If you are someone who plays online casinos, you are bound to encounter the blackjack game a number of times. Blackjack is an incredibly popular casino game, both online and offline, with many people playing regularly. The popularity of blackjack mainly stems from its simplicity. Compared to many other games, blackjack is relatively easy to learn.
Thus, if you are getting into online casinos for the first time, blackjack is one of the first few games you would have to learn. In this article, we will take you through how to play blackjack and some of the strategies you can adopt.
How Does Blackjack Work?
The object of a blackjack game is to get cards with a total value close to 21 as much as possible, without exceeding 21. You can win a game without reaching 21 if your total is higher than the dealers. Hitting exactly 21, however, means you get an even bigger win with a payoff that is one-and-a-half times your original bet.
Blackjack can be played in different ways across the world, with varying practices. However, generally, the game is started by dealing everyone two cards. Everyone except the dealer is dealt their cards face up, while the dealer gets to keep one card face down. Once everyone has their cards, the round starts with the player to the left, usually going first.
A player in blackjack can make two basic decisions when it is their turn to play. The first is to request an additional card in the hopes of getting closer to 21, which is known as a “hit .” The other decision is to “stand,” which means not asking for more cards. Every player gets to make this decision until the round is over, after which the dealer’s facedown card is revealed.
If the dealer’s hand is lower than 17, he has no choice but to request another card. If the dealer goes bust, everyone still in the round with cards totaling 21 or lower wins and gets an equal value of their original bet. If the dealer, however, gets a total of 17 or higher without going over 21, only players with totals above the dealer’s win. Players that lose in a round also lose their entire bet to the dealer. Players with a value equal to the dealer’s total (a stand-off) take their bet back without any payoffs.
Notably, a player who gets dealt a ten and an ace as their first two cards (totaling 21) immediately wins the game, except the dealer has the same total. The winning player gets a payoff of one-and-a-half times their original bet. This is known as a natural or blackjack.
Here are a couple of other rules you know before you play blackjack at an online casino:
· An Ace can be counted as 1 or 11, depending on which is more beneficial to you
· A ten-card, jack, king, and queen all have a value of 10 each
· Cards 2 through 9 are worth their face values
· If you are dealt pairs, you can split your hand, and the dealer treats each as a separate bet
· You can double your bet
· The dealer must have a total of at least 17
Tips for Playing Blackjack
While blackjack is a relatively easy game to learn, it is essential to note that, like many casino games, the odds generally favor the casino. However, there are certain strategies you can adopt to increase your chances of winning. Thus, if you are playing online blackjack at Fanduel Casino, for instance, here are some things you can do:
Follow Basic Blackjack Strategy
A basic blackjack strategy is essentially an approach that dictates the best move to make in every blackjack situation based on mathematical probability. The strategy is typically illustrated on a blackjack strategy chart. While the basic blackjack strategy helps optimize your gameplay, it is worth noting that it doesn’t guarantee a win.
These are some basic blackjack strategies.
· Never place insurance bets
· Always hit if you are dealt cards totaling eight or less
· Never split pairs of 4s, 5s, and 10s
· Double down if you have cards totaling 11
· If the dealer has an upcard of 7, 8, 9, or 10, hit until you have a hand of at least 17
· If the dealer’s up card is 4, 5, or 6, hit until you have a hand of at least 12
Final Thoughts
Blackjack is a great place to start if you are seriously interested in online casino games. New blackjack players who follow basic strategy still have a pretty good chance of winning from time to time.
