Blackjack is by far the most popular casino table game. It also translates very well to the internet. Online blackjack is slick; it looks as good or better than the real thing. The only thing missing is the pretty girls to deal the cards. If you like the pretty girls or just want to make sure that the deck is real and the play is real it is possible to play online with live dealers
Anyway back to the blackjack now that the players who prefer the girls have left for the live dealers !
Blackjack online is extremely popular for the following reasons:
1. The software is fast and slick
2. You can play as many hands as you like at once
3. You are not reliant on how other people play their hands to determine the cards you get.
4. You can play as fast or as slow as you like, you are in control
5. No-one is watching you, so you can use a to give yourself the absolute best odds on every hand
6. The casinos are audited, they use software which is strictly controlled and audited, the game is fair, they still have a small house advantage but you have the ability to use strategy, or tips from the net, or speed up or slow the game, you have the control.
7. Free Money! You will get a welcome bonus when you deposit, usually 100% match so you get double the money to play, drastically improving your odds.
8. More free Money! Most good casinos, and ALL the casinos we list will give you more free money every time you deposit. Maybe not the 100% match of the welcome bonus, or if it is 100% it may be capped lower, but they will give you money. When you play regularly they will give you VIP status and shower you with rewards also.
9. Multiple options, if you are signed up with several casinos and you are not having luck today with one; another is just a click away.
10. You choose the table limits
11. All normal rules apply
12. Play in your pajamas !
How to Play Blackjack
The game of blackjack is relatively simple. The goal is to beat the dealer, and any hand with a card total over 21 instantly loses.
The only twists are easy enough to understand (hard vs. soft Aces, splits, doubles, Insurance, etc…). For more detailed explanations, see our Rule or Glossary pages.
- 0. Before you begin, make sure to acquaint yourself with any house rules, table rules, minimums and maximums. Know how many decks are being used, whether you can use insurance, when the dealer hits and stands…all good information that can save you a hand or two of foolish losses and hard lessons.
- 1. Start by placing your bet. In a land-based casino, there is a specific spot on the table for every type of bet (it’s usually pretty obvious where it goes). At an online casino, your chips will always go to the right place.
- 2. The dealer deals the first two cards of each hand (in the most common form of blackjack, you will be able to see both of yours but only one of his — and vice versa).
- 3. Your next move is based on the total value of your cards. A ‘natural’ 21 is a “blackjack“, which wins (or ties, called a “push”) and ends the hand immediately. Many tables give an extra amount (like 3 to 2, or 150% or your bet) for a Blackjack win.
- 3a. SPLIT: If each of your cards has the same value (a pair), you may “split” (bet on two separate hands, each with one of the pair plus one or more additional cards).
- 3b. DOUBLE: If you want to double your bet and take ONLY one more card, you’ll “double down”.
- 3c. HIT: If you want another card, you’ll hit. If the next card brings you over 21, you’ve busted (lost) and the hand is over. You can repeat this step (if you haven’t “doubled down”) as many times as you like until you either Bust or decide to Stand.
- 3d. STAND: If you don’t want another card, you’ll stand. The dealer then gets to make his moves (i.e., hit or stand)
- 4. If the dealer busts, you win the hand. If the dealer beats your total, you lose. If your totals are the same, the hand is a push. Note that you can win AND lose on a Split, or win and tie, or tie and lose…
- 5. Profit! (or not…)
Blackjack Rules
The bottom-line logic is this: if you know blackjack rules – which each have a direct impact on the house edge – you’ll therefore know which online casinos you should go to that offer online blackjack games that have rules that are most favorable to players.
Read on, to learn about those advanced blackjack rules that can make, or break, your game.
Natural Blackjack
A “natural blackjack”, an initial two-card total of 21 consisting of an Ace and a ten-value card, is the game’s highest hand, and is an automatic winner. In the event that both a dealer and player hit a blackjack, the hand is considered a tie or “push”. The payoff for a player blackjack is 3:2.
Insurance
A player is allowed to make an insurance side bet whenever a dealer’s upcard is an Ace – the theory being that it safeguards against the risk that the dealer has a blackjack if his / her hole card is a ten-value card. If the dealer indeed does have blackjack, the insurance bet pays 2:1
Soft 17
Each blackjack game has a rule as to whether or not the dealer hits on a soft 17 (in the case of a hard 17, a dealer must always stand). In a “S17” game, the dealer stands on all 17s, whereas in a “H17” game, a dealer hits on a soft 17. A “H17” game is statistically less favorable to the player.
Number of decks
The lower the number of decks used, the more favorable it is for the blackjack player. One reason is that a natural occurring blackjack is actually more likely to occur the lower the number of decks used in the game. If you get one 10 value card, for example, you’re slightly more likely to hit an Ace sooner if you were using a single deck, versus multiple decks. In the same vein, if a player does get a blackjack, a “push” is less likely to occur in a single deck game
.Surrender
A favorable option is the surrender option, allowing a player to give up half his bet without playing out his hand. In the U.S., this option is available after a dealer has checked his hole card for a blackjack. However, in several other countries, a more advantageous “early” surrender variation (i.e. before a dealer can check for a blackjack) can still be found, which is another reason why players should seek out European blackjack online.
Resplitting
Some casinos limit the number of times that a player can split a pair, noted as “resplit to 4”, for example. Your best bet is to find games that allow unlimited splitting. Ditto for Aces: the usual rule is that after splitting Aces, that’s it. Rule variations you should look for is the option to resplit and hit Aces.
Double After Split
The option of allowing players to “double down” on each of the new two-card hands after a split is known as DAS, or “double after split”. Wherever you can find it, take it.
Reno Rules / Double on 9/10/11 or 10/11 only
This rule prevents players from full double down glory. Players are restricted from doubling down on anything other than an initial total of 10 or 11, or more common in Europe, a total of 9, 10, or 11. This is a less favorable rule for players.
Playing blackjack is fairly straightforward: it’s you against the dealer, each vying to achieve the highest card total without going over 21 and busting. The innate disadvantage that blackjack dealers have is that they must adhere to predetermined rules, without flexibility. However, knowing specific blackjack rules and their variations will increases your options of choice and will help you get a leg up.
Blackjack Card Counting
You may or may not have already heard about blackjack card counting strategies. If you haven’t, or if the concept happens to feel daunting to you in any way, then you’ve landed in the right spot. Contrary to some misconceptions, card counting is not reserved for mathematical geniuses or idiot savants. In fact, it’s as simple as remember the face value of one card, while subtracting or adding 1 or 2 from that face value number as each blackjack card is dealt. Whether you’re aware of it or not, you’re essentially already counting cards when you play blackjack. By virtue of deciding whether you should hit or stand, your decision is based on the card totals in front of you. By actively focusing on putting blackjack counting in play, you’ll be ahead of the game.
So, where exactly do you start? As mentioned earlier, the easiest card counting technique is the Hi-Lo system. In this system, every card dealt to the player is assigned a specific point value of +1, 0 or -1. Aces and 10-points cards get a -1, cards 7, 8, and 9 each get assigned a 0, and cards 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 each count as +1.
If a player is dealt a 4 and 9 (i.e. +1, 0), then the deck’s current running total is +1. By “counting” each players hand as its dealt, you can keep a running total of the deck. So if player 1 has +1,0, player 2 has +1,-1, player 3 has a 0, +1, and the dealer’s upcard is an Ace (-1), then the running count would be +1.
The higher the number, the better your odds, so bet accordingly.
Now that you know the basics of the Hi-Lo counting system, put it to good use. The sooner you start practicing, the sooner you’ll improve your blackjack wins.
Card counting systems – especially the Hi-Lo technique – is easy to master provided that you put in some practice time. That’s why we recommend the above online casinos to play blackjack at, so you can practice card counting in the comfort of your own environment.
The benefits of employing card counting techniques are innumerable, least of which is a significant improvement of the house edge that will increase your odds in winning.
Blackjack Perfect Strategy
Once you get your first two cards dealt, and you see the dealers upcard, there is only one perfect move you can make. This is the basis of all blackjack strategy cards and tables; memorizing them will set you on the path to perfect blackjack.
Critics of the theory say that memorization is not as good as learning the rules, but the response is obvious: if you are going to come to the same conclusion, why would you bother taking any longer to get there?
Once the perfect first move has been made, there is another layer of strategy involved, much more fluid and variable than the first. Strategy cards usually stop with that first move, because the permutations multiply afterward (i.e., once you bet, hit, stand, double, or especially split)…but it all comes down to the “perfect” move.
The blackjack player serious about “perfect” blackjack must be prepared to learn the right moves for any situation. The system was designed not to win every time, but to maximize the winning odds and minimize any losses that occur over time. The long-term result of perfect blackjack is to make the house and the player operate on as level a field as possible…and though extensive computation of the statistics, “perfect blackjack” seems to do just that.
On the other hand, the critics object that the calculations aren’t as cut and dry as the “perfect blackjack” supporters claim. In fact, some actually state that they can get better results by adopting a more flexible approach…that by applying an understanding of the rules and hands-on experience to each game, they can succeed more often.
Ultimately, it is your choice whether to follow the perfect blackjack path or to go about the more holistic approach.
“Perfect strategy” is billed as the ultimate goal for the careful blackjack player, but there are enough misconceptions to fill a book. Let’s take a quick look at the theory and some of the common objections.
First of all, “Perfect Blackjack” assumes that there is only one ideal move for each situation.
Blackjack Glossary Page
* Banker – In a card game, this is the dealer or the players who books the action of the other bettors at the table.
* Basic Strategy – In blackjack, the set of actions or plays that you should make to maximize your advantage.
* Blackjack – Total of 21 on your initial two-card hand.
* Break – To exceed the hand total of 21.
* Bust – same as Break, to exceed the hand total of 21.
* Card Counting – Recording (in memory) played cards – usually high cards – so as to establish a conditional probability advantage on the remaining cards against the dealer.
* Charlie or Five Card Charlie – A rule variation where if you get five cards without busting, you win that hand.
* Cut – To split the deck of cards before they are dealt.
* Deal – To give out the cards during a hand.
* Double Down – a player can double their initial bet following the initial deal, but can hit one card only (you must take one additional card). To do this, the player turns over his first two
cards and places an equal bet along the original bet.
* Early Surrender – A Surrender that’s allowed before the dealer checks for blackjack.
* Even Money – cashing in a bet immediately at a 1:1 payout ratio when you are dealt a natural blackjack and the dealer’s upcard is an Ace.
* Face Cards – these are Jacks, Queens and Kings.
* Face Down Game – your first card is placed face up while the second one is placed face down.
* Face Up Game – Both your cards are placed face up.
* Five Card Charlie – A rule variation where if you get 5 cards without busting, you win that hand.
* Hard Hand (Also Hard Total.) – This is a hand without an Ace, or with an Ace valued at 1 is said to be Hard in that it can only be given one value (unlike a ‘Soft’ hand).
* Heads Up or Heads On – A head to head play with the dealer – no other players are involved.
* Hit (or Draw) – Call a card or adding a new card to your current hand.
* Hole Card – In blackjack, the facedown card that the dealer gets. In stud and hold ‘em poker, the facedown cards dealt to each player.
* Insurance – A side bet up to half the initial bet against the dealer having a natural 21. Insurance is offered only when the dealers up card is an Ace. The insurance bet wins double if the dealer has a
natural, but loses if the dealer does not.
* Late Surrender – A surrender allowed only if the dealer does not have blackjack.
* Natural – In blackjack, a natural is a two-card hand of 21 points. In baccarat a natural is a two-card total of eight, or nine.
* Pat – In blackjack, an unbusted hand worth at least 17 points. In draw poker, a hand that does not need any more hands.
* Perfect Pairs – this is a blackjack side bet played on a standard blackjack table and does not require the main game rules to be changed. All Perfect Pairs wagers are decided and acted on at the
completion of the initial deal. There are 3 different types of pairs and the payout odds vary accordingly: Mixed pair, Coloured pair, and Perfect pair.
* Point Count – (In card counting systems) The net value of the card count at the end of a hand.
* Push – (Also Tie or Stand-off.) Both player and dealer have the same hand total – player keeps bet.
* Running Count – (used in card counting systems) The count from the beginning of the deck or shoe. The running count is updated by the value of the point count after each hand.
* Shuffle – At the start of each game when the dealer mixes up the order of the cards is said to shuffle the cards.
* Shuffle Up – The premature shuffling by the dealer to discourage card counting.
* Soft Hand – A hand containing an ace counted as 11.
* Split Hand – Split the initial two-card hand into two and play them separately – allowed only when the two first cards are of equal value.
* Standing Hand – In blackjack, meaning a hand which hard-totals to 17 or more, which is very likely to bust if one more card is called and therefore the player is expected to stand.
* Stand-off – (Also Tie or Push.) Both player and dealer have the same hand total – the player keeps bet.
* Stand or Stay – Not requiring any more cards, to refrain from taking another card.
* Stiff Hand – A hand with little chance of winning. Stiffs include hard twelve through sixteen.
* Surrender – The giving up of your hand to lose only half the bet.
* Tie – (Also Push or Stand-off.) Both player and dealer have the same hand total – player keeps bet.
* True Count – (In card counting systems) The running count adjusted to account for the number of cards left in the deck or shoe to be played.
* Upcard – The dealer’s first dealt card, placed face up for all the players to see before they play their hands.
For a card game based on a two-card hand, blackjack has its fair share of specific terminology. Below you’ll find some of the more common terms used throughout the game:
Blackjack Games
Playing blackjack online is of tremendous benefit as players can practice and / or play both single deck and multiple deck blackjack in all of the casino game’s many variations: one online casino that I would personally recommend visiting is WinPalace…not the least being the level of realism that their particular blackjack games can offer you.
Even if you’re playing at a crowded casino blackjack table, your only concern when playing blackjack is the dealer’s hand. He / she has strict rules that he / she has to adhere to (which in and of itself helps give the game one of the lowest house edges of all casino games).
Goal:
The face value of cards are all that matters in this game. An Ace is counted as 1 point or 11 points, at your own discretion, whereas face cards (Jack, Queen, and King) are counted as 10 points. Again, the simple goal is to beat the dealer’s hand without busting over 21 (regardless if the 21 is an Ace and a 10 or face card, or a combined total of all cards).
Game Play:
To start the game, a dealer deals a first card to players from left to right, dealer included. After a first cycle, the dealer will then start again with the original player to deal the second card to him/her.
Pay Outs:
All bets except for one are paid off at even money (for every dollar bet, a player receives the same amount if his / her hand wins). The sole exception is an automatic winning hand in blackjack, known simply as “blackjack”: if a player is originally dealt a two card hand that consists of an Ace and any 10 or face card, it’s an automatic win that garners a 3 – 2 payoff on the player’s original bet.
Here, we’ll cover some basics of playing the perfect blackjack game.
At the heart of it, blackjack is a simple game. Players get two cards to start with, as does the dealer. Your goal is to beat the dealer by getting a higher total than the dealer without exceeding 21, which is known as “busting”. In a single deck blackjack game, the player’s cards are dealt face down and they’re handled by the player. In a multiple deck game, the cards are usually dealt face up and only the dealer is supposed to touch them.