Best Online Casino Blackjack Moves for Beginners

Blackjack is an online casino game that requires smart and strategic gameplay.  Here is an overview of the best moves to make when you are dealt cards that are neither high nor low.  You know…  Those ‘iffy’ hand totals that leave blackjack beginners at Springbok Casino scratching their heads!

Find Condensed Blackjack Playing Tips at Springbok Casino

Learning basic tips, tricks and tactics can obviously improve your chances of winning at the online casino.  That said, blackjack is a game of skill.  In order to beat the dealer over the long run, your first and most important task is to learn the basic blackjack strategy.

Now we know not everybody at Springbok Casino has the time or inclination to learn the finer nuances of the game.  That is precisely why we have focussed on a few of the more confusing two-card totals.  We are, of course, referring to the hands where it is not immediately apparent what your next move should be.

How to Play a Pair of Tens in Online Casino Blackjack

According to conventional wisdom, all pairs in blackjack should be split.  By splitting the cards into two separate hands, you are effectively doubling your chances of winning.  There is an other side to this thought pattens…

That unspoken rule is largely true, especially when the dealer is showing a weak card.  At that point, your tactic should always be to put as much money on the table as you can.  Splitting achieves precisely that as you have to match the original wager with a second bet to cover the split hand.

There are a few exceptions to the rule and double tens fall into that category.  Why not split 10-10?  Thankfully, that is easy to answer.  As you already have a hand total of 20, it would be counterproductive to risk more money on a hand that has a high probability of winning.

If you do split the pair and the dealer’s luck changes, the odds are you will lose at least one hand… if not both. The next time you play blackjack at the online casino and get double tens as an opening hand, hit the stand button – especially if the dealer’s upcard is 4, 5 or 6.

What to Do with a Two-Card 11?

In blackjack, a hand totalling 11 may appear to be neither here nor there.  In truth, it is one of the best hands in online casino blackjack.  Why do we say that?  Well, it has all to do with probabilities… and the ten-value cards are the key.

Now, we know there are four ten-value cards in online casino blackjack – 10, J, Q and K.  Each of these cards is arranged in four different suits, bringing the grand total of ten value cards in a deck of cards to 16.  Every other rank is only represented by four matching cards.

When you have a starting hand of 11, there is a very good chance the next card that is dealt is a ten-value card.  When that happens, you will have a perfect score of 21.  Even if you do hit an eight or a nine instead, you will still have a total of 19 or 20… and that could just be enough to beat the dealer.

The best move to make when you are holding 11 is to double down… and wait for the Springbok Casino chips to come flowing in!

Do You Hit or Stand on 12?

In blackjack, an opening hand of 12 is not ideal.  If you hit, the odds are you will get a ten and bust the hand.  The art of playing 12 in blackjack online lies in the dealer’s up card.  When the dealer is showing 4, 5 or 6, the assumption is he is holding 14, 15 or 16 due to the excessive number of ten-value cards in-play.

In that scenario, the dealer has no other choice but to hit.  Why, you may ask?  At Springbok Online Casino, one of the rules in blackjack states that the ‘dealer must hit on soft 17’.  That of course plays right into your hands – and you can safely stand on 12 and theoretically win more game rounds than you lose.

A general rule is to always stand on hands of more than 11, notwithstanding the dealer’s upcard.  The only exception is when you have a pair, in which case you should split.  As we have already covered earlier in the article, a pair of tens is exempt from the rule.  So too is 5-5 – an online blackjack hand that is simply perfect to double down on!

What About a Pair of Eights?

We already know 16 is a particularly weak hand in blackjack.  Although standing is statistically the best play for a total of 16, the fact you are holding a pair of eights gives you the wriggle room you need to improve your chances.

Rather than hitting and busting on any card with a ranking over five, the smart move is to split the pair of eights.  That way, you can increase the odds of drawing a better hand – not once… but twice.

How to Try Out Smart Blackjack Moves at the Online Casino

In theory, you may know how to play the more difficult starting hands in online blackjack.  What you now need is practical experience.  The good news is we offer all our online casino games in both the fun and real money modes.

What that, of course, means is you can play online blackjack for free right here at Springbok Casino.  This provides ample time to practice… and make perfect.  Once you have the rules and gameplay taped, you can register a real money account, login to our instant play or download casino and try your level best to break the bank!