Common Mistakes To Avoid In Blackjack

When playing blackjack, there are several mistakes that you could make and you are going to want to try and avoid those at all costs. Staying away from these mistakes could help you enjoy playing legal blackjack even more and possibly even build up your bankroll. While there are plenty of mistakes that you need to know, these are the most common that are made amongst new and experienced players that you could take note of to make your experience even more enjoyable.

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Standing On Soft 17

A soft 17 is made up of an ace card and a 6 and you could never bust on a soft 17. Being that you could never bust, you should always take a card and test your luck, and try to get as close to 21 as possible. Just know that it could never hurt you to hit on a soft 17.

Hitting On Hard 17s & Above

On the contrary of a soft 17, you’ll never want to hit when you have a hard 17 or above as the chances of busting and losing the hand are extremely high. Regardless of what the dealer has, you’ll never take a card on a hard 17. Below are the percentages of busting if you were to hit on 17, 18, 19, or 20.

  • 17 (69%)
  • 18 (77%)
  • 19 (89%)
  • 20 (92%)

Splitting 10s

While there are instances where you should split your hand, there is no reason you should split when you have a pair of 10s. A 20 is already a winning hand and so much so that you have a 70.2% chance of winning when you draw a 20. That said, you shouldn’t get fancy with the hand and stay on the 20 and get ready to win the hand.

Not Splitting Aces

Hands down, you are always going to want to split aces in blackjack when you are dealt a pair regardless of what the dealer is showing. It gives you two chances to hit a straight 21s in the same hand. If you split a pair of aces, the hand you are left with is a 2 or 11 which doesn’t get you anywhere close to 21. You’ll also never bust when you split aces either.

Hitting When The Dealer Is Showing 2-6 While You Have 12-16

There are several instances when you should not hit at the blackjack table as well and it is when the dealer is holding a 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. You always have to assume that the dealer has a 10 face down before they flip. If they do, there are decent odds that the dealer could bust. If the dealer is holding any of those cards while you have a 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16, you are going to stay and wait and see if the dealer busts. These are the chances that the dealer will bust if they hold a 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16:

  • 12 (31%)
  • 13 (39%)
  • 14 (56%)
  • 15 (58%)
  • 16 (62%)

Not Doubling Down On 11

Doubling down when you are dealt an 11 is crucial. You can't bust when you have an 11. You could also only double down on an 11 when you are dealt that with your first two cards. That being said, when the opportunity presents itself, always take the risk for the extra winnings.