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. Crown casino restaurants italian. Blackjack Tournament Strategy; Blackjack Double Down; Blackjack Hit and Stand; Best Blackjack Casino Sites; Doubling Down on Soft Hands. Many blackjack players, especially those with little knowledge of the basic strategy for this game, would avoid the Double option altogether. But if played correctly, it can bring them good winnings in the. Other Blackjack Strategies. Double down is not the only strategy you can use in Blackjack. A variety of strategies is something that makes this game so engaging. An ability to define the best moment for the specified strategy can bring you to profitable gambling. Split is all about dividing your initial hand into two separate hands. 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.
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.
The double down feature is one of the primary moves in blackjack and one that any blackjack player should become familiar with. To double down is to increase the size of your bet to twice its value. When this happens, you will be dealt one more card and you will have to stand on that particular hand. The double down option gives you the opportunity to make great plays and exponentially increase your winnings potential. While this move does sound cut and dry there are certain subtleties to it and you should not take it lightly. Below, you will find a comprehensive guide about when it is a good idea to double down, as well as the different types of the double down option and the circumstances in which you can use it.
Double Down Variations
Double down comes in a variety of different forms, though some are more commonly seen than others. While you may only be interested in one type, it is a good idea to know the different variations so if you ever come across an unfamiliar type you know what’s going on and how to react.
Standard Double Down
The standard double down feature is the one that you will experience the most often. It is a simple as it sounds, all that happens is that you double the size of your bet and you win or lose depending on the outcome. There is nothing complicated to it, though knowing when to double down is a different matter. Additionally, some blackjack variations restrict your ability to double down only on hard totals of 9, 10, and 11.
Doubling Down on Three Cards
This is among the rarest double down variations that you will find in the gambling world since it pushes the odds in the player’s favor. While rare, it is not unheard of for casinos to allow this. Typically, you are only permitted to double down on your opening hand which consists of two hands. However, there are some establishments that will give you the option of doubling down after hitting. As you can imagine, this allows you to make much better plays that you would normally have the chance to make. Basically, with this double down variation, you have more options and that is never a bad thing.
Doubling Down for Less
Doubling down for less is an option at some land-based casinos and possibly certain online blackjack variations. The idea is that you increase your bet for a lower amount than its original value. For example, your starting wager is $10 and then the game gives you the option to double down for $5. This is the whole premise behind this double down variation and with that said, you should really avoid doubling down for less whenever possible.
The whole idea behind doubling down, in general, is to maximize your potential profit on the back of a strong hand. By doubling down for less, you reduce your winnings potential by a significant margin and this will hurt not only your bankroll but also how long you can keep playing. Furthermore, having standard double down options keeps the odds closer to you, even if still in the favor of the house. However, by giving up the opportunity to increase your bet, you push the advantage further in the casino’s favor and thus, reduce your overall chances of winning.
Show MoreHide MoreLet’s run a simulation. Suppose you have a hard 11 against a dealer’s 10. In this situation, you come out on top 54% of the time when you double down. At $10 per standard bet, assuming traditional double down rules and that you will double down on such hands, you will win $10*2 * 54 = $1,080 in gross winnings and $10*2 * 46 = $920 in losses, which makes for a net profit of $160.
However, when you play with ‘double down for less’ rules, things take a different turn. Assume that you double down for 50% of your original bet ($10 + $5) in the same scenario. Now you have ($10 + $5) * 54 = $810 in gross winnings and ($10 + $5) * 46 = $690 in losses, which makes for a net profit of only $120 or 25% less than you would with standard rules. The profit loss percentage only increases as you reduce the double down amount.
No matter how you split it, doubling down for less is a bad move and you should avoid such tables in favor of those with standard doubling down rules. The only acceptable situation for doubling down for less is when you are low on funds and close to losing what is left of your bankroll. You could make an argument for such cases, yet even then, traditional double down rules will still give you better chances of making it out with something.
Doubling Down on Soft Hands
Something that not many players think about is the effect that an Ace can have on their hand total. As you are aware, the Ace can have a shifting value of 1 or 11, depending on your current total. If your hand is lower than 21, the Ace will count for 11. But if it potentially exceeds 21, the Ace will revert to its 1 value state. For instance, you are dealt a hand of Ace and 3 for a total of soft 14. You choose to hit and receive an 8, for a total of 22. However, since the Ace can also count as 1, your new total is not 22, rather 12.
Something to note is that not all blackjack variations will allow you to double down on soft hands. By their very nature, soft hands are always totals of 13 or more, while certain games only allow you to double down on 9, 10, and 11. With this in mind, choose your game of choice carefully. Granted, where it’s allowed to double on any hand, soft totals could potentially be very profitable.
For example, assuming 4-8 decks are in play and you have a soft 13 (Ace-2) against a dealer’s 5 or 6, you should double down. If this were a hard total, it would be advisable to stand, however, since you will not automatically bust by going over, you should take advantage. The same can be said of a soft 14 (Ace-3). When it comes to soft 15 (Ace-4) and soft 16 (Ace-5), you should always double down against a dealer’s 4, 5, and 6. Having a soft 17 (Ace-6) total is an advantageous position for you, even more so if doubling down is an option. Going into a soft 18 (Ace-7), it is important to take note whether the dealer hits or stands on a soft 17. If they stand, then you should only double down against a dealer total of 3, 4, 5, and 6. However, if they hit a soft 17, then a better approach is to double down against their 2, in addition to the previous totals.
If you hand consists of a soft 19 (Ace-8) or more and the dealer stands on soft 17, you should always stand. But, if they hit a soft 17, you should double down on your soft 19 against their 6. In all other situations, you should either hit or stand.
Doubling Down in Single- and Multi-Deck Games
Doubling down is not the same across multiple variations. When there is a larger number of decks, the odds significantly change as opposed to single-deck versions of the game. Below, we will outline some of the differences between doubling on single-deck and multi-deck variations.
Doubling Down in Single-Deck Variations
If you prefer single-deck blackjack, the conditions under which you want to double down are pretty specific. For example, holding a total of 9 against a dealer’s 2 through 6 is an ideal game state to double down. This is due to the fact that your hand will be made up of low-value cards, leaving all the high-value cards and Aces still in the shoe. Moreover, the dealer will also have the same chance of drawing similar cards, thus increasing their chance to bust. In the event that you hold a total of 8 (2-6; 3-5; 4-4) against a dealer’s 5 or 6, you should take the same action based on the same logic. When holding a hand total of 11 you want to double down, regardless of the dealer’s hand, as the chance to gain the upper hand is prime.
The reason why most of these situations are advantageous in single-deck versions is that doubling down on a low dealer’s total in multi-deck variations is too much risk to sustain long-term plays. All in all, single-deck variations give you more leeway in this regard, provided you know what you are doing.
Doubling Down in Multi-Deck Variations
Single-deck variations are popular but more often than not you will come across games played with 4-8 decks. Given the larger number of multi-hand titles, it is important that you also become familiar with those, as well. There is some slight variation if the dealer hits or stands on a soft 17 but we will get to that also. When holding a 9 against a dealer’s 3 through 6, it is in your best interest to double down. The same is also true when you hold a total of 10 versus a dealer’s 2 through 9. This gives you the best odds at scoring a good hand and getting that larger payout. When you hold a 10 against a dealer’s 2 through 10, you should double down. However, if the dealer hits a soft 17 and they hold an Ace, you should double down in that situation as well.
Doubling Down Tips
Doubling down is a crucial aspect of blackjack, one that has a great effect on your success in the game. But just like it can bring in a lot of profit, it can also ruin your bankroll if you use it carelessly. A double down is a calculated risk, allowing you to benefit from a statistical advantage in any given moment. There is a right time to use any move allowed in the game and it is empirical to learn when the appropriate time for each is. When it comes to doubling down, you are expected to do so in less than half of all possible situations. Therefore, do not expect to make all of your profit from it. Doubling down is a tool that you use when the occasion calls for it and when you stand to make a profit from it. Of course, you should also not expect every time you double down for the game to simply give you money. You will likely lose quite often, but if you play right, you will win more than you lose.
If you take away anything from this article, let it be this:
- Double down on 9 against dealer’s 3 – 6 total
- Double down on 10 against dealer’s 2 – 9 total
- Double down on 11 against dealer’s 2 – 10 total (if dealer hits soft 17 double down on Ace, as well)
- Double down on soft 13/14 against dealer’s 3 – 6 total (if allowed, otherwise hit)
- Double down on soft 17/18 against dealer’s 3 – 6 total (if allowed, otherwise stand)
Blackjack is one of the casino games with the lowest possible house edge, which can be attributed to its favourable set of rules. One such rule that works to the benefit of players is the double down option. It enables you to increase your initial bet when you find yourself in advantageous situations.
Doubling down can be both exciting and profitable for the player provided that they know when to make this move correctly. The situations when this play becomes optimal do not occur all that often at the blackjack table. One must learn to identify them in order to extract the most value from doubling their wagers.
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Regrettably, many blackjack players do not recognize the correct spots that call for a double down and end up losing tons of money as a result. In this article, GamblingPlex expands on what doubling down is in blackjack, provides readers with some strategy hints for this move, and explains why you should never double down for less than your original wager.
How to Double Down in Blackjack
To begin with, doubling is available to players only on their starting hands before they have drawn any more cards to their initial totals. When a player wishes to double their bet in the game of blackjack after their hand has been dealt, they can do so by signalling they want a double down. The hand signal used in shoe games differs from that in single-deck and double-deck variations.
In multi-deck blackjack where the cards are dealt out of a shoe, you double down by posting an additional wager up to the amount of your original wager and pointing towards your betting box. You place the extra chips in your betting box next to your initial bet but never on top of it.
This is for the benefit of the dealer, allowing them to easily distinguish your double down wager from your original bet. The dealer will then draw no more than one card to your starting hand. The third card is usually placed perpendicularly, next to the first two cards, to indicate this hand has been doubled on. There will be no more cards dealt to that particular hand.
When playing single-deck and double-deck blackjack, you double down by making an extra bet and placing your first two cards face-up on the layout. The dealer would then tuck the third card under your chips.
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The third card is dealt face-down in this case and is exposed after the dealer has finished playing their hand. This further adds to the excitement of doubling, especially when the dealer busts. With that said, players in hand-held games are permitted to peek under the double-down card to see its value but should do so without exposing it. The profits or losses you register during this round are based on the new overall wager.
For example, if you had initially wagered $10 and have doubled for the full amount of $10, you now have a total of $20 in action and will win $20 on top of that, for an overall payout of $40. If the dealer beats you, you will lose $20 rather than $10 only.
The OBO Rule
This is not the case in many European variations where no hole cards are in play. The dealer receives one exposed card during the initial deal and does not draw a second one until after all patrons have finished playing their hands.
Such games usually implement the so-called “original bets only” rule, abbreviated as OBO. Whenever the dealer hits a blackjack, players would lose only their initial wagers under this rule. Additional bets made on doubling and splitting push and are returned to players.
Choosing a Blackjack Table
Doubling is an interesting choice, and it could pay quite well when done properly. However, you should not forget to check the specific rules that apply to doubling at your chosen table before you sit down. Blackjack is infamous throughout the gambling world for its diversity when it comes to rules. Playing conditions would often vary not only between different casinos but between different blackjack tables within the same gaming venue.
Before you sit down, check whether you can double on any two cards or just on hands with totals of 9, 10, and 11. When restricted to doubling only on these three hands, players suffer a house edge increase of 0.09%. Some tables are even more restrictive, allowing you to make this play only on two-card totals of 10 and 11, which adds 0.18% to the casino advantage.
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Another thing worth checking beforehand is whether the table supports doubling after a split (DAS). The absence of DAS also leads to an increase in the house edge, this time by 0.14%.
Keep in mind that the exact doubling rules, applicable at a given table, are not displayed on the layout as is the case with the dealer’s standing total and the blackjack payouts. We suggest you ask the dealer or the pit boss before you take a seat if you are unsure whether you can double on any two-card hand.
When Should You Double Down?
New players usually rely more on their hunches and intuition when doubling, which often leads to bad decision-making and unnecessary frustration. As exciting as it is, doubling is not the optimal move at all times. This play is recommended only on specific two-card hands against certain upcards that put the dealer in a weak spot.
It makes no sense to increase your wager against a dealer who shows strong upcards, if you, yourself, have a bad starting total like 12 or 15, for example. One situation where doubling down has been proven to show the best results is when a player is holding a total of 11 against a dealer with a 6. The probability of the dealer busting with this upcard is a little over 42%.
Meanwhile, your chances of prevailing with a total of 11 against the 6 are inevitably higher than 50% regardless of the exact composition of your hand as you can see below. Doubling down when the odds are on your side will have an overall positive effect on your profitability. The figures correspond to a six-deck S17 game where the peek rule is in place.
Player Hand Composition | Probability of Winning | Probability of Pushing | Probability of Losing |
6/5 vs. 6 | 63.80% | 6.60% | 29.60% |
7/4 vs. 6 | 63.60% | 6.70% | 29.70% |
8/3 vs. 6 | 63.50% | 6.70% | 29.80% |
9/2 vs. 6 | 63.50% | 6.70% | 29.90% |
The optimal plays for doubling are covered by basic strategy, which is presented in the form of a chart. You can start seeing more profits from your double downs if you stick to basic strategy. Feel free to consult with your strategy card when playing online or at a landbased casino until you learn all the correct moves by heart.
Doubling on Hard Hands
Before we proceed any further with strategy hints, we would like to specify that the correct doubling moves may differ, depending on whether you have a hard or a soft total. A hard hand is one that either lacks an ace or has one, but its value is 1 only.
Doubling on hard totals of 12 or higher is never recommended since your chances of busting are greater and you risk losing twice as much money. The higher the hard total, the higher your chances of going over 21 by drawing a third card.
You can find the correct moves for doubling below but keep in mind they correspond to six-deck games with DAS under the S17 rule for the dealer. Some of the playing decisions are different when you double against a dealer who hits soft 17 (H17). Certain moves also vary based on deck number. Refrain from using multi-deck strategy cards for single-deck and double-deck blackjack to prevent potential playing errors.
- Double down on hard 9 when the dealer’s exposed card is 3, 4, 5, or 6.
- Double down on hard 10 against all dealer upcards except for 10 and ace. This applies also when you get dealt a pair of 5/5, which you should never split. You double down on your 5/5 against dealer upcards 2 through 9, instead.
- Double down on hard 11 against all exposed cards of the dealer except for the ace. On a side note, players are recommended to double even against the dealer’s ace in shoe-dealt H17 blackjack.
Doubling on Soft Hands
Soft hands call for a different approach because they contain aces whose value fluctuates. The aces can be assigned a value of either 1 or 11, based on the holder’s preferences. You have more chances of making successful doubles with such hands because the ace’s flexibility prevents you from going over 21 by taking one more card from the dealer.
The worst that could happen is for you to get dealt a small-value card and end up with a low hand total. It is also possible to catch a ten-value card and transform your hand from a soft one into a hard one.
Here is an example. You have A/5, or soft 16, which you can treat as either 6 or 16. The dealer’s upcard is a 6 which calls for soft doubling. The dealer pulls out a King for your double down and you get stuck with a hard 16. Check out the plays recommended below. They are again optimal in multiple-deck blackjack where the dealer is required to stand on soft 17 (S17).
- Soft 13 (A/2) and soft 14 (A/3) require a double down when the dealer’s exposed card is 5 or a 6.
- Soft 15 (A/4) and soft 16 (A/5) call for a double when the dealer shows a 4, 5, or 6.
- Soft 17 (A/6) and soft 18 (A/7) require a double when the dealer’s upcard is 3, 4, 5, or 6. In H17 games, you double on soft 18 against the dealer’s deuce as well. Soft 19 (A/8) also calls for a double down against the dealer’s 6 in H17 games.
Should You Double for Less?
As we told you earlier, you can double down for an amount up to your original wager although no one prohibits you from doubling for less than what you have initially bet. For instance, if you have originally wagered $20, you can double for $15, $10 or even $5.
In fact, this is possible in almost all landbased casinos. However, you must always double for the full amount when playing online randomly generated variations of blackjack. Many rookies or players with tight bankrolls prefer to double for less, mainly because they feel uncomfortable with exposing more money at risk by covering their initial wagers in full. Others skip on doubling altogether by hitting or standing, both of which do not require them to invest more money.
How Doubling Compares to Hitting
It is no coincidence doubling down is recommended over hitting and standing in certain cases. You are entitled to no more than one card when doubling, which is why you sometimes get stuck with bad stiff hands like hard 15 or hard 14.
Since it is impossible to hit after a double down, the percentage of the times when you beat the dealer with doubling is smaller than that for hitting. However, the small difference in win rates is offset by the larger profits you receive for successful doubling.
Suppose, for instance, you receive a total of 11 against a dealer with a ten-value card. As you can see from the strategy hints, this situation calls for a double down in shoe games with the S17 rule. Your 11 will win against the ten-value card 56 per every 100 hands if you hit and 54 per every 100 hands if you double down.
Respectively, you will have 54 x $20 = $1,080 in earnings, if you double for the full amount on a $10 initial wager. Your losses with 11 against the dealer’s ten-value card will be 46 x $20 = $920 on average. You will win approximately $160 every hundred hands in the long term.
Meanwhile, your earnings when you hit your 11 against the dealer’s ten will amount to 56 x $10 = $560 whereas your losses will be 44 x $10 = $440. Thus, hitting yields net profits of $120. This leads us to the logical conclusion doubling on 11 against the dealer’s 10 is better for the player than hitting because it yields $40 more in profits per every hundred hands on average.
Basic Strategy Blackjack Double Deck
Doubling for Less vs. Doubling for the Full Wager
Similarly to hitting your 11 against the dealer’s ten, doubling for less on this hand is nonsensical from a basic-strategy perspective. The whole purpose of doubling is to enable the player to boost their gains when in favourable situations. This is impossible unless you double down for your full wager.
This becomes blatantly obvious when we continue with our example where your main bet is $10. Only this time, you choose to double for $5 only instead of hitting. Your average earnings per one hundred hands will be equal to 54 x $15 = $810 whereas your average losses will be 46 x $15 = $690 if OBO is not in place.
This makes for overall net winnings of $120, which is again $40 less than the average earnings you will register when you double for the full amount. This sum will drop further down if you are a scrape enough to double down for one-fourth of your initial $10 bet, or $2.50.
In this scenario, your average wins per one hundred hands will amount to 54 x $12.50 = $675 whereas your losses will add up approximately to 46 x $12.50 = $575. Your total of 11 will earn you only $100 against the dealer’s ten in the long run.
It is easy to see why doubling for the full amount is the best course of action, compared to hitting or doubling for less. This applies to all correct doubling plays, not only to a total of 11 against a ten.
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