Thanks to the relatively long history of blackjack, players have developed several tactics to keep the doubling down as risk-free as possible. However, as we’ve mentioned above, always be ready to handle the risks if you’re doubling down.

Hard total of 11-  When you have a hard eleven, you can almost always double down profitably. The hand of the dealer doesn’t really matter at this point. However, if the dealer is showing 10, it might be problematic for you. That would mean that your chance of receiving ten as your last card and reaching 21 is significantly low. But still any card you receive will get you closer to 21 than the dealers’.

Hard 9 or 10 against low dealer cards- It’s also safe to double down when the dealer is showing any lower card from 2 to 9. This would mean that the chance of you getting higher card is highly possible. Or when the dealer is showing cards like 3, 4, 5, 6 you can double down on nine.

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