Basic Strategy:
The most important thing for any Blackjack player to learn is Basic Strategy. Basic Strategy tells you the best way to play every situation. It doesn't gauruntee you will win more hands or even money but it increases your chances. Typically you should win about half of your hands when you use basic strategy. It won't feel like it though there will be a lot of ups and downs. This can mean that you start with say $100 dollars and a hour later your down to $10 dollars then the next hour your up to $200 dollars. It works like that but statisticaly, in the long run you would almost break even.
Use the chart below to figure out what the best thing to do for any hand would be:
Key to Chart:
- H - Hit
- S - Stand
- D - Double if allowed, otherwise hit
- Ds - Double if allowed, otherwise stand
- P - Split
- H/P - Split if allowed to double after a split, otherwise hit
- H/R - Surrender if allowed, otherwise hit
Basic strategy varies with different amounts of decks, different rules, etc. For more charts for different games go here(coming soon).
In my opinion the best way to learn Basic Strategy is by using it. With practice you should be able to master basic strategy in less than a week. There is a tutorial like simulator game on the web that I have used and found to be very effective at teaching Basic Strategy.
I suggest you visit www.hitorstand.net for an excellent sim that will teach you Basic Strategy in no time.