A fundamental approach to Doubling in Blackjack

Hitting and standing are the two fundamental choices a player has when playing an online casino game of blackjack but most people do not actually know if they should be doubling or when to do so.

Doubling adds some amazing dynamics to the game of blackjack and here we will look at what you should be searching for when making the decision as to when to double and how to ignore the popular doubling errors that people make when playing blackjack.

In any hand in a game of blackjack you will either have an advantage or disadvantage that can be indicated as a percentage of your bet. For instance, if you have placed a $10 bet with a 5% advantage you will be up $.50. If you double the amount of your bet you will effectively be doubling your total advantage in the currency you play in. The opposite nevertheless is also true – if you are at a disadvantage and double when the case does not require you to, you are in essence, throwing your money away.

During a game of blackjack if you can hit once and gain an advantage over the dealer then you should double if you can not split cards for an raised advantage, even though this rarely occurs. So how do you ascertain whether or not you really have the advantage? There are two aspects which play a part in this type of online casino game:

1. The dealer's face up card
2. Your hand

By studying what the dealer has in comparison to what you hold you can determine whether hitting once is a good and potentially profitable idea or not. If it is then you should always double and if it is not do not and play the hand out.

For instance, if you are holding a hard 11 then you are in a solid position to double. If nevertheless you have got a soft 14 which is a strong hand, you may not have the advantage if you hit only once. Look at the dealer's cards and only if he/she has weak cards (four, five, and six) then you may consider doubling, if nevertheless the dealer has stronger cards, it is better to play it safe.

This may sound like a very simple approach and it is, the problem is that most people just do not realize how simple the decision to double should be, they get caught up in complex blackjack systems and tips and start to doubt themselves. So if you are a nervous player or are in doubt when it comes to doubling in online casino blackjack, rather stick to this basic doubling method as it will help you to avoid mistakes which could be costly.