In Blackjack, doubling down is one strategy to win big! Referred to as “reaching deep” by dealers, doubling down is a way of making twice as much profit. However, if the cards are not played right, it is sure way of losing all your bet.

Doubling Down Explained

 
A player makes a bet before being dealt his cards. After he has been dealt his first two cards, he is given the option to double his initial bet. If he does, he will be dealt only one additional card after doubling down. The additional bet is placed next to the original bet in the betting box.

Object of the Game

 
…Is to beat the dealer, of course. One does not double down just for the sake of it. Considering the fact that the highest score in Blackjack is 21 and that there are 16 cards with the value of 10 in a single deck, doubling down is statistically practicable if a player’s first two cards have a sum of 10 or 11. Who knows? The next (and last) dealt card could be any of the 16 10-value cards. It is also a good idea to double down when a player gets an 11 even if the dealer has an ace.

If the dealer gets a 5 or 6 and a player gets a 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 and an ace, doubling down is highly recommended. The premise is that the there are still more cards left in the deck that can help the player instead of disadvantaging him.

Not Quite Complicated

 
The basic rules in doubling down are quite simple but expert player strategies behind doubling down gets more complicated. There are players who double down when their first two cards’ sum is 9 and the dealer’s hand is any number except 10. However, blackjack aficionados claim that this strategy will cost them money over the course of time. They say it’s more feasible to double down on a 9 when the dealer’s hand is a 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6.

There are players who will stand on their initial bet if they receive two 5s as compared to the dealer’s 6 or 5. What they do is split the cards and play them as separate hands. This is a bad idea as it is better to consider the two 5s like a regular 10 then double down.

Conclusion

 
Doubling down is one great strategy to increase one’s winnings in blackjack. However, the opportunity to play that hand is not very common. But when the odds are up, it is best to grab the opportunity and hope to win.