STRATEGY
The optimal strategy for Super Blackjack™ is simplified by the fact that there is no hitting; as such, there are no hard or soft hitting and standing tables. But at the same time, doubling strategy is made slightly more complex due to the addition of bet-sizing decisions (min-doubling vs. max-doubling), while the ability to split any two cards and surrender both introduce additional sets of strategic considerations.
That said, the game is essentially to bet the crap out of standard doubling situations, while using the ability to split any two cards in order to create more doubling situations – primarily when the dealer has a 2 through 8 showing – as well as to improve stronger stiff hands (generally containing either 9, 10, or A) primarily when the dealer has a 9 or 10 showing. Meanwhile, you can use the surrender option to save half your initial bet with weaker stiff hands primarily when the dealer has a 9, 10, or A showing.
The complete strategy for Super Blackjack™ was solved by Charles Mousseau of Total Gaming Science, and is based on an infinite deck model.
Before we get into specifics, let’s start with a few key tidbits:
The complete basic strategy for Super Blackjack™ follows. You'll notice that many of the strategy rules are repeated throughout, as the strategy is quite interactive. That said, though the correct strategy can technically be explained in fewer rules, it is best to cover strategy thoroughly, and category by category.
Hard Doubling and Standing
Max-doubling (4x) is the dominant play in Super Blackjack™, with the general goal of the game being either to make a max-double, or to split into a hand with which to make a max-double. On the first two cards, the player should bet the max (4x) on 9% of hands, while making a max-bet on 27% of hands overall (including after a split).
Note that doubling is always the dominant play with a 9, 10, or 11 – it is never correct to split those hands. It is also always correct to min-double (1x) on 8 vs. 7 or an 8.
However, max-doubling (4x) with an 8 vs. a 5 or 6 is only correct after a split, as the play is to split any 8 against a 5 or 6 on the first two cards. Similarly, it is only correct to min-double (1x) with 8 vs. 2-4 and on 7 vs. 6 after a split – the play will be to split these hands on the first two cards.
Soft Doubling and Splitting
The ace is an extremely strong card in blackjack, and even stronger in Super Blackjack™ due to the ability to split any two cards.
Against a dealer 4-6, for example, it is correct to max-double (4x) on any soft hand after a split – this includes soft 20 and soft 21. So let’s say you have A,7 vs. a 6 and split; drawing another ace to your ace will yield a re-splitting opportunity, while drawing any other card will yield a max-doubling hand – there are no bad cards you can draw to an ace against a 4, 5, or 6. Drawing a 2, 3, 4 or an ace to the seven will yield a second max-doubling opportunity, while drawing another 7 yields a re-splitting opportunity. Meanwhile, even drawing a stiff hand to the seven isn’t hopeless situation, as the dealer will bust 42.3% of the time.
On the first two cards, splitting takes precedence over soft doubling. Thus, we need to breakdown soft-hand decisions into two categories: Soft doubling/splitting decisions on the first two cards, and soft doubling/standing decisions after a split.
On the first two cards:
After the split:
Pair Splitting and Re-Splitting
Here’s the correct pair splitting strategy:
Splitting: Non-Pairs (First Two Cards Only)
As noted before, it’s correct to split the first two cards on 51% of hands. Not only does this mean you should be splitting quite often, but it also means that knowing the correct non-pair splitting strategy is crucial.
Non-pair splitting can be split into three basic categories based on the dealer’s up card. In fact, it’s easier to begin each category by listing the hands you don’t split.
But first, a few rules:
More specifically…
Versus a dealer 2 through 6:
Versus a dealer 7 or 8:
Versus a dealer 9, 10, or Ace:
Surrender
It is correct to use the surrender option on 13% of hands, which is not terribly frequent, yet much more often than one would use the surrender option in regular blackjack (in the rare instance the option is even available).
By now, the complete surrender strategy has been covered in the previous sections, but we'll put it all in one place here for easy reference. Note that it is only correct to surrender against an 8, 9, 10, or A. Also note that you are surrendering very few hands against an 8 (hard 7 or less, plus 66), while surrendering the majority of the time against an ace (hard 9 or less, hard 12-17, and soft 17 or less).
The only hands you don't surrender against an ace are hard 10 and 11, and any hand total 18 and up.
Surrender Strategy
That said, the game is essentially to bet the crap out of standard doubling situations, while using the ability to split any two cards in order to create more doubling situations – primarily when the dealer has a 2 through 8 showing – as well as to improve stronger stiff hands (generally containing either 9, 10, or A) primarily when the dealer has a 9 or 10 showing. Meanwhile, you can use the surrender option to save half your initial bet with weaker stiff hands primarily when the dealer has a 9, 10, or A showing.
The complete strategy for Super Blackjack™ was solved by Charles Mousseau of Total Gaming Science, and is based on an infinite deck model.
Before we get into specifics, let’s start with a few key tidbits:
- The player should never bust. As such, it is never correct to double down on hard 12 or higher. The play with a stiff hand will either be to split or stand on the first two cards (or often surrender against higher dealer up cards), and stand if you draw a stiff hand after a split – and pray the dealer busts.
- For the most part, if it’s correct to double down in regular blackjack, it’s going to be correct to bet the max and double for 4x in Super Blackjack™.
- It is correct to split the first two cards on 51% of hands, which means you will be splitting a lot.
- It is never correct to split with a 9, 10, or 11.
- When the dealer has a 2 through 8 showing, if you’re not max-doubling (4x) you are most often splitting on the first two cards.
The complete basic strategy for Super Blackjack™ follows. You'll notice that many of the strategy rules are repeated throughout, as the strategy is quite interactive. That said, though the correct strategy can technically be explained in fewer rules, it is best to cover strategy thoroughly, and category by category.
Hard Doubling and Standing
Max-doubling (4x) is the dominant play in Super Blackjack™, with the general goal of the game being either to make a max-double, or to split into a hand with which to make a max-double. On the first two cards, the player should bet the max (4x) on 9% of hands, while making a max-bet on 27% of hands overall (including after a split).
- Bet the max (4x) and double on any 11
- Max-double (4x) on 10 vs. 9 or less, and min-double (1x) on 10 vs. a 10 or A
- Max-double (4x) on 9 vs. 7 or less, and min-double (1x) on 9 vs. 8 or 9; surrender on 9 vs. 10 or A (min-double if after split).
- Surrender on hard 8 or less vs. 9, 10, or A
- Surrender on hard 7 or less vs. 8.
- On first two cards, split 8 vs. 2-6, and min-double (1x) on 8 vs. 7 or 8
- After split, max-double on 8 vs. 5 and 6, and min-double (1x) vs. 2-4, as well as 7 or 8
- Split hard 7 or less vs. 2-7 on the first two cards, and stand after a split (except 7 vs. 6)
- After split, min-double (1x) 7 vs. 6
- Never double on hard 12 and up; after split, always stand on hard 12 and up
Note that doubling is always the dominant play with a 9, 10, or 11 – it is never correct to split those hands. It is also always correct to min-double (1x) on 8 vs. 7 or an 8.
However, max-doubling (4x) with an 8 vs. a 5 or 6 is only correct after a split, as the play is to split any 8 against a 5 or 6 on the first two cards. Similarly, it is only correct to min-double (1x) with 8 vs. 2-4 and on 7 vs. 6 after a split – the play will be to split these hands on the first two cards.
Soft Doubling and Splitting
The ace is an extremely strong card in blackjack, and even stronger in Super Blackjack™ due to the ability to split any two cards.
Against a dealer 4-6, for example, it is correct to max-double (4x) on any soft hand after a split – this includes soft 20 and soft 21. So let’s say you have A,7 vs. a 6 and split; drawing another ace to your ace will yield a re-splitting opportunity, while drawing any other card will yield a max-doubling hand – there are no bad cards you can draw to an ace against a 4, 5, or 6. Drawing a 2, 3, 4 or an ace to the seven will yield a second max-doubling opportunity, while drawing another 7 yields a re-splitting opportunity. Meanwhile, even drawing a stiff hand to the seven isn’t hopeless situation, as the dealer will bust 42.3% of the time.
On the first two cards, splitting takes precedence over soft doubling. Thus, we need to breakdown soft-hand decisions into two categories: Soft doubling/splitting decisions on the first two cards, and soft doubling/standing decisions after a split.
On the first two cards:
- Versus 2 through 6: Max-double (4x) with soft 20; split soft 19 or less.
- Versus 7: Max-double (4x) on soft 18-20; split soft 17 or less.
- Versus 8, 9, or 10: Stand on soft 19 and 20, split soft 18 or less.
- Against an Ace: Stand on soft 19 and 20; split soft 18 and surrender soft 17 or less.
After the split:
- Soft 18 through 21: Max-double (4x) against a dealer 2 through 7; stand vs. a dealer 8 or higher
- Soft 17: Max-double (4x) vs. 3 through 6; min-double vs. 2, 7, 8, or 9; stand vs. 10 or Ace
- Soft 13 through 16: Max-double (4x) vs. 4-6; min-double (1x) vs. 2, 3, and 7 or higher
Pair Splitting and Re-Splitting
Here’s the correct pair splitting strategy:
- Always split AA
- Never split 10s or 5s
- Split 88 vs. 9 or less; surrender against 10 or A
- Split 99 against 2-6 and 8-9; stand against a 7, 10, or A
- Split 77 vs. 2-8; surrender vs. 9, 10, or A
- With 22, 33, and 66 split against 2-7, and surrender vs. 8 and higher
- With 44, split against 2-6, min-double (1x) against 7 and 8, and surrender against 9-A
- Re-split any pair you would split with
Splitting: Non-Pairs (First Two Cards Only)
As noted before, it’s correct to split the first two cards on 51% of hands. Not only does this mean you should be splitting quite often, but it also means that knowing the correct non-pair splitting strategy is crucial.
Non-pair splitting can be split into three basic categories based on the dealer’s up card. In fact, it’s easier to begin each category by listing the hands you don’t split.
But first, a few rules:
- Cardinal Rule: Never split 9, 10, 11, or either soft or hard 20
- Split hard 19 vs. dealer 3 through 6, but stand against any other up card
- Split hard 18, except stand on hard 18 vs. 10 and specifically 99 vs. 7, 10, or A
- When the dealer has a 9, 10, or A showing, it’s never correct to split a hand that doesn’t contain a 9, 10, or A
More specifically…
Versus a dealer 2 through 6:
- Stand on hard 20 and max-double (4x) with soft 20
- Split all hard or soft 19 or less, except stand on hard 19 vs. 2.
Versus a dealer 7 or 8:
- Min-double (1x) with 8 against 7 or 8
- Stand on hard 19 and 20
- Max-double (4x) on soft 18-20 against a 7
- Stand on soft 18-20 against an 8
- Split all hard or soft 17 or less, except surrender hard 7 or less and specifically 66 against an 8.
Versus a dealer 9, 10, or Ace:
- Stand on any 19 or 20
- Surrender hard 8 or less vs. 9, and hard 9 or less vs. a 10 or A.
- Versus 9: Split hard 12-18 and soft 13-18, except surrender any hard hand 12-15 that does not contain a 9 or 10.
- Versus 10: Split hard 12-17 (stand on hard 18) and soft 13-18, except surrender any hard hand 12-16 that does not contain a 10.
- Versus Ace: Split soft 18 and hard 18, except stand on 99; surrender soft 17 or less and any hard 17 or less, except hard 10 (min-double 1x) and 11 (max-double 4x)
Surrender
It is correct to use the surrender option on 13% of hands, which is not terribly frequent, yet much more often than one would use the surrender option in regular blackjack (in the rare instance the option is even available).
By now, the complete surrender strategy has been covered in the previous sections, but we'll put it all in one place here for easy reference. Note that it is only correct to surrender against an 8, 9, 10, or A. Also note that you are surrendering very few hands against an 8 (hard 7 or less, plus 66), while surrendering the majority of the time against an ace (hard 9 or less, hard 12-17, and soft 17 or less).
The only hands you don't surrender against an ace are hard 10 and 11, and any hand total 18 and up.
Surrender Strategy
Dealer Up Card
A 10 9 8 |
Surrender
Hard 9 or less, hard 12-17, soft 13-17 Hard 9 or less, plus any hard 12-16 not containing a 10 (split) Hard 8 or less, plus any hard 12-15 not containing a 9 or 10 (split) Hard 7 or less, plus 66 |