When to Double Down in Blackjack

Blackjack offers players the opportunity to increase their bets when they feel they have been handed strong cards. But when to double down in blackjack?

In this article, we take a closer look at the do’s and don’ts of doubling down in blackjack and how to get good at it. No house rule can stop you from putting your knowledge of blackjack to good use.

What is Doubling Down in Blackjack?

First, it’s good to understand what doubling down in blackjack is. The essence of this action is to signal that you are confident in your cards, and you are looking to get a bigger buck for your bang.

By doubling down in blackjack, you raise your stake by a factor of two. A bet that is worth $5 is worth $10 after you double down.

This strategy is definitely for those of you who are keen to take on more risk for a chance to get more out of your game.

The action of doubling down in blackjack is very simple. You simply tell the dealer that you are doubling down and add the chips in.

This way, you have a better chance of increasing your payout as well. You need to figure out when to double down is a worthwhile action, trying to balance the risk-reward factor in the game.

With this said, we will now present several do’s and don’ts when it comes to doubling down in blackjack.

When to Double Down

To keep things simple, we will offer a brief list of situations in which you will mostly want to double down. You can use a blackjack cheat sheet as well to figure this out.

#1 You Have a Total of 11

If you have a total of 11, you should double down and get another “hit.” On the off chance, it’s a face card, worth “10” points, you will hit a blackjack and realize an immediate victory. Of course, adding a new card may not bring you a face card. Whether you hit after that is down to you, and you need to keep in mind that the dealer’s hand will also have a role to play in deciding whether you should double down.

#2 When You Have a 9 or 10-Hand

If your total card value is about 9 or 10, you can play against a low card for the dealer. If they are running an ace against you, or have a 10-value card themselves, you might want to reconsider.

#3 When You Have a Soft 16, 17, or 18

This is a pretty obvious reason to double down. A soft 16, 17 or 18, means that you have an Ace, which is flexible. It can serve as an “11” or “1” in point value, meaning that even if you hit another “10” value card on your next draw, you can quickly make this work for you, using the Ace for its “1” point value.

This way you can be very flexible and put pressure on the dealer, by having more cards added to your hand while taking advantage of the strong cards you have.

When Not to Double Down

There are also good pieces of advice to keep in mind when looking to know when to not double down in a game of blackjack. Here are three common stratagems to consider incorporating into your own gameplay.

#1 The Dealer Has an Ace

If the dealer has an ace, you will not want to play against them. Even if you hit a blackjack at the same time, the dealer’s blackjack will trump yours, forfeiting your bet right away. Going up with a double down against a dealer’s ace is very risky, and we strongly recommend not doing this.

#2 When You Have More Than 11-Point Hand Value

If you already have an 11-point hand value, you might want to skip doubling down. The thing is, if you have a 12-point hand and hit, you might get a face card, worth 10 points, busting your hand and forfeiting the round. You can still win with more than an 11-point hand, but it may be better to take it easy and not risk too much money on it.

#3 Not Sure What Whether to Double Down – Don’t

If you are not sure whether you should double down in a round of blackjack, you should not. If you are not able to assess the situation, this means that you will be betting at a disadvantage. The simplest thing to do in this case is to refrain from risking more money than you have already staked.

How to Double Down Like a Pro?  

If you want to make the most out of your experience playing blackjack, particularly using the “doubling down” part of the game, you will want to know a thing or two about how most advanced players play the game.

For starters, there are some casino-specific rules you need to internalize. First off, you may not be able to follow all the three do’s we have listed here. Some casinos will only allow you to double down if you have 10 or 11 as the total value.

This rule is casino-specific and applies to both online and land-based casinos. The next thing to mind is when the dealer would stop hitting. Is it at 16 or 17? This matters, because the higher they hit, the more likely they are to bust and forfeit the round.

The casinos play based on optimal strategy. Yet, if you see a dealer showing an Ace and checking this means that they do not have a blackjack but might have reached the prescribed table limit – so a value of 16 or 17.

You can use this to try and assess how much of a risk you would be taking in any given case. Overall, the best way to go about your blackjack game is to get a cheat sheet – which is perfectly legal and will tell you what the statistically best moves are.

Still, keep in mind that the cheat sheet may need to be calibrated for the casino’s specific rules – such as when you are allowed to double down.

How to Show the Dealer You Want to Double Down?

When you play online, you will notice that there is no need to know the specific casino etiquette, but if you do end up playing on a real casino floor, you need to know how to tell the dealer that you are doubling down.

Simply push the chips equal to the value of your current bet onto the table and extend a finger because you will receive a single card extra after doubling down. You can’t get any more cards when you double down.

Some casinos may have different etiquette, and dealers are generally open to quickly teaching you the ropes, so if the dealer is asking what you were after, just tell them and they will tell you what the correct hand gesture at their casino or table is.

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