When Can You Raise Your Bet In Blackjack

Table Of Contents

For example, if you have seen a disproportionate number of small cards vs. Large cards in the first couple of rounds after a shuffle, now would be a good time to bump up your bet slightly. On the other hand, if you see nothing but aces and faces in the early rounds, you should definitely not increase the size of your bet. Of course, there are different patterns that you can follow, and one of them is particularly well known — blackjack betting strategy 1-2-3-5. If you decide to try it out, then you’ll increase your wager following this pattern. However, the moment you lose, you’d go back to your initial 1 unit bet.

Are you looking for the best blackjack strategy to maximise your winning odds when you play online? You'll love these tips.

Finding a way to get higher chances to win at blackjack shouldn't be so hard.

The basic strategy is the best way to play blackjack — and when you combine it with some strategy tips on bankroll management and what to do after you win, you have really reached the maximum you can.

In other words, if you are looking for the best blackjack betting strategy to increase your chances to win, you'll love this guide.

In the parts that follow you will find:

  • And lots more

We also put together a collection of the best bonuses to play online. This way, you can use those freebies to test the blackjack basic strategy and all the tips in this article.

EXCLUSIVE: Claim Your Bonus and Play!

Register a FREE account and claim your bonus to play online blackjack!

What this guide is NOT

  • A collection of tips to win at blackjack
  • A list of systems that promise to make blackjack profitable
  • The illusion that you can beat the game

Blackjack is a gambling game where the casino has an advantage. It doesn't matter what approach you take or what blackjack strategy you follow. In the long run, the casino always wins.

Why Follow a Blackjack Betting Strategy?

Let's face it - we have all been there. We have all looked for the best and the most effective strategy to win at blackjack after we lost our first hands online.

When can you raise your bet in blackjack poker

With the right blackjack strategy it's possible to increase your winning chances, and that's because blackjack isn't a gambling game like roulette, video poker, or slots.

If you follow the basic betting strategy and you learn how to use the information you have at your disposal, you can reach optimal play giving yourself the best chances to win include in the game.

Professional players have worked hard to 'solve' the game of blackjack and find how to play each hand to get the best winning odds.

They analysed how the number of decks in play affects your chances to win and how you can make the best decision based on the cards you see on the table.

  • That's what they call the 'blackjack basic strategy. A list of dos and don'ts where you find exactly how you are supposed to play each and every hand you are dealt.

This is the best strategy for blackjack.

The goal of the blackjack basic strategy isn't to help you win at blackjack every time you play. That's impossible. Instead, it is to help you maximize your winning chances and to minimize your losses.

That's also the goal of this guide. We don't list all the strategies for blackjack out there. Instead, we focus only on the best blackjack strategies that are known to work and should help you get better results when you play.

Starting from the tips and tricks included in our cheat-sheet.

READ ALSO: How to play online blackjack with friends.

What Is the Blackjack Basic Strategy?

Knowing how to manage your money is as important in blackjack as it is in all gambling games. A correct 'bankroll management' is essential when you play — regardless of the blackjack strategies you apply to your games.

Knowing how to bet (and how much) and how to select the right game when you play online blackjack for real money is extremely important.

Once you have those basics covered, you can move into the basic blackjack strategy and learn how you are supposed to invest your money once the dealer gives you the initial two cards.

As soon as the cards reach you and the dealer opens one of their cards, you have to make your first choice. In a game of blackjack, that means you need to pick one of these options:

  • Stand
  • Hit
  • Double
  • Split
  • Surrender

Do you know why the basic blackjack strategy is also considered to be the best way to discover how to win at blackjack? Because it uses basic logic.

Would you hit if your first two cards gave you 20 points? Of course not.

Would you stand if your starting hand was worth five points? Not a chance.

While these choices are very simple on hands like the ones I use in my example, things get (a lot) more complicated with different cards on the table.

Let me give you a few examples.

  • How do you play soft 17 in blackjack?
  • When do you hit on a 16?
  • What to do with 15 in blackjack?

This is where the basic blackjack strategy comes in to help you get the best chances to win.

This collection of tips shows you the optimal play for every blackjack hands, calculating your winning odds in combination with the dealer's open card.

The basic strategy to win at blackjack has nothing to do with concepts like card counting or any of those tricks some 'clever' players adopt to beat the house.

This is a simple-to-use guideline that shows you exactly how you are supposed to play every possible hand of blackjack. Use it to know when it is recommended to hit, to stand, or to do something else.

Hard totals
Dealer's card >2345678910A
Player's hand
17-20SSSSSSSSSS
16SSSSSHHSUSUSU
15SSSSSHHHSUH
13-14SSSSSHHHHH
12HHSSSHHHHH
11DhDhDhDhDhDhDhDhDhH
10DhDhDhDhDhDhDhDhHH
9HDhDhDhDhHHHHH
5-8HHHHHHHHHH
Soft totals
Dealer's card >2345678910A
A,8-A,9SSSSSSSSSS
A,7SDsDsDsDsSSHHH
A,6HDhDhDhDhHHHHH
A,4-A,5HHDhDhDhHHHHH
A,2-A,3HHHDhDhHHHHH
Pairs
Dealer's card >2345678910A
A,ASPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSP
10,10SSSSSSSSSS
9,9SPSPSPSPSPSSPSPSS
8,8SPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSP
7,7SPSPSPSPSPSPHHHH
6,6SPSPSPSPSPHHHHH
5,5DhDhDhDhDhDhDhDhHH
4,4HHHSPSPHHHHH
2,2-3,3SPSPSPSPSPSPHHHH

Key:
S = Stand
H = Hit
Dh = Double (if not allowed, then hit)
Ds = Double (if not allowed, then stand)
SP = Split
SU = Surrender (if not allowed, then hit)

A Blackjack Cheat Sheet

To make things even easier for you and help you follow the best betting strategy whenever you play blackjack, we created a quick cheat-sheet with the basic strategy explained in full.

When Can You Raise Your Bet In Blackjack

Download the blackjack cheat-sheet (it's free) and print it or save it on your mobile phone to keep it always with you when you play.

The blackjack basic strategy cheat-sheet is 100% legal and you can use it both when you play online and at a brick-and-mortar casino.

A Conservative Blackjack Strategy

Don't play high-stakes games unless you feel ready for them and you have enough money to spend on online games.

If you are reading this blackjack strategy guide and you are a beginner, you should be afraid of high-stakes games.

When you spend too much money on your games, you risk getting the opposite of what you want. You play to have fun and to find out how to get more chances to win at blackjack - and you end broke and frustrated.

The best way to play blackjack is to start with what I call a conservative approach. Because finding the right way top handle betting in blackjack is key to long-term fun.

Like many blackjack strategies suggest, you should increase the stakes only when things go well and any potential losses are compensated by the money you have already won, not the one you might win if you get lucky.

In other words, raise your bet every time you win.

Many players believe wins and losses come in streaks. They think you might lose five or six times in a row — but when you win…you are not going to do it just once.

Obviously, that's not true.

Blackjack is a gambling game and there are no patterns for you to exploit or streaks that you can use to win more money every time you play.

There are, however, smart betting strategies like the basic blackjack strategy that can help you increase the chances of a victory.

With that in mind, a conservative blackjack strategy works like this:

  • Start from the lowest bet (e.g. $1)
  • Increase your bet by 1 unit only after you win
  • Go back to the original bet after you lose

When you use this blackjack strategy, you need to go back to the original bet as soon as you lose one hand. This is the best way to be in control of your money and end a gaming session in the black.

All you need to do is to make the right choices (use the basic strategy) and raise your stakes little by little - but only when you win.

READ ALSO: Bets sites to play live dealer blackjack online.

An Aggressive Approach to Blackjack: the Martingale Strategy

The Martingale betting strategy sits at the opposite side of the spectrum. This is the perfect blackjack strategy for those players who:

  • Play blackjack to win a lot of money
  • Can afford to lose a lot of money
  • Don't fear the swing of big losses

In other words, this is the perfect blackjack strategy for big spenders but isn't one that you should try if you are still a beginner who is looking for ways to learn how to play blackjack.

The Martingale blackjack strategy is expensive. This is a blackjack system that will help you win often - but only when I have a lot of money to invest on your games.

If you can't spend at least $500 on your games - the Martingale is not the best blackjack strategy for you.

But if you do — continue reading to discover how to use this betting strategy to increase your chances to win.

In short:

The Martingale strategy is the exact opposite of the conservative approach to betting in blackjack we have just seen.

When you follow this strategy, you need to double your bet every time you lose. Which, in case of a losing streak, can become very expensive very quickly.

The rationale of this audacious blackjack betting strategy is that you will need only one win to go back to square one and recoup all your losses in one hand.

The caveat is: your bankroll needs to be deep enough for you to play and play until that one win comes.

Again, this isn't a betting strategy for beginners. If you decide to try it, make sure your bankroll covers at least 10 consecutive losses from the hand #1.

1-3-2-6 Blackjack Betting System

The 1-3-2-6 blackjack betting strategy is not as exciting as the Martingale strategy, and that's a good thing. This betting strategy doesn't require a huge bankroll and is a lot more suitable for players looking for a way to have better chances to win at blackjack without investing a fortune in the game.

The numbers in the strategy's name indicate the way you should bet after you win a hand of blackjack.

You first winning is the trigger that starts the sequence while your first losing hand is the one that ends everything.

This blackjack betting strategy is built to get the most value out of winning streaks. If you are lucky enough to use it at the beginning of a four-hand winning streak, you are in for a treat.

READ ALSO: How to play blackjack for beginners.

How to Win More Often at Blackjack: A Few Important Tips

We all want to win at blackjack every time we play, but we also know that's impossible.

What is possible, however, is to maximise your chances to win and get better winning odds when you play blackjack online. All it takes a few simple tips.

Follow them carefully, as these blackjack tips are as important as the best blackjack betting strategy.

  • Don't spend money on the 'insurance'. The insurance bet is a money-draining option created to confuse beginners. All the best blackjack strategies fail to mention is for one simple reason: no real blackjack player will ever spend their money on it.
  • Think about the house edge. Like we said when we went through some of the game's best betting strategies, you can't expect to win at blackjack every time you play.

    Like all other casino games, the house edge is what makes sure that the casino has an advantage over the players in the long run. With that in mind, the next of our blackjack tips is one that can make a great difference for you.

  • Set a budget and abide to that. Experienced blackjack players know that you need to set a losing and a winning limit before the first hand is dealt.

    Stop playing as soon as you hit one of them. If you lose and hit your lower limit, take a break and end your session.

    If you win and you hit your highest limit, collects your winnings and leave the table. You can continue to play if you want, but you'll need to set a new bankroll and establish new limits first.

  • Don't miss the rules sheet. Trust me, there are more blackjack variations that you will ever play. All of them are based on the same core gameplay — but adopt rules that could break you if you aren't ready for them

    One of the best parts of playing online is that the rules are always available at the table. If you are not sure you know everything about the game you want to play, click on the 'info' icon and read the rules.

  • Choose 3:2 over 6:5 payout. Different casinos have different payout policies - and not all of them are great for you.

    Make sure you read the payout table before you begin to play a hand of real money blackjack and always choose the games with the 'regular' 3:2 payout. These are a much smarter choice compared to the 6:5 payout blackjack games you find at some online casino sites.

Use Bonuses to Find Your Favourite Blackjack Strategy

Now that you know what are the best blackjack strategies, there is only one thing left: play a few games online to find out which one works best for you.

When Can You Raise Your Bet In Blackjack

Here's what you should fo to get the best results:

  1. Base all your decisions on the basic blackjack strategy
  2. Pick the betting strategy that suits your bankroll
  3. Follow all the blackjack strategy tips above to maximise your chances to win

To help you find the right games and the right betting strategy, we created a list of the best blackjack bonuses on the market.

All the sites you find in the list are licensed, pay winnings fast, and offer lots of blackjack games. Pick the ones with the best offers, register an account (it's always free), and sit at the blackjack table to start an epic battle with the dealer!

The promotion presented on this page was available at the time of writing. With some Casino promotions changing on daily basis, we suggest you to check on the site if it still available. Also, please do not forget to read the terms and conditions in full before you accept a bonus.

Your blackjack bankroll’s status will have significant impacts on everything from how long you can spend at the tables to what your bet size will be. It’s obvious that you want the biggest bankroll possible.

However, many casino gamblers struggle with building and maintaining a healthy bankroll. Here’s how to take your blackjack bankroll from bleak to boom.

Learn Basic Blackjack Strategy

Learning and implementing basic blackjack strategy is one of the easiest and most sure-fire methods for taking your blackjack bankroll to the next level.

You don’t even need to memorize the strategy that uses your hand and the dealer’s up card to determine the best play. You can sith down at any casino in the United States with a strategy card in hand and play to your heart’s content.

Most casinos even have the “cheat sheets” for sale in the gift shop. Using basic strategy, for 100% of the hands you play will drop the house edge to under 1%.

Those are the best odds you’ll find in almost any casino. So, even if you aren’t winning every hand, the perfect execution of basic strategy should keep you in the game long enough for fortune to turn your way.

Allowing you to rack up a string of wins quickly. In order to achieve the booming bankroll you seek, take the winnings you acquire and dedicate this money to the bankroll.

Never Take the Insurance Bet

It may be tempting to see the dealers Ace staring back at you and think it wise to take the insurance bet. After all, the casino is offering you a way out of losing your entire wager.

I’ll keep this simple. If the casino weren’t making money off the insurance bet, they wouldn’t offer it.

Insurance seems like a solid avenue for hedging your bet. However, the fact is that you’ll come out far ahead in the long run by keeping these chips in your stack and moving on.

Remember, the insurance only pays IF the dealer actually has a blackjack.

You could just as easily place the insurance bet and lose the hand. This only serves to snowball your losses.

I can assure you, any wins when the dealer actually has 21 will be mitigated by the number of times the dealer misses the blackjack.

To put it mildly, buying insurance at the blackjack table is a sucker bet.

Steer Clear of 6 to 5 Games

Real money blackjack typically pays 3 to 2 for a blackjack. That means you win $30 on a $20 bet for blackjack.

When Can You Raise Your Bet In Blackjack Card Game

Some casinos want to tilt the house advantage a little bit farther into their favor and have created games that only pay 6 to 5.

It’s a clever ploy because most gamblers don’t pay attention to how truly terrible this small change is. Let’s look at it a little closer and see if you spot why this type of table can ruin a bankroll.

That same $20 bet that paid $30 on blackjack is now paying $24. That’s a tremendous drop in your profit.

You’re giving up nearly 30% of your potential profits under this scenario. Still, sound like a small change to the rules?

Stay on the 3 to 2 tables. If you find yourself that doesn’t offer a solid 3 to 2 game, play video poker or another game with a low house edge.

You may miss out on your favorite game, which can be hard to do, but you’ll secure your blackjack bankroll until you can find a more favorable game.

Skip the Martingale Betting System

Don’t fall victim to casino betting systems like the Martingale System. These strategies encourage you to raise or lower your bet amount based on the previous hand.

These systems are, by their very nature, fallible. Blackjack is a game where skill can increase your odds, but its core remains a game of chance.

You aren’t any more likely to hit a blackjack on the next hand as you were the last.

Of course, if you’re a world-class card counter, you know that there are times that increasing your bet is the prudent play. Unfortunately, you aren’t a world-class card counter.

Stick to the consistent bet size. Whenever I’m at the table and see a player lose a hand and begin to double their bets until a win, I know their time at the table will be short-lived.

Some players will even incorporate basic strategy and this type of progressive strategy. They may see some decent success with this approach for a moment.

Eventually, they’ll hit a tough run of cards, and the casino’s table limits will catch up to them. When this happens, any profits will quickly disappear.

Avoiding varied bet sizes is a simple and effective way to protect your blackjack bankroll.

Double Down on 10

If you’re playing with a strategy card, you should always be doing this. However, it bears repeating.

Always double down on 10 when the dealer’s upcard is 9 or lower. The odds are forever in your favor on this one.

The only time you shouldn’t double down on 10 when the dealer’s upcard is 9 or lower is never. Always double down on 10 when the dealer’s upcard is 9 or lower.

By doubling down on these bets, you’ll make up some ground on the hands you lose. You won’t win every time.

In fact, you may lose a couple in a row using this strategy. Don’t get discouraged and abandon ship.

Stay the course, and the math will catch up. I assure you this may be the difference between bankroll bliss and bankroll bust.

Don’t Drink the Kool-Aid

The Gambler’s Fallacy is the misguided ideology that because a particular outcome has occurred a disproportionate number of times in succession that it’s less likely to occur again.

That’s not the case. The cards don’t care if you won 15 hands in a row or lost 100.

You aren’t suddenly due because of a bad losing streak. The cards are largely random, and the Universe isn’t conspiring against you in any way.

This can go either way. I’ve seen hundreds of players go on a winning streak and believe they couldn’t lose.

When Can You Raise Your Bet In Blackjack Winnings

These lucky players begin to double and triple their wager. Eventually, the numbers begin to even out, and the losses start coming.

When this happens, I sometimes see players inexplicably begin to press even further. My only guess is that some people love giving the poor casinos their hard-earned money.

It seems counter-intuitive to raise your bet size when you’re winning, then double down when you start to lose.

Stay away from this type of fallacious reasoning. Play with an even keel.

You Raise Your Bet In Blackjack

Keep your bet size the same for your entire session. Your bankroll will begin to be much healthier and grow like a weed.

Set Casino Gambling Limits and Stick to Them

Veteran casino gamblers understand the importance of setting strict limits and sticking to them.

The first thing you should set a limit on is your budget. It would be best always to have a loss limit and a winning limit before you ever walk into the casino.

It would help if you were mentally prepared to walk away as soon as you reach either limit. By setting a solid winning limit, let’s use $300, you are setting your bankroll up for success.

When you get to your win limit, you are done for the day and move onto other activities. You’ve increased your blackjack bankroll and had a great session.

Your limit can be whatever you set it from $20 on up, but keep it realistic. Having a $10,000 winning limit is ridiculous if you’re playing for $10 or even $20 a hand. The losing limit you set is obviously a significant number as well. Unfortunately for some gamblers, this can be much more difficult to adhere to than a win limit.

Setting and sticking to a loss limit is casino bankroll management 101. It may very well be the most important factor in taking your bankroll from bleak to boom.

When Can You Raise Your Bet In Blackjack

This goes to my number one casino gambling rule, no trips to the ATM. Play with the cash in your pocket and call it quits when it’s gone.

Novice casino gamblers often overlook time limits. Still, the amount of time you spend on the tables can have a dramatic impact on your bankroll’s health.

Players can make poor decisions when they become tired. This cloudy judgment can lead to misplays.

Conversely, some players will begin to make ultra-aggressive bets in an effort to boost the adrenaline and pep up. This may have catastrophic effects on your blackjack bankroll.

Set a time limit before you hit the casino, set the alarm on your cell phone, and call it a day when you’ve hit the time limit.

Set limits on your casino gambling and watch that blackjack bankroll build.

Conclusion

These small steps can have a wonderful influence on your blackjack bankroll. Incorporate a solid betting strategy while maintaining a healthy approach.

You’ll no doubt take your blackjack bankroll from bleak to boom.