When it comes to card games, Blackjack is undoubtedly one of the most popular. Unlike in many other games, a player can actively reduce the house edge by implementing the correct strategy. Loved by both novices and seasoned experts, this is a game with a naturally low house edge, and one where players go head to head against the dealer in a battle of skill and luck.
For those who are new to online Blackjack, the game is played in exactly the same way as the land-based version, only you can use a casino bonus to give your winning potential a boost! The only difference is that you don’t have to wait for an available table. You can simply log on and start playing. As you are playing online, audited random number generators or RNG’s produces the shuffled cards and results. The concept is easy to understand.
The idea is to try and beat the dealer by creating a point score or hand of 21 points, or as close to 21 without exceeding this number. For this reason, it is considered to be the best casino game for players who enjoy implementing strategies. Once you have logged in, you will notice that the setup looks exactly like a classic land-based table with the dealer at the top, the cards in the middle and the virtual chips as the bottom of the table.
The action kicks off with you placing your bet on the table. This can be done by clicking or tapping on the virtual chips and placing them on the highlighted betting area. Each table or version will have a different limit of how much you can bet on each hand.
Once you have placed your bet, you can click on the deal button. The Blackjack dealerwill then deal you 2 cards facing up and himself two cards, one facing up, the other facing down.
Each card in Blackjack is worth a certain number of points.
Low cards 2-10 are worth their face value while the Jack, Queen and King are worth 10 points. The Ace is worth 1 point or 11 points depending on what you require at the time.
Once the first set of cards have been dealt, you can start implementing your strategy. The idea is to analyse your hand as well as the dealers up-facing card and decide your next move. If you have a particularly low scoring hand below 15 and the dealer is showing a high card, it is best to take another card and improve your points score.
If you have a high scoring hand of 18 or above and the dealer is showing a low card, it would be best to stick with what you have and let the dealer try and beat your score. This is the basic idea, but more advanced strategies exist and should be learnt before playing for large stakes. This is also the best casino game for players who enjoy having multiple options at their disposal. After the first deal, you have the option of Hitting, Standing, Splitting or Doubling Down.
Hitting means taking another card, Standing means keeping what you have, and Doubling Down means taking one extra card and doubling the bet. If you have two cards of the same value, you can choose to split your hand into 2 hands played at the same time. If you take an extra card and your total goes over 21, this is called going bust and you lose your bet.
Once you are happy with your hand, the dealer will reveal his down-facing card and see if he can beat your score by taking additional cards. Winning a hand pays out 1:1, however if you win with Blackjack (Ace and 10 value card), the payout increases to 3:2.
Sounds simple? It is! Sign up, claim a casino bonus and get playing!
