When Should You Double Down in Blackjack?
1 minute
Last Updated: February 20, 2024
Blackjack is a card game where players have to get as close to a total card value of 21 without going over. One of the strategies you can use to increase your payouts is the double down. What is double down in blackjack? This is when a player doubles their bet in the middle of a hand, after which they receive one more card.
When to double down in blackjack? Using the double down is a unique blackjack strategy that should only be used in three situations:
- If the player has a hard 9 or 10 (a “hard” hand is one without an ace) and the dealer has a low card value. This will work if the next card you pick has a high value.
- When a player has a soft 16, 17, or 18 (a soft hand is one with an ace), the dealer has a low card value.
- When the player has a total card value of 11. This is because you have a better chance of getting closer to 21 than the dealer, which makes the bet worth it.
Knowing how to read the game states until any of the scenarios above present themselves is important if you want to use the double-down effectively. It is also important to know when not to use the double-down. These negative scenarios include:
- When the dealer holds an ace.
- When the player has a hard 12 or higher card value.
- When the player is chasing losses.
