Online Blackjack

Blackjack is played with a standard 52-card deck, and it is a very simple game to learn. In the early 60s, blackjack games were played with a single deck. Nowadays, you will find games with various numbers of decks, including one, two, four, six, and eight. Six-deck blackjack is currently the most popular variation.

Although luck plays a major role, blackjack is considered to be a game of skill. The luck part ends with the cards you are dealt. You are lucky if you’re dealt a natural blackjack because then there will be no strategy involved in making your move.

While it’s all about the cards, skill is a key part of any game of blackjack. Namely, there are certain strategies blackjack players can utilize to increase their win ratio and minimize any potential losses.

The goal in blackjack is not to beat the other players at the table, like in poker, for example. Whether you’re playing in an online casino or with your friends at home, the goal is to beat the dealer.

To win at blackjack, you need to create card totals that are higher than those in the dealer’s hand, without going over 21. If you have a card total that exceeds 21, you have busted, and lost the pot, regardless of the dealer’s hand.

A typical round of blackjack begins with players placing their bets on the table. Every online casino has numerous blackjack tables with various betting limits.

Once the bets have been settled, the dealer will deal the cards, starting with the person on his or her left (if there are multiple players at the table). On the first deal, each player is dealt two cards, both face-down. The dealer deals two cards to him or herself, with one card being dealt face-up, and the other one face-down — the hole card.

Each player at the blackjack table is playing a separate game. So, basically, you shouldn’t care about what other players have, but rather try to predict what the dealer has.

When you are dealt the first two cards, you must determine whether you want to take another card. The key thing here is to have a good look at the dealer’s face-up card, and based on its value, try to determine what strategy you should be using in playing your own hand.

You are now presented with several options:

• Hit — ask for another card. You can carry on hitting until you have gone bust, or you can decide to stand at any given moment. In some casinos, dealers are required to stand when their hand is a soft 17.
• Stand — end your turn. That means that you don’t want to receive additional cards because you are confident that your hand is better than the dealer’s.
• Double down — double your original bet. You will then be dealt one more card. You should use this option only if you’re absolutely sure that your hand will beat the dealer’s.
• Surrender — give up your hand if you believe that you have little chance of winning. By surrendering, you will lose “only” half of your original stake. If the dealer has a natural blackjack, you can’t use this option.
• Split — this allows you to split the two initial cards into two separate hands. This option is offered only if the player receives two cards of the same value. Keep in mind that if you opt for this, you will need to double your bet because you’ll be playing two hands instead of one.
• Insurance — this is a special side bet that allows you to win even if the dealer has a blackjack. Insurance can only be used if the dealer’s face-up card is an ace. If the dealer turns out to have 21, the insurance bet is paid 2:1.

If you get a natural (the first two cards are an ace and a ten-card), and the dealer does not, then you’ll get paid one and a half times the amount of your original stake (3:2). If your wager was $5, for an example, you will win $7.50 in case you get a natural. If the dealer also has a blackjack, then it’s a push, and nobody wins.

In blackjack, the cards are valued as follows:

• Number cards (2-10) — face value of the card
• Face cards — all worth 10 points
• Aces — they can be worth either one or 11 points, depending on which value is more beneficial to the player. For instance, a hand consisting of two face cards and an ace will have a value of 21.

The suits play no role in blackjack and therefore don’t affect the value of your cards.

If you’re an old-school player who believes that nothing can beat the atmosphere of gambling in an actual land-based casino, think again. Online blackjack brings a whole new level of thrill and excitement to players. Below, we’ve set aside a couple of advantages of playing blackjack online.

• Convenience — Gambling online is far more convenient than gambling offline. In a matter of seconds, you can deposit funds onto your account, and play several blackjack tables simultaneously. Why would you want to drive several hours to the nearest casino, and waste time and gas, when you could be playing your favorite blackjack games from the comfort of your home?
• No loud casinos — When playing blackjack online, there is no loud music, smokey bars, or people laughing when you make a foolish play and lose a lot of money. There are no distractions whatsoever, and you can focus solely on your gameplay.
• Play for free — If you’re a blackjack rookie, there are plenty of websites where you can play the game for free, and hone your skills. This way, you can get a better hang of the game, before you start playing it for real money. You can even play blackjack online with your friends, without spending a dime. Just imagine how cool that would be?
• Bonuses — Virtually every online casino offers a variety of bonuses and promotions for its players. These amazing incentives are often worth hundreds and even thousands of dollars, which is a sum you can only dream of getting in a land-based casino.

Before you go looking for an ideal blackjack casino you should learn about the different variations of the game. Since its inception, numerous variations of blackjack have been developed, and they’re as popular as the classic version. Below, we’ll mention but a few, because the entire list is seemingly endless.

• Blackjack switch — This version differs from classic blackjack in that two hands are dealt to each player, rather than one. Players are allowed to swap the top two cards between hands. The payout ratio for this variation is 1:1, instead of the classic 3:2.
• Face-Up — Face-Up blackjack is a variation in which all cards are dealt face-up, including the dealer’s cards. This obviously gives a huge advantage to the player, but there are several rules to compensate for this. For instance, players can double down only on 10 and 11, and not after splitting.
• European blackjack — European blackjack is similar to the classic version but with one huge difference — the dealer doesn’t receive the hole card until the players make their moves.
• Pontoon — Although it derived from blackjack, Pontoon rules are quite different from those of the classic blackjack game. The basic premise and card values are the same as in blackjack but they come with a few twists which make it so much fun to play.

I know that this concerns many players, especially those that haven’t played in an online casino before. But let me assure you that no legitimate blackjack casinos in the US are rigged. These gambling sites are heavily regulated by strict licensing jurisdictions, Furthermore, casino payouts from blackjack games are frequently audited by independent testing labs.

If an online casino were to rig its blackjack games, someone would quickly notice and notify the regulatory bodies. Then that casino operator would be required to pay massive fines, lose its reputation, and eventually go out of business.

While the core mechanics and card values are the same with all blackjack varieties, each of them comes with its own set of “secondary” rules. You should learn these rules as they can work to your advantage.

The majority of blackjack games pay 3:2 for a blackjack, but there are certain casinos that pay “only” 6:5. You should avoid such tables as they are much less favorable to players.

Card counting may be an effective strategy if you’re playing live blackjack, but RNG-based software eliminates the possibility of an effective count. Don’t even try it.

If you use them properly, side bets can work in your favor. Depending on how you use them, side games can either increase or reduce the house edge.

If you plan on using a card-counting strategy, you should choose a game with fewer decks. The more decks the game is played with, the more difficult it becomes for a player to utilize this strategy.

The insurance bet is a bad bet unless you’re an expert card counter, and the count works in your favor. You’ll win an insurance bet only if the dealer has a face card, and lose if they have any other card. This makes your odds of winning 9:4.

Even though online casinos boast a full suite of blackjack games, some variations will not be available in every casino.

This strategy requires you to double the size of your bet every time you lose, but this is not a profitable strategy in blackjack. It could bleed your bankroll dry if you go on a cold streak.

You should split 4,4 only if you’re facing a 5 or 6.

If you get a soft 17, you should always hit or double. This hand can’t go bust by taking a hit and can only push against the dealer’s soft 17 if you stand.