So if you hold a 9-9 and the dealer’s upcard is a 9, there is one and only one correct way to play this hand. The strategy is shown in tables and charts and it tells you the right way to play every hand. The latter is available in books and on the Internet (including my Ultimate Guide to Blackjack). The mathematically correct way to play every hand has been determined by brilliant mathematicians and this strategy is known as the basic playing strategy. Playing blackjack is not a guessing game, where sometimes you hit your 16 against a dealer’s 10 upcard, and for whatever reason, other times you stand. Is the dealer going to pay you 3-2 on a blackjack? Does the dealer stand or hit on soft 17? Can you double down after pair splitting? Is surrender offered? Playing at a table with horrible rules can doom a player. Therefore, it behooves a player to check the rules before sitting down to play. Some games have a good mix of player-favorable rules, like the dealer stands on soft 17, and you can double down after pair splitting, while others have terrible rules, like a player blackjack pays 6-5, or doubling is restricted to 10 or 11 only.Ī casino manager isn’t going to point you to his more player-favorable games. That is often a big mistake because not all blackjack games are created equal. Most players just plop themselves down at the first open blackjack seat that they spot. MISTAKE 1: NOT CHECKING THE PLAYING RULES Why is it that most blackjack players lose at a casino game that is beatable? It’s because they often make some or all of the following common mistakes.

Why cant blackjack dealers hit on 17