-
Select locationState
7 Common Mistakes to Avoid in Online Blackjack
While luck plays a role in online blackjack, you must also understand and apply the right strategy and skills to get the result you want. If you rely too much on luck or become overly confident in your skills, you may be in for disappointment. Yet, many players unknowingly make mistakes that hurt their chances of winning. And we’re here to amend that. Here’s what you can keep in mind to avoid them.
Blackjack Is a Game, Not a Payday
First of all, online blackjack, just like any other casino game… is just a game. It’s a form of entertainment and you should not consider it as anything else. At the spur of the moment, it’s easy to get emotionally involved and start feeling like a blackjack game is a competition that you must win. This drops your focus and opens the door for all sorts of other mistakes.
You should stick to a budget when starting a blackjack game online and not exceed it. Think of blackjack as a game, not a way to make a quick buck. Playing on online blackjack sites can lead to a return and even exceed the stake, but the casino always has a mathematical advantage. There’s a house edge, and over time, it ensures that the casino wins more than it loses.
Don’t Sway Away From Basic Strategy
The simplest yet most important advice that blackjack experts give players is to learn the basic strategy in detail and stick to it “religiously”. By doing so, you reduce the house edge from 2% to just 0.05% and thus make it an almost even odds game.
There’s nothing wrong with having your own approach, but the basic blackjack strategy is the mathematically optimal way to play every possible hand against the dealer’s upcard. Unlike games of luck, online blackjack involves skill, and following basic blackjack strategy and knowing blackjack etiquette can significantly improve your odds.
Don’t Split Two 10s
In online blackjack, a hand of 20 is one of the strongest hands you can have. Only a dealer’s 21 can beat it. You might be tempted to split the 10s in hopes of getting two strong hands, but you’re not guaranteed to succeed. Splitting also creates the risk of ending up with two weaker hands that might lose to the dealer. Since blackjack strategy is based on probabilities, standing on 20 gives you the best chance of winning.
Always Split Two 8s
A pair of 8s equals 16, which is one of the worst hands in online blackjack, with a probability of losing as high as 77%. It’s too low to stand safely and too risky to hit since you might bust. By splitting 8s, you create two separate hands that start with an 8, which gives you a better chance of forming a strong hand like 18, 19, or even 21. If the dealer has a high card, a hard 16 almost always loses. Splitting gives you a fighting chance instead of accepting an almost certain loss. You might hesitate to split against a strong dealer card, but experience shows that splitting is still better than playing a hard 16.
Never Split Two 5s
A pair of 5s totals 10, which is a great hand to double down most of the time. If you split, however, you’re left with two weak hands starting at 5 instead of a strong one at 10. This forces you to hit at least once, and often multiple times, to build a decent hand, which increases the risk of busting. The best strategy is to double down when the dealer has a weak upcard, but if doubling isn’t an option, the next best move is to simply hit.
Pay Attention to Soft Hands
A soft hand is any hand that includes an Ace counted as 11. Soft hands are crucial in online blackjack, but they’re misplayed far too often. Since an Ace can count as 1 or 11, they’re flexible because you can hit without the risk of busting immediately. A common mistake you might be tempted to make is standing on soft 17 or soft 18, thinking it’s a strong hand. But against a dealer’s strong upcard, such as 9, 10, or Ace, hitting or doubling down is often a better move.
Don’t Stick to a Losing Streak Too Long
Lastly, online blackjack is not a game where past results influence future hands. Just because you’ve lost several hands in a row doesn’t mean a win is due, no matter how reasonable it may feel—it’s still just a gambling myth. Far too often, players increase their bets after losses in hopes of recovering quickly. This often results in even bigger losses if the losing streak continues, and theoretically, it can continue indefinitely.
If you keep playing beyond your set budget, you risk losing far more than you can afford. This can lead to emotional betting and poor decision-making. Losing streaks are part of the game, but staying too long and trying to win it back is a dangerous mindset. Master these strategies and play low-stake games to learn how to set limits before going big.
Related Posts
