Get familiar with Online Blackjack
Blackjack is the most popular card casino game in America, which has now become one of the most played games internationally. Blackjack, also known as “twenty-one” in Nevada casinos, is a card game in which the objective is for the player to get a hand which is less than or equal to 21. The player’s hand needs to higher than the bankers hand and not exceed 21- otherwise the player busts. In Britain the word “Black Jack” is used to refer to a different game that is similar to crazy eights.
Throughout this article I will explain the basic house rules of online Blackjack that are commonly found in most online casinos. It is important for players to note that there are different kinds of Blackjack and the rules differ. Players should check what the rules are for the variation of Blackjack they will be playing at their chosen online casino.
Step 1: What you will need:
To play Blackjack you will need the following:
- Cards: Blackjack is played with a standard 52 card deck with no joker cards in it.
- A Player: To successfully execute a game of online Blackjack, you will need a player, in this case yourself.
- A dealer: Online Blackjack is a two-player game where the player plays against the dealer, in this case your online casino.
- Money: To start this Blackjack game, you will need to deposit money into your online casino account in order to make bets.
- Table: Blackjack is played around a specially designed table that can accommodate up to 7 players and one dealer.
Step 2: Online Blackjack Lingo
In Online Blackjack there is a lot of lingo that is used that might confuse new players. Here are a few important terms you need to know:
- Hit– This is when a player requests another card from the dealer, after the player receives their first two cards.
- Split– After the player receives the first two cards of the same value; they can separate the two cards. Another hit will be dealt to the split cards and the same bet made on the initial hand will be made.
- Double Down-This is the option given to players to double their bets and also get one card hit. Players often choose this option when they feel confident that the hit will result in a win.
- Stand– When the player chooses to not take any more cards.
- Blackjack– This is the term used when a player scores 21 points on the two cards they have been dealt. This is also known as a Natural.
- Face Cards– These include a King, Queen and a Jack.
- Bankroll– The total amount of money a player is allowed to bet with.
- Surrender– This costs a player half their bet, this is when a player doesn’t make a move after the cards have been dealt. There is an early surrender that happens at an early stage of the game and a late surrender that happens at a later stage in the game.
Step 3: What hands can you win on
Once your cards have been dealt, you need to know what your cards mean, in other words you have to understand the hand that you have been dealt. A game of online Blackjack can result in the following:
- Lose- Your bet will be taken by the dealer
- Win– You will win as much as you have placed on the bet
- Blackjack– Also known as a natural, this happens when you are holding a 10-point card and an Ace. If the player lands this set of cards, they win 1.5 times their bet.
- Push– This is when both the player and dealer has the same hand value.” This is neither a win or loss resulting in the player keeping their bet.
- Stiff hand– This is a card total that is between 12 and 16 that would make a player go bust if the player takes another hit.
- Soft hand– This is the option of splitting a two card hand and playing the hands separately.
- Soft 17-Any hand that consists of an Ace and a card between 2 and 7
- Bust- When your card total exceeds 21 resulting in a lose
- Standing hand- A hand which has a card total of 17 or more, in this situation a player is more likely to go bust if they accept another hit.
- Natural- An automatic win when you are dealt two cards that total 21
Read on to reveal the next step of online Blackjack.
Step 4: Know Your Online Blackjack Table
In land based casinos, Blackjack is played around a specially designed table that can accommodate up to 7 players and one dealer.
The online Blackjack table is a replica of this and has 5 to 7 playing areas on the semi-circle green board. The dealer is situated opposite the player. The most important thing players should note on the online Blackjack table, is the writing in the centre of the table. The writing indicates the minimum and maximum bet allowed on the table as well as the payout ratio. This writing normally reads: “Blackjack pays 3 to 2, Dealer must draw to 16 and stand on all 17s”.
On the table, the player has a designated playing area for their cards and a space for their bets. The advantage of online Blackjack is that a player can make multiple bets. For example, a player can make a $5 and a $1 bet. The dealer will hand the player two cards for the $5 bet and another set of two cards for the $1 bet, allowing the player two chances at winning. To play Blackjack, players need chips to bet with.
The standard chip values are usually as follows:
- White chips are worth $1
- Red chips are worth $5
- Green chips are worth $25
- Black chips are worth $100
These values however, differ depending on the online casino and the bet amounts offered on the online Blackjack game. At the beginning of the game, the player receives two cards on each bet made. The dealer also receives two cards; however, the one card will be face down and the other face up.
Step 5: Blackjack, a very easy game
Online Blackjack seems confusing at first glance but once you get the hang of it, it becomes easier and really fun.
Here is some additional information about online Blackjack so you can become a pro in no time. A side note about the cards used in online Blackjack- casinos usually use a number of decks mixed together, this is referred to as a shoe.
This is done for two reasons:
- Firstly, to speed up the game, the more cards are in play, results in less reshuffling required.
- The second reason is to counter card counting. Card counting is a technique used by some players to outsmart the casino in order to have an added advantage on Blackjack. The number of card decks used can vary from two to eight decks in a shoe.
In online Blackjack, cards from 2 to 10 have face value, picture cards have the value of 10 points and Ace has the value of 1 or 11.
Although I have covered the general basic rules on how to play online Blackjack, players should however, note that there are different types of online Blackjack. These include Classic Blackjack, European Blackjack, Atlantic City Blackjack, Bonus Blackjack and Double exposure. Each variation may have slightly different rules or added rules. It would be wise to read up on the rules for the variation you wish to bet on.
Now you are ready to play like a Blackjack pro.
The Aim of Online Blackjack
The aim of the game of Online Blackjack is to beat the dealer by reaching a card total that is less than or equal to 21, but higher than the dealer’s. Players can also beat the dealer by achieving Blackjack, which means their first two cards need to be an Ace and any 10-value card. The dealer shuffles the cards and a player is asked to take a section of cards from the bottom of the deck and place them at the top of the deck. This is also known as cutting the deck. In an effort to enforce the randomness of cards, the top card is removed from the deck by the dealer and placed in the discard tray. This is generally repeated each time a new player joins the game.
After placing their opening real money bets, players are dealt two cards, both of which are up-facing. Dealers then deal two cards to themselves, one of which is face up, allowing players to start planning their next move.
In Online Blackjack, the payout ratio differs depending on whether the player has blackjack or a card total of 21. Another way to beat the dealer is by hitting (asking for another card) until your card total is higher than theirs without you going bust (having a card total that exceeds 21).
If your hand total exceeds 21, your hand is bust and you lose your real money bet, regardless of whether the dealer ends up going bust or not.
The Online Blackjack Table
The standard Online Blackjack table features five to seven playing areas on a green semi-circular felt board. The dealer stands opposite the players, between the shoe, which houses the cards that are still to be dealt, and the discard tray, which will house the cards that have already been used in play.
The most important thing to note on any Online Blackjack table is the writing in the centre of the table. This writing indicates the minimum and maximum real money bets allowed at that particular table, as well as the payout ratio for insurance (we’ll cover that a little later on).
At each playing area, there is a designated space for each player’s cards, and an area above or to the left of the card space for real money bets.
Chips can be bought from the dealer before the game starts and then kept on the table just in front of each player.
