Doubling down is a popular blackjack strategy and one that is favored by most experienced players. It involves doubling down on your first two cards and then placing an additional bet, usually double the deck. This can be used to up your chances of winning the hand, or to lessen the house’s odds against you. But if you have trouble understanding blackjack betting, you may want to learn further before rushing into a game.
When to Double Down in Blackjack
The doubling down strategy is a behind-the-scenes move that casinos use in order to increase the house odds and eventually entice the player to bet more money. Doubling down, when done correctly, can be a good option for a blackjack player.
The problem when a player does not doubling down the correct way is that the player immediately enters into a negative expectation gambling situation. The negative situation is the reason why the casino is favored to win all or probably most of the hands that they deal. The problem with doubling down is that the player now plays the game with a negative edge.
A basic strategy double down example:
You have $1,500 and the dealer has $2,000. The game dealer has a strong overfold – putting the odds in the house’s favor. What this means is that the house has a 3.5% or more advantage over the player in this scenario.
A player should double down on 9 out of 14 hands, but only upon receiving two cards of the same denomination. Why? All other hands the player has, the player should remain playing normally. Why? This is due to the fact that a player’s next card, if he/she receives, will probably be lower.
And, finally, if you have $1,500 and the dealer has $2,000, here’s what you do: You go face down. If you get another card of the same denomination, you now have 8 cards that you need. That means that, overall, you’re more likely to lose a round of blackjack. That’s because you have 9 more cards that you need, and the dealer has 10 (most likely a 10. If you receive a 3, however, you should split the hand since the dealer has to come first and the dealer has to depo 30 bonus 30).
If you realize that you’re making bad bets, you will want to quit the game immediately. If you stay and play, you’re just prolonging the losing streak. Pull out your chips and immediately make a $5 deposit to your online casino account – if you can afford it – and stop betting. This is what you want to be doing when you have lost a few rounds of blackjack.
A basic strategy double down strategy for the dealer:
When the dealer has a 2, 3 or 12 in the hole, you should double down on your pairs. If the dealer has a 9 as the up card, you should split a pair. Obviously, you can’t split and then have the dealer draw one more card. However, you can double down when the dealer has a 10 showing because you know there must be more cards of that denomination coming.