When to Double Down in Blackjack?

Blackjack is one of those casino games you’d find at online casinos which offers the double down or split option. The blackjack double down option, however, is a case where the player is allowed to double the size of his original bet after being dealt the first card. Strategically speaking, it would only make sense for blackjack players to use the blackjack double down only when they have a good-hand like the 10-value card or an 11 card. A split in blackjack can be profitable or result in a loss.

When blackjack players double down on a 10-value card, they have a higher chance of getting a 21 or getting close to blackjack. This strategy is so because there are so many 10-value cards in blackjack. However, apart from doubling down on a 10-value card, are there any other basic strategies that tell us when to double down? Apparently, yes, there are other cases when you can double down and have a higher chance to beat the dealer — knowing when to double down and when not to is key to becoming a master in the game. Blackjack rules allow you to split sometimes. It often divides opinion when to double down or split in blackjack, so let’s try clear it up.

The rules of Blackjack Double Down

In blackjack double down rules, the first rule you need is assuming any card you can’t see is a 10-value card. Since blackjack is all about the odds, counting the 10-value cards as well as the 12 face cards is a rule of the thumbs you’d have to follow especially in double down. Because of the blackjack rules, it’s advisable to double down on a good-hand that amounts to 11 or less. On doing that, no matter what card you have at hand, you’d never bust.

In some blackjack variant of casino games mostly online casinos, you’d find a rule where you can only double down after you have two cards that total 9, 10 or 11. When you play blackjack of this variant, it’s a little bit easier to know when to double down.

How to use Double Down?

It is essential to know the difference between when to use the double down or split option. When the game starts, you get two cards while the dealer receives one hole card. For example, if the dealer’s upcard is a 5 or a 6, and you show a nine card, you’d have a strong feeling that a 10-value card would win the hand for you. In a case like this, placing an extra bet would be to your advantage, this is when the double down option comes into play.

If you don’t know when to double down in a game, you can print a double down cheat sheet and study it more. Below is an example of a typical cheat sheet of when to double down on a soft hand or hard hand in blackjack.