Blackjack Strategies

When You Have 8 or 9

Let's review the Basic Blackjack Strategy Chart again and start going over the moves, starting at the top and analyzing why the suggested move is the best for your overall play. At the risk of sounding too redundant, let me sound redundant. My theories are based totally on attacking those weak cards and running like a scared rabbit at the sight of a big guy (power card).

Notice that we double the 8, regardless of whether it is 5 3 or 6 2 against the dealer's 5 or 6. Checking down the char t, you will see the 4 4 handled separately, so that will be covered later. For now, double your easy 8s vs. the 5 and 6 and hit vs. every other up card.

The 9 moves up in edge for the player because there are more ways to get an average winning band (19). With the 9 we get more aggressive vs. the weak cards and thereby a double down (DD) is the move when the dealer has 3 4 5 6. The dealer's 7 is weak but there is an obvious reason why we don't double against that card.

Let's say we were to double' the 9 vs. the dealer's 7 and caught a lousy 2 3 4 5 6 7, because in a DD move, we get only one card. That would put us in a situation whereby the dealer could turn over her down card to that 7 and show a 10, Jack, Queen, King, or Ace and easily beat our weak hand. So, the 9 gets a hit vs. the 7 through Ace and a DD vs. the 3 through 6. Notice that the deuce also gets a hit, rather than a DD, obviously alluding to the fact that that little 2 is quite dangerous. Hit the 9 vs. the 2.

One final note regarding the hands you can't see on the chart. There is no suggestion for when the player gets any combination of 2 3, 2 4, 2 5, 34. Theses hands offer no strong doubling situation and should not entertain any thoughts of aggressive play. Regardless of what the dealer's up card may be, hit these combinations.