The whole reason for learning basic strategy is to reduce the house advantage. Strict adherence to the basic strategy will diminish the house advantage down to less than 1%. Before you sit down at any blackjack table, make sure that you know and understand all the rules of basic strategy. Perfect execution of the basic strategy over a period of time will decrease the advantage of the house to the extent that you can play a fair game with the casino.

One major advantage that all blackjack players have is that the dealer has to hit until he gets at least 17. Knowing half the dealer’s hand provides you an added advantage that allows you to act exactly in accordance to the rules of basic strategy. In the game of blackjack, all you can hope for is to reduce the house advantage as much as possible and you can do that by making decisions according to the basic strategy which is mathematically formulated to make the dealer bust more. In blackjack, the course of actions taken by the players has a direct effect on the dealer’s hand, and if you know how to use the basic strategy to your advantage, the dealer can only depend on luck to beat you.

Deciding not to follow basic strategy is dangerous and costly. If you don’t pay attention to the dealer’s upcard, you could play at a full disadvantage and bust every single hand. Basic strategy is based on the dealer’s visible card, as well as the cards in your hand, which is why you’re able to gain such an advantage using this strategy. Your actions are contingent upon the dealer’s upcard in addition to your card total, so if you plan to disregard the dealer’s card you should just hand over your money and save your time.

A good blackjack player will follow basic strategy perfectly to minimize the advantage of the house. Although following basic strategy will reduce the house advantage over time, it is not guaranteed that each time you play you will win with this strategy. However, following basic strategy is more likely to produce positive results in your favor than if you choose not to follow the strategy. The key is consistency; don’t just play the basic strategy when you feel like it. Each time you sit at a blackjack table, use the strategy perfectly. The only way to stand a chance of the odds leaning in your favor is to follow the basic strategy exactly as it is.

Another part of basic strategy that is likely to reduce the house odds is your option to double down. Doubling your bet is advantageous because you have that option and the house does not. The basic strategy chart lets you know what hands are likely to give you an advantage over the house if you double your bet. For example, if your first two cards total 9 and the dealer has a 3 showing, you should double your bet because the chances are high that the dealer will bust when he’s forced to hit in the hope of the getting at least a 17. This is a perfect illustration of how following basic blackjack strategy can help your game by reducing the house advantage.