Looking down at your own cards might seem like the natural thing to do at the Unibet blackjack table, but by doing this you actually run the risk of costing yourself a lot of money. The reason for this is that in order to make profitable decisions you need to know what card the dealer has in front of them.

Why would you need to know that you may be asking? The main reason is that the dealer’s relative strength will determine whether you stand, hit, double or split yours. Indeed, some interesting scenarios can occur with hands you’d not expect when you consider the dealer’s card.

For example, if you held a total of 17 but saw the dealer was holding a ten, you should strongly consider hitting. While on first inspection of your own total this may seem crazy, the reality of the situation is that you are likely to find the dealer will make a stronger total than yours.

Alternatively, consider a scenario where you have a relatively weak starting total of 13. IN this case you’d normally expect to be hitting your hand. However, value is relative if you consider the dealer holding a 5. In this case the dealer is weak because they’re forced to draw to at least 17 before standing. Thus, because the dealer will have to take at least two cards from the deck they run a greater risk of busting than you do making a better total.

Both of these examples show the benefit of considering the dealer’s card and how it can push you into making seemingly counterintuitive decisions. Indeed, by only looking down you’ll not only expose yourself to unnecessary risk at times, but you’ll miss the entire flow of the game. Thus, if you want to improve your blackjack profits, remember: don’t look down.