Blackjack has achieved prominence due to the tales of players who have won huge sums through counting cards. Making big money counting cards is more difficult than it looks. It is also extremely difficult, if not impossible to be successful counting cards online. However, there are strategies online blackjack players can employ that may improve their chances of winning.

Online Blackjack Strategy No. 1: Basic Strategy

First, online blackjack players should always have a basic strategy chart handy. This chart will tell a player the correct play to make in every situation.

There may be some variations from site to site, with respect to areas like number of virtual decks used, splitting options and what the dealer must do on soft 17. Make sure your chart calibrates to the rules of your particular online blackjack game before starting.

Online Blackjack Strategy No. 2: Avoid Insurance

The basic strategy chart does not necessarily cover the insurance bet and with good reason. You should always avoid insurance.

Insurance means you put up an additional half a bet when the dealer is showing an ace. If the dealer has blackjack, you win 2-to-1 on your insurance bet. You also lose your main bet, unless you have blackjack, in which case you get a 1-to-1 payout no matter what happens.

If the dealer does not have blackjack, you lose the insurance bet and play the hand normally. The odds of the dealer having blackjack are longer than 2-to-1 in every situation. You should never take this bet no matter how tempting it may look.

Online Blackjack Strategy No. 3: What About Counting?

The odds of successfully counting into a random number generator such as the ones online blackjack sites use are very slim, especially if you are playing a single-player game. You are better off simply applying proper strategy.

If you wish to try to keep track of how many ten point cards have been played, you are certainly welcome to do so. However, strategy adjustments based on this count are not guaranteed to give you any kind of advantage during your game.