Best and Worst Blackjack Starting Hands at the Online Casino

Like all online casino games blackjack is a game of probabilities.  As the player your job is to bet on the probability of your hand beating that of the dealer’s - a bet that pays out even money at 1:1.

If you beat the dealer’s hand with an ace and a 10 value card you have accomplished your task… and then some.  Why?  Well that lethal card combination is called a blackjack and a blackjack pays out at 3:2 - the highest odds in the game.

The starting hand you are dealt, compared to the dealer’s up card, is the basis of what the gambling gurus call an optimal strategy.  This strategy pinpoints exactly when to hit, stand, double down or split and is built around these three cards.

As you can imagine the optimal strategy is based on the mathematical value that is assigned to your starting hand versus the dealer’s revealed card.  This value basically dictates the probability - in percentage terms - of your hand winning the round.

Fortunately, all that mathematical hoo-haw can be left to the mathematicians.  Most of us don’t have to know - or even care about - precise percentages in order to appreciate the value of the best blackjack starting hands at the online casino. 

All we really have to know is the hands themselves.  In most cases, the best hands you can initially be dealt in blackjack are pretty obvious.

Right let’s get down to the kind of starting hands you should pray for when you play blackjack at Springbok Casino:

Blackjack versus Dealer’s 2 to 9 

You will intuitively know that when you are dealt an ace and a ten or face card there is a really high probability you will win that particular round of blackjack.  The odds are stacked even more in your favour when the dealer’s up card is 2 through 9.

When that happens the tie - where the bet is a push and retuned to you - is automatically out of the equation. For all intents and purposes a blackjack versus any card - other than an ace or 10 value card - is the staring hand you dream of getting at the online casino!

Hard 20 versus Dealer’s 7 or 8 

The next best starting hand you can be dealt is a hard 20.  In blackjack speak that is two cards with the face value of 10.  However, things become even more interesting when the dealer’s up card is 7 or 8. 

As you are aware, the only hand that can beat your hand is one that equals 21.  What is the probability of the dealer drawing 21?  There are obviously several ways in which the dealer can accumulate cards to that value but the more likely scenario is he will go bust instead.

There is another spoke in the dealer’s wheel when his up card is 7.  At all online casinos there are clear cut rules that govern how the dealer plays in blackjack.  One such rule is the dealer must stand on soft 17.

How does this affect the win probability of your hand?  You probably know by now that there are more 10 value cards than any other card value in the pack - four times 10, Jack, Queen and King. 

As a result, there is a high probability the dealer will get a 10 value card.  That of course means the dealer stands, your hand wins and you are paid out at odds of 1:1!

Those are the starting hands in blackjack that have the highest probability of winning.  How about the worst starting hands?  Well if you hit 16 you are probably in serious trouble. 

Here is the low down of why sweet 16 isn’t so sweet after all - especially when you are playing blackjack at the online casino!

16 versus Dealer’s 9, 10 or Ace 

In the normal scheme of things, a starting hand valued at 16 can be winner.  However, when the dealer shows 9, 10 or ace all thoughts of banking ZAR at the online casino are banished.  Here’s why:

When the dealer holds 10 you are in a serious pickle.  That is because there are 36 cards in the pack that, together with 10, automatically defeat 16 - 4 x 6, 4 x 7, 4 x 8, 4 x 9, 16 x 10 and 4 x ace. 

What is the probability of you, the player, drawing 5 or less?  Not as high as the dealer hitting a 6 through ace as the hole card!

Similarly, the dealer’s ace versus your 16 is a killer blow.  As an ace can count as both 1 and 11 the dealer has the highest number of cards at his disposal to create a winning hand! 

A 9 as the up card is an equally strong hand for the dealer.  The reason is obvious and that is the vast number of 10 value cards in the deck.  In short, there is a really high probability the dealer will have a total of 19… and that is hard to beat at the best of times!

Maximise Your Win Rate at Springbok Online Casino with a Basic Blackjack Strategy 

Play blackjack at the online casino as you are meant to play the game and you can bank a fair bit of cash.  Your success rate obviously hinges on the starting hand you are dealt compared to the dealer’s up card. 

You can however maximise your chances of winning by applying a basic blackjack strategy – and the good news is you don’t have to a be a rocket science to do that. 

All you have to do is print out a basic blackjack strategy table that tells you exactly what moves to make and when.  If you play the game perfectly you can lower the house edge and bank plenty of money every time you play blackjack at the online casino.

If you don’t believe us, we challenge you to gambling duel.  Simply sign up at Springbok Casino, open the blackjack variant that appeals to you and put our strategy plan into practice. 

When your blackjack infused bankroll grows and grows all you owe us is your allegiance… and by that we mean telling your BFFs - and their BFFs - all about the best online casino in cyberspace!