"Doubling Down" is a betting option available to you when playing Blackjack, it is similar to hitting a hand in as much as you will receive an additional card but you will be charged an additional amount equal to your initial wager for the privilege.
This means you are, in effect, doubling your initial wager and thus you should ensure that you only Double Down when you are in a good position, if you are new to playing Blackjack then you will find our Strategy Cards invaluable, as they will show you the correct move to make, no matter what you or the dealer are holding.
Not all Blackjack variants will allow you to Double Down, so it pays to ensure you are fully aware of the game play rules of the Blackjack game you are playing, as by doing so you always are one step ahead.
These rules will let you know whether you can Double Down at all, and if so you will find that the most common rules pertaining to Double Down are that you can either
double down on any first two cards, or on a 9, 10 or 11 valued hand.
When to Double Down
Now, you mustn't fall into the trap of thinking that Doubling Down is a surefire way of winning twice as quickly, as there are only a few circumstances when making this move is the correct strategy, and often those moves are simple to recognize, below are the most common Double Down situations you will come across.
If you get dealt a hand totaling eleven then it is a very good move to double down, no matter what the dealer is showing even if he is holding an Ace. Should the Blackjack game
be a dealer peeks game then you will already know he isn't holding a Blackjack hand.
So always remember that in the majority of cases you should always double down you hand when you have eleven as you have a very good chance of winning that hand.
Another time when you should double down is when you have a pair of fives, a common mistake new players will make is to split them but the correct move to make is that
you should double down this hand unless the dealer is holding a Ten or an Ace.
If you have been dealt a hand that totals nine in value, then you should take a look at the dealers up card and then double down this nine when the dealer is holding a 2, 3, 4, 5 or a 6, if you are playing a single deck Blackjack variant.
Make sure though that you always have enough bankroll in reserve to enable you to Double Down, as there can be no worse feeling knowing you should Double Down your hand but you not having enough left to make this move!
Practice Makes Perfect
If you wish to practice playing Blackjack then first grab yourself one of our Strategy Cards and head over to our
free play Blackjack games section, where you can play any of our flash powered games completely free of charge, and these will allow you to hone in your Blackjack skills at no risk to your own funds.
