Doubling down strategy

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The basic strategy in blackjack, also known as the optimal strategy, consists of several components. One important component is the doubling down option. This article will examine the doubling down strategy. We will discuss when it is optimal to use this option and the math behind it. Once you learn to master the doubling down strategy, it can potentially reduce the house’s edge by 1.43 percent.
Many players in Canada and elsewhere mainly focus on doubling their best hands. While this is quite understandable and often a wise decision, sometimes this narrow approach can result in increased costs in the long term.
Why? The reason is quite simple. If you only focus on your strong hands, you risk missing out on potential earnings in situations where the dealer has a weak hand or there is a high probability that the house will go bust.
Read on for an illustration of when you should pick this option or not while playing blackjack. You will be able to practise this option at Mr Green once you feel more familiarized and comfortable using it.

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To double down or not? That is the question

Experienced Canadian players know that playing blackjack optimally means applying the optimal strategy, also known as the basic strategy in blackjack. When you play according to this optimal strategy, doubling down will be the third issue to consider - after the surrender strategy and the splitting pair options.
From a player’s point of view, it would be ideal if the doubling down option were always available. After all, you want to reduce the dealer’s edge as much as possible. However, players in Canada and elsewhere should be aware that doubling down is not always available and depends on the following factors:

  • the hand – option cannot be used with all hands
  • the table – different blackjack tables have a different set of rules
  • card decks – the number in use can affect gameplay and odds

In addition, as a player, you should know that the doubling down option is normally only applicable to the first two cards. However, there are cases where this option could still be used even after the decision of pair splitting has been made.
Note that the doubling down strategy is normally not possible once you have requested a new card for your hand.
What does this option mean in practice? As the name suggests, doubling down means that you double your bet in the game. However, you do so at the expense of only being able to get one extra card for your evolving hand.
Let’s illustrate this with a simple example. If your original stake is CAD $1, you will then be able to bet an additional $1. However, it comes with the constraining price of only being able to ask for one more card.

Blackjack doubling down use
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When to apply the doubling down option

That usually depends on different factors such as:

  • the value of your hand
  • the value of the dealer’s card
  • the table rules applied
  • the number of card decks in use

From a mathematical point of view, it is usually correct to double down with the same hands regardless of the table rules and the number of card decks in use. However, as with many other games, there are always exceptions.
You can see in the tables below the specific hands for which doubling down is applicable. The decision also depends on the number of applied card decks, the dealer’s card, and the table rules. The far left column lists the player’s hands. In the other columns, you can see when it’s mathematically optimal – on account of the dealer’s cards – to double down.
S17 means that the dealer must always stand on soft 17. H17 stands for dealer hits on soft 17.
We want to stress that whether doubling down after a split is allowed or not will not have an impact on when it is mathematically optimal to choose this option. As with most games, there are exceptions. In this case, the exception is the hand 4 – 4 and the game is played with only one card deck. In such a scenario, doubling down will only be optimal when it is allowed after a split. In all other cases, the specific hand should be split and transformed into two pairs.

Decks: 1
Table rules: S17 & H17

Dealer’s card
Your starting hand 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
9 D D
10 D D D D D D D D
11 D D D D D D D D D D
A – 2 D D D
A – 3 D D D
A – 4 D D D
A – 5 D D D
A – 6 D D D D D
A – 7 D D D D
A – 8 D
4 – 4 D(*) D(*)
5 – 5 D D D D D D D D
D = Double down
(*) = Only when doubling down after split is not allowed

Decks: 2
Table rules: S17

Dealer’s card
Your starting hand 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
9 D D D D D
10 D D D D D D D D
11 D D D D D D D D D D
A – 2 D D
A – 3 D D D
A – 4 D D D
A – 5 D D D
A – 6 D D D D
A – 7 D D D D
5 – 5 D D D D D D D D
D = Double down

Decks: 2
Table rules: H17

Dealer’s card
Your starting hand 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
9 D D D D D
10 D D D D D D D D
11 D D D D D D D D D D
A – 2 D D
A – 3 D D D
A – 4 D D D
A – 5 D D D
A – 6 D D D D
A – 7 D D D D D
A – 8 D
5 – 5 D D D D D D D D
D = Double down

Decks: 4/6/8
Table rules: S17

Dealer’s card
Your starting hand 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
9 D D D D
10 D D D D D D D D
11 D D D D D D D D D
A – 2 D D
A – 3 D D
A – 4 D D D
A – 5 D D D
A – 6 D D D D
A – 7 D D D D
5 – 5 D D D D D D D D
D = Double down

Decks: 4/6/8
Table rules: H17

Dealer’s card
Your starting hand 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
9 D D D D
10 D D D D D D D D
11 D D D D D D D D D D
A – 2 D D
A – 3 D D
A – 4 D D D
A – 5 D D D
A – 6 D D D D
A – 7 D D D D D
A – 8 D
5 – 5 D D D D D D D D
D = Double down

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Doubling down gives you an edge in the long run

Success in blackjack in general is closely linked with timing. This is also true of doubling down. The strategy can be very good for your odds if you follow the mathematical logic behind it. The goal of doubling down is to shrink the dealer’s edge by up to 1.43 percent.
Many players in Canada and elsewhere around the world, mistakenly think that doubling down is only good when you have a strong hand. However, this option can also be useful when the dealer has a weak hand, for instance with cards like 5 or 6.
While attractive, doubling down slightly reduces the player’s winning chances with a specific hand. The player is only allowed to hit one more card when doubling down. So why choose it? The placed extra bet will still give the player an edge over an extended time period.
Still confused? Let’s illustrate.
A player gets the cards 6 – 3, to produce a hand value of 9. At the same time, the dealer receives a 5. In this situation, the player will statistically win 59 percent and lose 41 percent of all play rounds. Let us further assume that the player repeats this by playing 100 hands and bets $1 for each hand. This will produce an average net profit of $18 ($59 – $41)
If the player chooses to double down, they lower their winning chances from 59 percent to 57 percent. However, the doubling-down option will still be worthwhile in the long term.
Doubling down over 100 hands played produces an average profit of $114 ($2 x 57 winning hands). However, you also need to adjust for the fact that there will be losses with 43 losing hands. Since the player is doubling down on these hands as well, the average loss for the player will be $86 ($2 x 43 losing hands). The net result will be a profit of $28 ($114 – $86).
That’s $10 more when choosing the doubling down strategy compared to not doing so. In sum, the doubling down strategy is an attractive component that can help players to maximize their long-term winnings.

Blackjack doubling down math

Concluding remarks

The optimal blackjack strategy often favours defence approaches such as surrender. This is usually the case when the dealer has a very strong hand and enjoys a high probability of winning the game.
On the other hand, doubling down is an offensive component of the optimal strategy. This strategy essentially helps the player maximize his or her profits by doubling the stake at mathematically advantageous times. While many players usually use this strategy when they have strong hands, doubling down could also be helpful when facing a dealer with a weak hand.
Doubling down slightly reduces the average winning chances because the rule is that the player is only allowed to ask for one additional card for his hand. All serious players should embrace the optimal strategy and only choose to double down when it is supported by the numbers.
The advantage of the doubling down strategy is that can help players maximize their profits while also reducing the dealer’s edge. You can practice the doubling down strategy at our live casino.

Blackjack doubling down conclusion
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