No Bust Blackjack Rules
Blackjack has been around for a very long time. This has led to many strategies and superstitions forming when it comes to playing the game.
One of these out-there strategies is called No Bust Blackjack. Today, we will explore this strategy to determine whether it works or not!
How Does No Bust Blackjack Work?
- The dealer will continue drawing cards from the deck until the house hand has at least 17 points, or until it goes bust by going over 21. If the dealer has 17 points off the deal without an Ace, most blackjack rules say the dealer will stand, even if a 21 player has a higher total.
- For example, the basic strategy tells us to hit on a twelve if the dealer has any number that is not a four, five, or six. Following No Bust Blackjack, we would stand on all twelves, which would lead to needless losses. However, some players have different variations of the No Bust Blackjack strategy.
If you and the dealer both get Blackjack, it is a push and no chips are given or taken away. If you have a higher total than the dealer (or the dealer busts), the dealer matches the amount of your chips. If you have a lower total than the dealer (or you bust), the dealer takes your chips. Was this answer helpful?
The goal of this strategy is to only play wagers that will not result in your busting. This means that if your two cards are eleven or less, you will always hit. However, if you get to twelve or any number higher than that, you will always stand. This way, you cannot draw a card that will cause you to bust.
Does it Work?
Of course not! This strategy severely limits your options, and even contradicts the basic blackjack strategy in several aspects. For example, the basic strategy tells us to hit on a twelve if the dealer has any number that is not a four, five, or six. Following No Bust Blackjack, we would stand on all twelves, which would lead to needless losses.
However, some players have different variations of the No Bust Blackjack strategy. For example, there are players who do not draw the line at twelve, but sixteen instead. At first glance, it can seem like this makes sense. After all, hitting on a sixteen surely will result in a bust more often?
There are times when you want to stand on a sixteen, and that is if the dealer’s up card is between two and six. In all other circumstances, you want to hit. The reason is obvious when you break down the math. The only way for a player who decided to stand on a sixteen to win is if a dealer busts. However, the dealer will only bust in 21.21% of the cases.
Furthermore, the strategy breaks down even further when we start considering smaller numbers. For a fifteen, playing the no bust strategy will have the dealer bust in 33.15% of the cases. This results in a 66.85% chance of losing that particular round. In contrast, hitting the fifteen gives you a 58.58% chance of busting your hand. The odds are stacked against you either way. However, simply taking the risk improves your chance of scoring a win by almost 10%!
What Should I Play Instead?
If you are just starting out, our advice is simple. First, master the basic blackjack strategy. There is a reason why any experienced blackjack player recommends this. That strategy was devised using nothing but math! Some very smart people crunched the numbers and determined the best possible move for each combination of cards. It takes a while to learn, but it is more than worth it in the end!
Another thing we recommend is going through our winning in blackjack tips. These are not nearly as important as learning the basic blackjack strategy is. All the same, they are things you want to become part of your playing habits at some point.
Checking the house edge for variants and knowing when to play side bets is integral to becoming a blackjack pro!
There exist enormous variations in Blackjack rules, but some of commonto nearly all casinos. The popularity of casino Blackjack has increasedgreatly over the last thirty years since it was discovered that this isthe one of the few casino games that can be regularly beaten with expertplay. Despite this, the casinos have profited handsomely because veryfew players have the patience to practice sufficiently to beat the casinos.Interestingly, Blackjack also provides one of the greatest advantagesfor the casino when a bad player plays. This section contains a briefdescription of the basic casino Blackjack rules. For additional Blackjackrules see Blackjack Rule Variations.
No Bust Blackjack Rules Cheat
Blackjack Objective
A casino Blackjack game consists of a dealer and one to seven players.You do NOT play Blackjack against other players; You play against thedealer. In fact, other players are not relevant to your play. They aremainly a distraction. You are betting that you have a better hand thanthe dealer. The better hand is the hand where the sum of the card valuesis closer to 21 without exceeding 21. A hand that is greater than 21 isreferred to as 'busted' and automatically loses.
Card values
The value of cards two through ten is their pip value (two through ten).Face cards (Jack, Queen and King) are all worth ten. Aces can be worthone or eleven. A hand's value is the sum of the card values. Soft handsand hard hands exist. A soft hand contains an Ace that is being countedas eleven. (Remember, an Ace can count as one or eleven.) For example,if a hand has an Ace and a Six, this is a soft 17. This hand cannot bebusted by drawing another card. If a ten is drawn, the Ace would be countedas one instead of eleven, and the hand would still have a value of 17.However, this would now be a hard 17, because the Ace now counts as oneand an additional draw could cause a bust.
The Play
Once players have placed their bets, the deal begins. Players are eachdealt two cards, face up or down depending on the casino and the tableat which you sit. The dealer is also dealt two cards, normally one up(showing) and one down (hidden). The players are allowed to draw additionalcards ('hit' their hand) to improve their hands. When all ofthe players have finished, the dealer's hand is completed. The dealerplays by strict rules set by the casino. Generally, the dealer will drawadditional cards until the dealer hand is above hard 16. In some casinos,the dealer will hit a hand with 17 if it is a 'soft' hand. Thisis a bad Blcakjack rule.
Note: the dealer has an advantage because the players play first. Ifthe player busts, then the dealer does not need to risk a bust. On theother hand, players also enjoy an advantage because they get to see oneof the dealer's cards and are allowed to vary their play accordingly.Other player advantages will be explained below:
Blackjack or Natural
This Blackjack rule developed in the early part of last century definesa bonus for which the game was named. If the player's first two cardsadd to 21 (an Ace and a ten value card), this is called a 'Blackjack'or 'natural'. As long as the dealer does not also have a Blackjack,the player is guaranteed to win the hand and the payoff is 3:2 insteadof the normal 1:1. This is a valuable bonus that occurs about every 20hands. If the dealer also has a Blackjack, the hand is 'pushed'.That is, there is a tie and the player's chips remain in the bet box.
Hitting and Standing
Hitting refers to drawing additional cards. You may draw as many cardsas you wish as long as you do not pass 21. Standing refers to stayingwith the cards that you have.
Splitting Pairs
If your first two cards have the same value, you may split them intotwo hands. For example, two eights can be split into two hands each havingone eight. You can then play the two hands separately. You must add anadditional bet for the second hand. If you draw yet another card of thesame value, some casinos allow you to split into three hands (or evenfour with an additional eight). This is called a resplit. Most casinosimpose limitations when splitting two Aces. You can only draw one cardto each Ace, and you cannot get a Blackjack. Note: Blackjack rules likethis must be correctly used to obtain decent results.
Doubling Down
An additional option, 'double down', allows you to double yourbet on your first two cards. You draw exactly one card with double down.This is common practice if you have a good hand that cannot be bustedand the dealer has a bad hand. Remember, because face cards all countas ten, there exist more cards with a value of ten than any other value.If the dealer has a six showing, there is a good chance that the dealerhas a 16. Since a dealer must draw with a 16, there is a good chance thatthe dealer will draw a card that carries the dealer hand over 21 causinga dealer bust. If you have an eleven (say a seven and a four), you cannotbust with one card. You are likely to end up with a good hand. This optionallows you to double your bet when you have a better than even chanceof winning.
Insurance
Does No Bust Blackjack Work
If the dealer's up card (the card that is showing) is an Ace, you areallowed to make an 'insurance' bet. This is a side bet thatthe dealer has a ten-value card as the down card giving the dealer a Blackjack.The dealer will ask for insurance bets from all players before the firstplayer plays. You make this bet by placing chips equal to half of yourcurrent bet on the 'insurance line' just above your cards. Ifthe dealer has a ten, the insurance bet pays 2:1. In some casinos, thedealer then peeks at the down card and pays or takes the bet immediately.In other casinos, the payoff waits until the end of the play. Note: ThisBlackjack rule should never be used by a Basic Strategy player.
No Bust Blackjack Rules
Surrender
A few casinos allow an option referred to as 'Surrender'. Inthese casinos, you can Surrender a lousy hand before you have drawn anyadditional cards. You will lose half of your bet.
No Bust Blackjack Rules Pdf
For additional Blackjack rules see BlackjackVariations.