• When To Double In Blackjack
• Double Down In Blackjack Rules

There are several options you have in blackjack that allow you to make winning moves during the game. There is also a move that relates to increasing the stakes. One such option is double down. Double down is a move where the player decides to double his bet and takes one more card. A double down in blackjack is when you double your original wager after receiving your first two cards. Once the cards have been dealt, you will be given the option to double down if the rules permit. If you win this double down bet you will collect double your original wager. Double Down Blackjack Rules. What Does Double Down Mean in Blackjack? This is another excellent strategy question. On your original two cards, you can double your bet before the dealer gives you another card. You place another bet equal to the first. Then, the dealer will give you only one card The dealer settles all bets at the end of the hand.

Double Down? So what does Double Down mean in Blackjack and why is it such a popular strategy?

In short, it is bumping up your initial bet by 100% and staying in the game after only receiving one more card. It might seem like a risky strategy and for some doubling their winnings is the main motivator, but there can be some good reasons behind such a bold move.

The beauty about Blackjack Double Down is that there are some useful and well defined rules based on mathematical probability and tested by generations of players.

That said, the calculability of a hand’s success is not a guarantee of its profitability, nor does it rob the game of its excitement.

Watch a tutorial here. Credit: androidslots.co.uk

Blackjack Double Down – A Numbers Game

Firstly, however green you are to Blackjack, we can all agree that the highest number you can sensibly get is 21. Secondly, we’re out to beat the dealer, either by having the higher value hand, or watching them go bust.

From there on in it’s a case of using statistics to your advantage. This means that whenever you’ve drawn one of the lower 6 cards, there remains a high statistical probability that the remaining cards are all more likely to be a help rather than a hindrance.

Equally, when the dealer draws a 4; 5; or 6, they are statistically more likely to go bust. It therefore seems quite reasonable that when these two scenarios are in play, Blackjack Double Down may well be a good payoff.

Jumping the Gun

Sadly, many players can become a little hyper focused, looking at only the dealers hand or their own and basing their decision to Double Down on that one factor.

For example, many players will draw a 9 and Double Down if the dealer has anything other than a 10. This is strategically flawed and will lead to a significant loss over time.

The other ill-judged manoeuvre is for a player to split a pair of 5’s, which in itself is a risk. A sensible rule here is to keep them together and treat them like a 10. That way you stand a better chance when Doubling Down.

Blackjack Double Down Rules

Rules can vary slightly between casinos, but generally Doubling Down can be used after the player draws their first two cards. Some venues, both online and real-world allow Doubling Down on a Blackjack, whilst others can restrict its use to totals of 9; 10; or 11.

Wherever you play, make sure you know the house rules before you play.

Where it is permitted, splitting a hand into a pair and then doubling down can be useful, but as already mentioned, use this with caution.

Once you have signalled your intention to Double Down, you place your wager. Normally this is 100% your original bet, though some casinos will allow a less-than-double additional wager.

Once you have signalled your intention to Double Down, or simply pressed the relevant button in an online casino, only one more card can be drawn for the player, and they are committed to play.

How to Double Down in Blackjack?

Plenty of rookies have come unstuck, learning the various strategies for making a good Blackjack Double Down play, but not paying attention to its execution.

Etiquette and protocol are a must if you’re not going to spoil the atmosphere at the table. Thankfully online gaming has made the embarrassment from a faux pas less of weighty on the ego, however, you could still miss out if you don’t know when to make the right move.

In short, most games expect the Double Down to be executed immediately after being dealt their second card. If you accidentally hit, you’ll miss your chance and that would really be a shame.

History

The question of when to double down in Blackjack is one that was answered back in the 1950’s when Magician John Scarne took the time to work out the mathematics behind the King of Casino games, Blackjack. His work, published in a book ‘Scarne’s New Complete Guide to Gambling’ described the odds and various plays to be able to make the best possible calls.

The amazing thing about his work is that it still stands true today, with the mathematics and odds transcending time and permeating every Blackjack table in the world.

Today there are many Blackjack Double Down charts that simplify the learning process so that committed players can memorise the best plays.

The Strategies

When to double in blackjack is one of the most asked questions about the game. The best advice originates mainly from John Scarne’s work and has been published and republished in various forms. However, a problem arises whenever that advice is shortened or misquoted.

For example, if the player has drawn 11, they should Double Down, or so the rule says. In reality, there are factors that can influence the probability of this being a successful strategy.

The main one being what cards are left in the deck. Now this question is mainly one reserved for card counters who are able to discern whether the remaining deck is negative heavy, i.e. full of low cards, or not.

In this case, Doubling Down could be risky, especially if the dealer is showing a 10 or higher.

In contrast, where the remaining deck is positive, the player can be assured of more 10’s and above in the pack and has the option to play more hands that could result in a 20 or 21.

For those without that card counting knowhow, it’s usually a good strategy to stick to Doubling Down whenever you have an 11.

What are Hard and Soft Hands then?

Terminology is important, so get it right. Hard Hands don’t normally have and Ace unless it is being used as a 1. Soft Hands, conversely will have an Ace being used as either 11 or 1. With this tid-bit of knowledge under our belt, let’s move on…

What to do with a Soft Hand

This primarily depends on what the dealer’s hand is showing. Using the Rule of 9 can offer some guidance. This is where the Player has drawn an Ace and any card from 2 to 7. Where the player’s ‘number’ card and the dealer’s up-card sum up to 9 or more, the player should Double Down.

Two important exceptions to this rule should be heeded. The first is where the dealer’s up-card shows an Ace, the obvious reason being its ability to be played as its lower denomination.

The second is to never Double Down in Blackjack when the deal’s up-card is a 7 or above, again, the odds are not with you. So don’t do it!

Light work for Hard Hands

There are so many opportunities to Double Down it can feel like you can do it any time, but the reality is that you should choose your moment wisely.

When you have a hard 11, always Double Down, it’s too good to miss. You can also take a fairly good risk with a hard total of 10, but don’t ever try it when the dealer has a 10 or an Ace.

To Split or not To Split?

Many casinos allow a player to Double Down after they have split their hand. Here the rule is simple, where you have a pair of 5’s don’t touch them.

Treat them like any other 10 and if the dealer’s hand is 9 or less, you would be wise to double down. Any other cards and splitting may be a sensible option.

What the Dealer’s Hand Reveals

The dealer’s hand is key to knowing how to play your own hand, and thankfully there are some statistics on the bust rates for a dealer’s cards.

For example, a Deuce or Three have just under 40% chance of seeing the dealer go bust. Whilst a 4; 5 or 6 raise that probability to just over 40%.

Meanwhile a 7; 8; 9 or 10 only have a roughly 23% chance of working in the player’s favour whilst the Ace gives a dismally low 17% chance of seeing the dealer fail.

These figures can give hope to a player, especially when they know they also have a favourable hand, and underlines the premise of being fore warned is being fore armed!

Double Down – Down

There are unfortunately occasions where a player is unable to Double Down, despite all the signs that it is a good move to make. One may be the house rules as we mentioned before.

One piece of advice from the experts is that whenever you find yourself with a soft hand, i.e. a hand with an Ace, then it is usually more prudent to hit rather than go for the Double Down.

The Hard 9

We’ve already mentioned the propensity for some players to find themselves with a 9 and to jump down the Double Down hole if the dealer has anything other than a 10.

This is flawed thinking. This idea comes from a very valid play in games where you draw a Hard 9.

The important thing to remember is that this has to be in conjunction with when the dealer draws anything lower than a 7, excluding the Ace.

How Much to Bet?

Ultimately, this is a question reserved for the player, but there are two important rules that may help.

The first is never, and this cannot be stressed enough, NEVER Double Down with an additional bet of less than 100%. The whole aim of the play is to maximise on the odds that sit in your favour, so to bet anything less than the maximum allowed is a waste.

Secondly, if the prospect of doubling your bet at a table makes you sweat, even though you know the mathematics is on your side, then you should probably be at a table with lower stakes!

Some Rules of Thumb

It’s usually a good idea to Double Down when:

• The player has drawn 11
• The player has 10 and the dealer has 4; 5; 6
• The player has 9 and the dealer has 5 or 6
• Player has an Ace and any card from 2 to 7 when the Player’s non-Ace and the dealer’s card add-up to 9 or more
• Dealer has a soft 17
• Also, remember that if you have a pair of 5’s; you should not be tempted to split them, it’s better to consider them as a 10

Top Three Plays

Out of all the pieces of advice, there are probably three plays which give the player the best advantage against the dealer.

The first of those is the Hard 9 which we’ve already mentioned. This is an excellent play with a very good chance of success.

The second is a similar Hard 10 or 11. Again these should be used against a lower draw from the dealer. As long as the hand is not made up with an Ace and the dealer’s hand is lower than yours, Doubling Down is a good move to make.

The third of our Top Three is a Soft 16 to 18. As with the previous two hands we’re looking for the dealer to have a low draw. As long as they have anything from 2 to 6 then Doubling Down is going to position the player favourably against the dealer.

Word to the Wise

Doubling Down can seem like an unnecessary risk, and it is true that doing it can make or break your time at the table. However, the strategies and rules for identifying the best times to Double Down are tried and tested.

While you may stand to lose more money on each individual attempt, in the long term, Doubling Down is a sensible strategy as the rewards will more than make up for time you take to practice the techniques above.

Just remember to know the Double Down rules of the casino you’re in as they are likely to place some restrictions on which of the techniques you can use.

This way you can pick the casino with the most favorable rules, and have more opportunity to see and make those Double Down plays.

Blackjack is one of the most widely played games in any casino, brick-and-mortar or online. The game is popular for many reasons, including the fact that it is one of the easiest casino table games to learn to play and offers plenty of strategically-based decision-making to enhance winning opportunities.

While the most common decisions you would make in each round of blackjack include knowing when to hit or when to stand, other crucial strategic decisions include knowing when to split and when to double down.

Splitting Cards – What Is it and When Should You Do It?

The opportunity to split cards usually occurs when any player is dealt two identically-ranked cards, known as a pair, in the initial deal. The player can then split them into two new and separate bets and request another card for each. The two new hands will then each get a full bet, the same as if it were just a single blackjack hand.

Should it be on any two same-ranked cards, or is there a better way to go about splitting cards?

As a matter of fact, there is, and it’s loosely referred to as the aces and eights “rule.” In the case of a pair of aces, the player can either see the hand as a 2 (total), which is very bad, or as a soft 12, which can be just as bad. However, if the player splits the aces into two new bets, they automatically give themselves two separate opportunities to potentially hit a 21 or blackjack.

Similarly, if a player receives a pair of eights in their initial round, it adds up to a total of 16, which is considered to be one of the worst hands in blackjack. However, splitting the eights gives the player an opportunity to build on both hands.

If the player should receive either a 10 card or an 11 card, they will have a total of 18 or 19, which are both much better than going up against the dealer with a total of 16 only, should they choose not to split.

Double Down – What Does It Mean?

As the name implies, doubling down entails doubling your initial bet once you have received your first two cards. Of course, doubling down also depends on the rules of the particular game of blackjack that you happen to be playing.

It is always a good idea to ensure that you can double down in the game of blackjack you want to play before actually sitting down (or playing online). The double-down can be risky since you are putting down twice as much on your hand. If you lose, you lose twice as much. However, if you win, you instantly double your profits for very little extra work.

How the Double-Down System Works

To get your double-down going, you will need to signal to the dealer that this is your intention. In order to do this, simply place the same amount of chips next to your original bet. This is generally the accepted signal for a double-down in most brick-and-mortar or online casinos.

Some land-based and online casinos will also allow you to double down for less, meaning that you can still pull off a double-down move, but you won’t have to put down the same amount as your initial bet, a bit like a special deal.

Once the dealer has acknowledged your wish to double down, he/she will then place an additional card across your initial two cards. This is where the entire double-down procedure ends, as you will not be allowed to do anything else with this hand. In other words, whatever your total hand is with the three cards is the hand you will be playing, without any additional hits.

Letting the Dealer Know You Are Doubling Down and Not Splitting

In blackjack, the action for a double-down is exactly the same as the action for a split. This is usually not a problem if you are either doubling down or splitting. However, if you want to double down on a pair, you will need to let the dealer know that you are doubling down and not splitting the pair.

In order to do this, you will need to say the words “double down” when placing your additional bet. This will ensure that the dealer does not confuse your intention.

Letting the Dealer Know You Are Doubling Down and Not Splitting – Online

Of course, if you are playing blackjack online, you cannot actually say the words “double down” to the dealer since the dealer is effectively a computer program. However, you can simply hit the double-down button (in most instances of online blackjack), and your additional bet will be placed automatically.

Know the Rules

Not every game of blackjack will allow you to double down on your hand, and not every casino (brick-and-mortar or online) will follow the same rules regarding doubling down. The most common form of the double-down rule allows players to double down on their initial two-card hand. Let’s look at some variations of the blackjack double-down rule:

When To Double In Blackjack

• The most common double-down rule covers your first two-card hand
• Some casinos will also allow you to double down on a blackjack
• Some casinos will restrict the double-down option to either hard 9, hard 10, or hard 11 – this means that your initial two-card total must be 9, 10, or 11
• Players can also double down after a split – this applies to most brick-and-mortar as well as online casinos

When to Double Down?

Doubling down is an enormously popular strategy in blackjack, and it is used by experienced players to potentially increase their profits very quickly. However, as with any technique or strategy, it is important to know what it is and when to use it for best effect.

There are inherent risks with using the double-down betting option that should be considered as well before attempting to use it in a real money blackjack game. While it does have the potential to instantly double your profits, the reverse is also true in that you could instantly lose twice as much as you would if a regular bet ended up as a bust.

When to Use It Strategically

One of the great things about playing blackjack is that there are plenty of opportunities to employ strategies to help improve your chances of success. Many experienced blackjack players also apply strategy to the double-down betting option, which can be combined with a card-counting technique for added effectiveness.

However, if you’re a novice blackjack player and wish to use the double-down betting option in your next blackjack game, you can simply follow these basic double-down guidelines:

• Double down on 11: if your initial two-card hand totals 11, you should probably double down. One of the main reasons for this is that there is always a good chance that you will receive a 10 card as your third card, giving you an instant total of 21
• Double down on a hard 10 if the dealer shows a 4, 5, or 6
• Double down on a hard 9 if the dealer shows either a 5 or a 6

Double Down in Card Counting

Card counting is one of the most notorious blackjack techniques for all the wrong reasons. Many people believe that this is a form of cheating, but in reality, it is just a smart way of figuring out what the blackjack deck may be holding.

The way that card counting works is actually quite easy to understand. Different cards in the deck are given a value, either a minus value or a positive value (-/+), to determine what the deck may be holding. A negative deck, therefore, means that most of the cards in the deck will be low-value cards, while a positive deck tells you that there are more high-value cards still to play.

Card counting can, therefore, be used to determine when to double down and when to avoid the option. If the deck is quite negative, it tells you that doubling down could be a bad idea. For instance, if you have a two-card total of 11, you would probably normally double down in hopes of receiving a 10 card.

On a negative deck, there is more of a chance of getting a low-value card such as a 4, 5, or a 6. If the dealer is showing a 10 card, your chances of losing your double-down bet are much higher.

Being Safe with Double Down in Blackjack

Double Down In Blackjack Rules

As you can see, the double-down technique can be very effective in providing instant double profits, should everything go right. However, there is always the chance that things could go horribly wrong (there are no guarantees in blackjack), and you could lose twice as much.

Ultimately, it is all about knowing as much as you can about the game, applying a solid blackjack strategy such as card counting, watching the dealer to see what he is showing as well as what he may be hiding with his hole card, and watching other players to see how strong their hands are (which could tell you how strong or weak the deck is).