Learn Expert Strategy for Vegas Downtown Blackjack

Vegas Downtown Blackjack Strategy Charts

If you are an experienced blackjack player then you are no doubt familiar with basic strategy charts. It is not hard to understand the strategy chart for Vegas Downtown Blackjack and it will show you the mathematically optimal move. You simply look up your hand in the left column and then cross reference it with the dealer’s up card shown along the top. It then tells you whether to hit, stand, double, and so on.

The charts for Vegas Downtown Blackjack can be seen below:

With a little practise, these charts become very easy to use and many players find that they have them memorised in no time at all. Furthermore, it is entirely acceptable to take one with you into a casino.

However, some players prefer not to use them. If that is the case, there are five basic rules that you can memorise that will certainly help you along the way:

1. Always stand on hands worth 17 or more, do not split pairs of 10s, and stand on soft 20
2. Always double down on hands of 11, regardless of the dealer’s up card
3. Always split Aces
4. Always hit a pair of 5s if the dealer is showing a 10 or 11, otherwise double down. Do not split.
5. Never take insurance. The insurance side bet has a house edge of 6.8% making it highly unfavourable.

Vegas Downtown Blackjack Expert Tips

There is no real alternative to using the strategy chart if you want to maximise your chances of winning. However, blackjack strategy is not only about what decisions you make when playing a hand. A major component is bankroll management. You need to ensure that your bankroll lasts for your entire session and when planning this, it is always best to assume that you will lose your entire bankroll (although, hopefully you won’t).

A good way to achieve this is with a betting system. There are numerous betting systems that can be used when playing blackjack and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

The most famous betting system is the Martingale. It is easy to learn and use, and theoretically it should ensure that you always make a small profit. The system simply requires you to double your bet after a losing hand. For instance, if you bet €1 and lose then your next bet would be €2, then €4, then €8 and so on. When you win a hand, you will recoup your losses and then start again. The main disadvantage to this is that if you hit a losing streak, your bets will become very large very quickly. Your bankroll may not be able to sustain it and you may hit the table’s maximum betting limit.

An alternative system that will help you avoid this problem is the 1-3-2-6 betting system. The system takes its name from the order in which bets are placed, so once you’ve remembered the name you have pretty much mastered the system. You simply follow the sequence and only move on to the next number after a winning hand.

For example, if you take your basic bet to be €5 per hand. You bet €5 on the first hand and if you lose, then you bet the same on the next hand. However, if you win then you move along and place a bet of €15 (simply because €5 x 3 = €15). You follow this system until you lose a hand. For example, if you win the next hand then you would bet €10 and if you lose the next, then you go back to the start and bet €5 again. 

There are a few advantages to this system. Firstly, unlike the Martingale, if you hit a losing streak it should not drain your bankroll too much. Secondly, when you do win a hand, you should be able to quickly recover some of your losses.

There are many other blackjack betting systems that you can explore, such as the Fibonacci and the Reverse Martingale, and it is worth taking the time to explore them so that you can find the best one for you.

Hopefully, between the strategy charts above and a solid betting system, you will soon feel as if you have mastered Vegas Downtown Blackjack and can enjoy hours of fun playing it.