The Biggest Doubling Mistakes That Players Make in Blackjack

Published: November 28, 2013

A lot of people who play blackjack are attracted to the strategy elements of the game. It involves more skill and more depth than any other casino game where you play against the house, and that's one of the main reasons why it has remained so popular with such a loyal following for so long. One of the main things that comes up in this game is when you should be aggressive and when you should slow down. Knowing how to use controlled aggression in blackjack is one of the key things that new players learn, and there's nothing more aggressive than doubling.

With that having been said, there are a lot of times when doubling is a pretty bad idea. Unfortunately, a lot of players don't realize this, and they keep right along doubling in unfavorable situations. The most common example of this is when players double with a ten when they are facing a dealer with an ace. The best play is actually to just hit since you are at a small disadvantage. Under other rule sets, there can be plenty of other situations where you shouldn't really be doubling.

Players tend to overestimate the value of certain soft hands. For example, a soft 14 isn't as strong as a soft 15, and a soft 15 isn't as strong as a soft 16. When you have a soft 13 or 14, you shouldn't actually be doubling unless you're facing a five or a six. However, many players double any soft total of 17 or lower whenever they're facing any dealer card that would be traditionally seen as weak. This is a big mistake that comes up a lot, and it's one that a surprising number of players tend to make several times in a session.

Another situation that comes up a lot in European blackjack is players doubling when facing a ten or ace at all. European blackjack is a variation of no-peek blackjack, and that means that the dealer doesn't peek for blackjack at the beginning of the hand. This creates a situation where the dealer is a lot stronger than normal when showing an ace or ten, so you should absolutely never double under any circumstances in this game when facing one of these two cards. If you do, then you are playing into the misunderstanding that the casinos count on to keep their advantage high in those games.