How to Play Online BlackJack

Online blackjack is a casino game that does not solely rely on chance. Unlike roulette or scratch cards, you can get better at the online game by reading up on the rules and following certain tips and tricks. The game starts by players placing their bets after which the dealer gives out two cards to the player and two to himself (1 card face up and other face down).

Values are assigned to cards with picture cards counting as 10 and the ace having a value of either 1 or 11. The suit of the card does not matter in online blackjack. The value of a hand is the total value of the cards you are holding at that point in time and based on the value you can choose to either stand, hit, surrender, double down, or split with the dealer acting last.

Stand – If you are happy with the cards that have been dealt to you then you stay in the game and the dealer continues onto the next person on the table.

Hit – You can request for more cards from the dealer to improve the value of your hand. These cards will be given to you one at a time until you either go ‘bust’ (over 21) or you choose to stand. There is no limit to the number of cards you can take.

Double Down – If you are feeling confident about the hand that you have been dealt then you can double your initial wager and the dealer will provide you with an additional card. You can always double for less whereby you don’t have to put an equal wager to what you had done initially but this is a practice that we would discourage against as it is mathematically disadvantageous.

Split – If you have received 2 cards of equal value (pair) then you have the option of putting out a second wager and the dealer will split the two cards. This means that each card will become the first card on two new hands. However, you cannot split a king and a jack as they both have the same face value.

Surrender – If you are unhappy with the initial hand that you have been dealt with then you have the option of recovering half of your original bet.

These are the main terms you need to familiarise yourself with. The trick is when to use the best possible option to beat the dealer. Remember what we have said earlier, this is one casino game where practice, skill and strategy actually pay dividends as opposed to online slot machines or scratch cards. So, head on down to one of our recommended online casinos and try your hand at online blackjack!

Unlike roulette, blackjack has a murky history but is widely believed to be the successor to ‘vingt-et-un’ and began popping up in casinos in France around the 17th century. The objective of vingt-et-un was to reach what was described as ‘natural’ with cards that would have a total value of 21. The main difference between this game and online blackjack as we know it comes from when the players are able to wager.

Current iteration of online blackjack requires players to wager before they receive their first card. With vingt-et-un, this was done after the first card was revealed and the dealer had the option of doubling everyone’s bet at this stage. In the even that the dealer managed to reach the ‘natural’ stage then the players would have to pay him triple.

Ultimately the casino game managed to find its way onto American soil in the 1800’s but received a lukewarm response at first. As a result, the casinos tried to offer an incentive to players by paying a 10-1 bonus pay out when the two initial cards from the player were either jack of spades or jack of clubs, together with an ace of spades. This tweaking of the original format is what eventually gave it the name ‘BlackJack’

Variations of online blackjack are also practiced in other countries such as Italy where the objective is to reach a hand totalling 7.5 points. Any value about this would lead to an instant defeat for the player. In Spain, the game ‘One and Thirty’ has flourished over the overs where players receive three cards and the objective is to get closest to 31 with cards in the same suit.