Happen to know the Blackjack house advantage?
Always good to know which online casino games have the lowest house edge. After all, you play because you want to make money. Don’t You…?
You guessed it by now… The house edge in Blackjack is lower than the house edge for any other casino game. Yes, Blackjack beats them all! The house edge is around 0.5% if you use the basic strategy.
Read further and learn how to play the online Blackjack casino game and how to apply the basic strategy.
Online Blackjack Casino Game
Most people like to play Blackjack for real money because of the thrill, and of course it’s fun to win real money. It doesn’t matter if the bet is € 1 or € 200 per hand, it’s always exciting and fun!
However, playing online Blackjack doesn’t have to be expensive; you can find Blackjack games already for € 1 per hand. Moreover, most online casinos allow you to play Blackjack for free. That’s a nice option for a newcomer who wants to learn the game, or for an expert who wants to develop new strategies.
Playing the Online Blackjack Casino Game, you can take as long as you want. It’s ok if you take 20 seconds between hands, or 20 minutes – it’s all up to you.
Curious, and want to experience the thrill? In the next paragraph, we’ll explain the rules of the Online Blackjack Casino Game.
The rules of the Online Blackjack Casino Game
As Blackjack is quite easy to learn, you will quickly remember the rules and start experiencing the thrill of sitting down and playing at the virtual Blackjack table!
The aim of the Blackjack game
The objective of blackjack is simple: to come up with a hand that is higher than the dealer’s and has a total sum that is as close as possible to, but not exceeding 21.
The stakes
When you start playing the game, you (the player) will be shown what the minimum and maximum bets are. Then you will have to determine your bet and place the chips on the table. Having placed your bet, the game begins. The player is dealt two cards face-up while the dealer receives one card face up and one card face-down.
The card values
The cards with numbers have the value as indicated on their face. Picture cards (Jack, Queen and King) are all values at 10. The Ace can have two values, 1 or 11, to be chosen by you depending on what best suits your game.
Playing the online Blackjack casino game
If you don’t like your hand, then you can ‘surrender’. In this case you lose half your stake.
When you immediately have a hand of 21, you have a Blackjack! A Blackjack pays 3 to 2.
In case you have a hand less than 21, you have to decide whether you ask the dealer for another card (‘hit’) or whether you stay with your current hand and thus does not get another card from the dealer (‘stand’). If you hit and your hand exceeds 21, then you are finished and you lose your bet (‘bust’).
After you have hit one or more times and you end up with a higher score than the dealer, you get back your bet once.
It’s also possible that you hit and end up with the same amount of points as the dealer. In that case, you get your bet back.
In the rare case where you and the dealer both have immediately Blackjack, the bet will remain.
The dealer always plays according to fixed rules. If he has a hand valued at 16 or below, he will always have to hit. If he has 17 points or more, he will always have to stand.
Special options playing the Online Blackjack Casino Game
Double down
A player can double the bet if he has 9, 10 or 11 points. The player must stand after taking one more card.
Split
When the first two cards have the same value, you may split the cards, resulting in two separate hands each having his own bet.
Insurance
If the dealer shows an Ace as his face-up card, he will invite you to take insurance against a dealer’s Blackjack. This protects you in case the dealer has a card valued at 10. In that case, you bet half of your bet and when the dealer has Blackjack, the insurance bet will be doubled and you will be the winner of the dealer’s Blackjack.
Even money
If you hit a blackjack but the dealer shows an ace as the first card? Then you have the possibility to choose for even money. In that case, instead of getting paid 3 to 2, you will get paid 1 to 1. At that moment you do not get one and a half times your bet, but immediately your bet back. If you do not choose this option and the dealer does not have a Blackjack, you will get paid 3 to 2. When the dealer has a Blackjack, then the stakes remain.
Blackjack tips and tricks
You want to know how you can make the best decisions based on the cards you see on the table? Of course, and the answer to this question is the Blackjack basic strategy, a list of do’s & don’ts, based on mathematically optimal decisions. They point out exactly what to do in which situation. It helps you to maximize your winning chances and to minimize your losses. For the newcomer, the most important tips and tricks are listed below. Here you will find the complete sheet.
- Split when you have a pair of Aces, or eights, no matter the dealer’s upcard.
- Never split a double five, and you should stand on a double ten. Generally, you should split if the dealer shows lower than seven, and hit for seven and more;
- Between 5 and 8, hit no matter the dealers hand. For hands between 12 and 16, hit if the dealer’s upcard shows 7 or more;
- Always double down on 11, unless the dealer has an ace upcard.
Blackjack basic strategy
The blackjack strategy chart shows the action you should take for all possible combinations of your hand and the dealer’s exposed card.
Some of the actions are dependent on certain rules, which differ for the several variants. For example, splitting is the right decision in some situations only if you are allowed to double after a split.
The chart shows the correct strategy for playing an eight deck game where the dealer stands on soft 17.
Even applying the perfect blackjack strategy doesn’t mean that you will beat the game in the long run. The odds are simply against you. However, you’ll reduce the house edge to a minimal level. This way, you have the best chance of winning more hands than losing in a single session.
Top 5 tips playing the online Blackjack casino game
Below some good advice when you start playing the online blackjack casino game for real money.
- If you’re a beginner: learn the basic strategy before you start playing. Nothing is more important.
- Never use the Martingale betting System. You will lose an large number of hands in a row at some point in the game.
- Don’t take insurance bets. It doesn’t matter how much you bet or what your hand is, insurance is always a bad bet.
- Always bet what you can afford. And remain calm. Blackjack is a game of luck, so don’t become stressed, as it will affect your decision making.
- Play the hand, not the money. Make the correct play regardless of the size of the bet. A big bet doesn’t mean you should suddenly play different from basic strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions about Blackjack
Is card counting illegal?
Contrary to popular belief, card counting is not illegal. The casinos don’t like it for obvious reasons, and they have the right to ban you from their tables if they suspect you are counting cards. Of course nothing can stop you from counting cards when you play online.
Do I have to play for real money?
Just about any online casino will offer you the option of playing for either real money or play money. So you’re welcome to play without risking any real money for as long as you like. This gives you the opportunity to test out several strategies without committing any of your (real) money.
Do I have to download software to be able to play the game?
No, you don’t. Many online casinos’ games work via a modern browser, such as Chrome or Firefox, and work almost identically compared with their application counterparts.
Are the games rigged?
Online blackjack games are not rigged. A random number generator controls the outcomes of online casino games. If you are concerned about whether or not an online gaming site is trustworthy, make sure that the casino is licensed and that it has its games tested by an independent company. Also, do some research ad check the internet for reviews and possible complaints about online casino sites.
How many decks do casinos use?
This varies from casino to casino. Online casinos are generally reluctant to tell you how many decks they are using. On average, they use six decks; some use fewer, while others may use up to eight.
Is basic strategy better than any other strategy?
The suggested actions on the basic strategy charts are the best possible moves for the player to make considering the dealer’s up card. When playing according to the charts, you will not win every hand, but you will stand the best chance of winning the hand.
A little history about blackjack
How it started
Despite various theories about its origins, it is widely accepted that the game started in the 18th century in France. It was especially popular in the courts of Louis XV and was called vingt-et-un or vingt-un (twent-one in English).
Similar games which probably influenced this card game go even further back in time. Games such as the Italian Sette e Mezzo and the Spanish Trent-Un attributed values to the cards, the aim being to reach a specific number.
Evolution
The game of vingt-et-un came to America with the French colonists. In 1820, the first legalised and house banked games started off in New Orleans. The game was called twenty-one now and it quickly spread throughout the whole of North America.
State legalisation of gambling in Nevada in 1931 lead to further popularisation of the game. A significant difference in the rules led to the name of blackjack. There was a special payout of 10 to 1 for a hand containing the ace of spades and a black jack. The large payout for this hand was soon removed, but the name ‘Blackjack’ stuck with the game ever since.
Game strategies
The rise in popularity of the game in the casinos of Las Vegas brought with it a wave of players who developed strategies and systems to optimise successful play. Perhaps the most famous of these systems was card counting, a technique to try and beat the house. Casinos reacted by increasing the number of decks used in the game to try and reduce the effectiveness of the system. Over the years, many other players adapted and evolved the principles of card counting. Players continue to use card counting techniques to this day. Although not technically illegal, it is a practice which is not looked upon favourably by casinos.
Modern Developments of online blackjack
The next significant development in the game of blackjack came with the rise of the internet. Around the mid 90’s, the first online casinos were launched. Soon, many new variants were made available to play online. A wide variety of optional side bets were introduced across all these different variants, offering players a shot at bigger payouts.
Some players found the lack of a real casino atmosphere a major drawback. The introduction of Live Blackjack helped to bridge the gap between playing on the internet and playing in a real brick-and-mortar casino. Live blackjack games are streamed from specialised casino studios with excellent video quality and multiple camera angles to get you up close to the action.
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