Categories
Blackjack Blog Gambling Online Casino Singapore Casino Singapore Pools Betting sports betting

Blackjack Strategy Guide: When to Double Down in Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the most popular games in either a traditional or live casino online due to its multiple variations, blackjack strategy, timelessness, pay out, and low house edge. Experienced gamblers who practiced basic strategy and, possibly, card counting, can even confidently double down on their initial bets to increase their value by a hundred percent.

Double down is a vote of confidence in a gambler’s hand wherein the gambler takes another card from the deck and then standing afterwards. Doubling down has its risks, and gamblers must know when the right time is to double down and get the balance between playing the game safe and risking their bet to increase their winnings. Gamblers have three situations where doubling down is the correct decision based on probability.

When to Double Down

When to Double Down

Gamblers only have one opportunity to double down in a blackjack game, and that is when the two initial cards have been dealt. Once they’re dealt, gamblers can then double down. Once the conditions below are met, doubling down will keep the gambler from going bust and increasing their chances of getting a better hand than the dealer.

When the cards total 11

An 11 is a great hand for a double down because it has a great chance of hitting 21 without any worries of going bust. Even without getting a 10-value card, gamblers can still have a good chance of getting close to 21.

When the cards total a soft 16, 17 or, 18

A soft 16, 17, or 18 is having a 5, 6, or 7 paired with an ace. The ace card’s value is either 1 or 11, allowing gamblers to double down and possibly get a better hand.

When the cards total a hard 9 or 10

A hard 9 or 10 is having two cards that total 9 or 10 without an ace. When the dealer shows a low card and the gambler gets a high card, the gambler can have a good chance against the dealer.

Blackjack Strategy Guide

When Not to Double Down

Doubling down won’t always provide the same positive result, and there’s a chance that the dealer ends up with a higher card. To minimize the gambler’s chances of losing their bets, they should avoid doubling down in certain scenarios.

When the dealer is showing an ace

The chances of the dealer getting a blackjack is too high when they start with an ace. It’s better to hit since it’s not a guarantee that the dealer will get a blackjack and beat the gambler’s hand, effectively giving the player a higher chance of winning without the risk of losing double their money.

When the cards total higher than an 11

The chances of going bust when a gambler’s hand total is higher than 11, especially if they’re hard 12s and higher are too high. A soft 16, 17, and 18 have aces, and their value can go down to 1 if they’ll end up going bust after doubling down.

What happens when you double down anyway

When gamblers double down every time, they will lose money faster than normal. Doubling down when the dealer already has an ace will increase the gambler’s risk of losing double their bet since the dealer can get a blackjack anyway. Doubling down when players already have a hard 12 is just asking for a bust, even if the gamblers are thinking that they’ll get a 9 or below.

Standing or hitting is better than doubling down when unsure whether to double down or not.

What to Look Out for When Doubling Down

Once a gambler’s ready to play blackjack online and double down to double their winnings, they’ll only need to keep the casino’s rules in mind on when they’re allowed to double down. Many casinos only allow gamblers to double down when their hands have a total of 10 or 11 and either continue as normal or split when possible when their hand has a different total value.

Another thing to keep an eye on is the value the dealer must hit up to. Some casinos make the dealer hit up to 16, while others allow them to hit up to 17. Dealers who have to continue hitting up to 16 have a better chance of getting a better hand than going bust than dealers who have to continue hitting up to 17. It’s advisable to double down when the dealer has a bigger chance of going bust.

One last thing to check is whether or not the dealer checks for blackjack when they’re dealt either an ace or 10-value card. If the table allows the dealer to check and the game continues after checking, the dealer doesn’t have a blackjack. When the gambler already knows that the dealer doesn’t have a blackjack, their chances of winning a double down bet go up.

Other Questions on Doubling Down

Can you double down after splitting?

Gamblers can’t double down after splitting most of the time, but some casinos online allow people to do so. When doubling down after splitting, gamblers must use the same decision-making process when evaluating their normal hands.

Can you double down after hitting?

Gamblers won’t be able to double down after hitting 99% of the time because they’ll have too much of an edge against the casino.

Should you always double down on 11?

Yes. Gamblers have no chance of going bust when doubling down on 11 and the only downside is the chance of getting a low-value card, with the best-case scenario being a blackjack. Casual players who want to try their hand in blackjack should take advantage of an 11 and double down to have a solid chance of making money.

Should I double down on 10?

According to blackjack basic strategy, gamblers must always double on 10 if the dealer has a hand of 2 through 9. If the dealer has another hand, then the gambler must hit.

If the dealer has a 10-value card or an ace, they can get a blackjack or have a better chance of getting a better card than what the gambler has. However, it’s still advisable to hit since there’s still the chance that the dealer won’t get a better hand than the player. It’s effectively a way to play things safe.

Conclusion

Doubling down is a risky way to profit from blackjack since the gambler can double either their winnings or losses when doing it. When blackjack players want to practice basic strategy and card counting, they’ll have to double down when the situation dictates it, and they can’t avoid it if they want to win by being a card counter.

Gamblers need to look for a reliable online casino Singapore to ensure that they won’t get scammed off their money when they win. A trustworthy Singapore casino like CM2Bet is ideal, and people only need to register to play.

Register now and play our other casino games, including online slots, roulette, baccarat, and even our sports and horse racing options.

 

Sources:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Online Games

Banking online