No matter what game you’re playing, if there are strategies or guidelines to follow that will make you more money or reduce the amount of money you lose per turn, you’d be crazy not to take advantage of it. With games like Euro Blackjack, where the house edge is smaller, utilizing proper European Blackjack strategy is key.
The money you keep all adds up; it has a compounding effect, too. In other words, the more money you keep the more hands of blackjack you can play. The more hands you play the more VIP or comp points you receiving, eventually leading to free or heavily discounted meals, rooms, cash back and other incentives. Anyway, I think you get the point.
Now, there isn’t a ton of strategy to European Blackjack. So instead of just giving you a chart and telling you to have at it, what I wanted to do is compare European Blackjack to American Blackjack so that you can see the differences in the strategies you should use.
If you already know the strategy for American Blackjack then that’ll make learning the strategies for European Blackjack that much easier.
European Blackjack vs. American Blackjack – Difference in Strategies
Below I’ve listed each of the strategies for European Blackjack in red, and the strategies for American Blackjack in blue.
Strategy for Hard Blackjack Hands
Hard hands mean that the hand does not consist of an ace.
- European Blackjack: Player 5 to 8 vs. Dealer 2 to A = Hit
- American Blackjack: Player 4 to 8 vs. Dealer 2 to A = Hit
- European Blackjack: Player 9 vs. Dealer 3 to 6 = Double Down
- American Blackjack: Player 9 vs. Dealer 2 to 6 = Double Down
- Versus other dealer hands player should hit.
- European Blackjack: Player 10 or 11 vs. Dealer 2 to 9 = Double Down
- American Blackjack: Player 10 or 11 vs. Any Smaller Dealer Card = Double Down
- Versus a Dealer T or A players should just hit.
- European Blackjack: Player 12 vs. Dealer 4 to 6 = Stand
- European Blackjack: Player 13 to 16 vs. Dealer 2 to 6 = Stand
- American Blackjack: Player 12 to 16 vs. Dealer 2 to 6 = Stand
- Versus Dealer 7 to A players should just hit.
- European Blackjack: Player 17 to 21 vs. Dealer 2 to A = Stand
- American Blackjack: Player 17 to 21 vs. Dealer 2 to A = Stand
Strategy for Soft Blackjack Hands
Soft hands mean that the hands consist of an ace.
- European Blackjack: Player 13 to 17 vs. Dealer 2 to A = Hit
- American Blackjack: Player 13 to 15 vs. Dealer 2 to A = Hit
- European Blackjack: Player 18 vs. Dealer 2 to 8 = Stand, 9 to A = Hit
- American Blackjack: Player 16 to 18 vs. Dealer 2 to 6 = Double Down, 7 to A = Hit
- European Blackjack: Player 19 to 21 vs. Dealer 2 to A = Stand
- American Blackjack: Player 19 to 21 vs. Dealer 2 to A = Stand
Strategy for Blackjack Pairs
- European Blackjack: Player 22 to 33 vs. Dealer 2 to 7 = Split, 8 to A = Hit
- American Blackjack: Player 22, 33, 66, 77, 99 vs. Dealer 2 to 6 = Split, 7 to A = Hit/Stand
- European Blackjack: Player 44 vs. Dealer 5 to 6 = Split, 2 to 4 and 7 to A = Hit
- American Blackjack: Player 44, 55, TT vs. Dealer 2 to A = Hit/Stand
- European Blackjack: Player 55 vs. Dealer 2 to 9 = Split, 10 to A = Hit
- European Blackjack: Player 66 vs. Dealer 2 to 6 = Split, 7 to A = Hit
- European Blackjack: Player 77 vs. Dealer 2 to 7 = Split, 8 to A = Hit
- European Blackjack: Player 88 vs. Dealer 2 to 9 = Split, 10 to A = Hit
- American Blackjack: Player 88 vs. Dealer 2 to A = Split
- European Blackjack: Player 99 vs. Dealer 2 to 6 and 8 to 9 = Split, 7 and 10 to A = Stand
- European Blackjack: Player 1010 vs. Dealer 2 to A = Stand
- European Blackjack: Player AA vs. Dealer 2 to 1010 = Split, A = Hit
- American Blackjack: Player AA vs. Dealer 2 to A = Split