Most of the time when you’re playing online real money Blackjack at Ignition Casino, you’ll place your bet, the cards will come out, and you’ll either hit or stand - no strategy required. But every once in a while, your hole cards will be so good, you’ll want to double your bet. The blackjack double down (or just “double” for short) strategy is one of the most powerful moves in your arsenal – but with great power comes great responsibility. The strategy of doubling in blackjack for real money should be done with great care, and only when the cards are right.
That’s because you’ll get only one more card when you double down. Then it’s the Dealer’s turn. If that seems risky, don’t worry; our latest installment of online blackjack strategy will show you when it’s appropriate to unleash the double. As always, it depends on which online blackjack game you’re playing at Ignition Casino, as well as your hole cards and what the Dealer’s up-card is. Here’s a closer look at the strategy of doubling.
Why You Should Double Down
It might seem foolish at first to limit yourself to drawing one card and one card only when you’re at the blackjack table. And it usually is. But there are a few situations where the casino odds will be in your favor – and if you’re serious about learning blackjack rules and strategy, you won’t want to pass up these opportunities to double your bet and draw that final card.
The best part of this strategy is that you’re not committed to doubling down in online blackjack before the hand begins. You get to see your hole cards and the Dealer’s up-card first; once you have that information, then you can make the right play. And you’ll almost always want to double in the first example we’ll show you.
Holding a Hard 10 or 11
Anytime you’re at the blackjack tables and you get dealt a 10 or an 11 that doesn’t contain an 11-point Ace, you’ve got a very good chance of drawing a 10-value card and making either a 20 or a 21. That will usually be the winning hand, too. It’s the best doubling spot you’ll find in any blackjack strategy guide – but even here, you need to be choosy.
That’s because you won’t always have the odds to double if the Dealer’s up-card is an Ace or a 10-value card. If you’re playing Classic Blackjack at Ignition Casino, the standard six-deck game where the Dealer hits on soft 17, you can go ahead and double if you’re holding 11, since you’re still in pretty good shape to make 21. But if you “only” have 10, pump the brakes and hit instead. The same strategy applies if you’re playing Single Deck Blackjack or Double Deck Blackjack. Note: This doubling down strategy also includes those times when you’re dealt a pair of Fives. Never split a pair of Fives, no matter which blackjack game variant you play at Ignition.
Soft 16 Against Low Up-Cards
Now we’re dealing with one of the more subtle strategy of doubling down in the casino. It’s usually a bad thing to get dealt 15-17 when you’re playing online blackjack for real money – you’ll want to just surrender those hands and eat your losses if the Dealer has a strong up-card. But if it’s a soft 15-17 (including an 11-point Ace), there is an opportunity to double – if the Dealer has a low up-card, i.e. Six or lower. You can also make this play when you have soft 13, 14 and 18. There’s even a time to double down with soft 19.
You shouldn’t do it all the time, though. In the six-deck blackjack game, you’ll want to double all the soft hands (13-19) we mentioned if the Dealer’s up-card is a Six. Anything lower than that, and you have to be more judicious:
- Five: Soft 13-18
- Four: Soft 15-18
- Three: Soft 17-18
- Deuce: Soft 18
You have to be even choosier if you’re playing Single Deck Blackjack or Double Deck Blackjack. In order to keep track of all these small differences in strategy, you can refer to a casino blackjack chart to help you with your decisions – as always, make sure your chart matches the specific game you’re playing, and comes from a reliable source.
Hard 9 Against Dealer’s 3-6
There’s one more situation in blackjack where you should be doubling, and it’s like a combination of the other two spots. When you get dealt a hard 9, your hand strength is almost as good as a hard 10 or 11 – but to make this play profitable, you should only use it when the Dealer’s up-card is a Six, Five, Four, or Three. If you’re playing Single or Double Deck Blackjack, you can also double with hard 9 when the Dealer shows a Deuce.
Before we wrap up our blackjack doubling strategy guide, here’s one more “secret” spot you where you should double: If you’re playing Single Deck Blackjack, you get dealt a hard 8, and the Dealer’s up-card is a Six or a Five. Making this rare play is one of the things that separates the blackjack pros from the wannabes – and now that you’ve read this strategy guide, you know all about it.
Again, keep in mind that the blackjack strategy we’ve given you here apply specifically to the games at Ignition Casino. If you play at a bricks-and-mortar venue, you might find yourself playing a version of the online blackjack game where the dealer stands on soft 17 instead of hitting, or vice versa. And if you happen to be counting cards at the live casino, you’ll obviously want to divert from the basic Blackjack strategy when the shoe is suitably rich or lacking in Aces and/or 10-value cards. But keep it on the down-low as much as possible, or you could get denied service. In the meantime, keep coming back to Ignition Casino for more blackjack strategy, and best of luck at the tables.