The game of blackjack, originally named
“21,” dates back to the 1700s where it
originated in the gambling clubs of France, but
has since become one of the most popular and
most played card games in the world. It has
become a staple at casinos, both online and off.
We suggest the following top 5 preferred
casinos for
online blackjack.
TOP 5 ONLINE CASINOS TO PLAY BLACKJACK
How to Play Blackjack
If you’ve played regular blackjack in an offline
setting before, then you will have no problem
picking up the online version, especially if
you’ve played at a casino. But if you are new to
the game, here’s a quick how-to to get you
started.
Blackjack is an easy game to learn, but don’t
expect to master the strategy behind it right
away. Once you understand the game, you can then
take it to the online tables to practice. The
object of the game is to beat the dealer’s hand
with a combination of cards that equal as close
to 21 as possible, without going over; 21 being
the best hand (a.k.a. blackjack). If your cards
go over 21, you’ve busted and lost the hand.
For cards 2 through 10, the face values of the
cards equal their count values (i.e., 2 = 2; 9 =
9). Face cards equal 10, and Aces are worth
either 1 or 11, whichever number is most
favorable to your hand. After betting takes
place (more on that in a minute) the player with
the highest hand value, 21 or less, wins. If the
dealer has a better hand, he wins. If there is a
tie, the pot is split.
When you sit down at a blackjack table, your
first action will be to place a bet on one or
more hands (some
online casinos allow you to
play two or more hands at the same time, like at
an offline casino). You are betting on your hand
winning. Once you’ve placed your bet, you will
then be dealt 2 cards, as will any other players
at the table. One will be face up; one will be
face down. The dealer will deal himself in with
the same setup. It is common to assume that if
the dealer’s showing a 10 or an Ace, he likely
has a blackjack, and you should proceed with
caution.
After viewing your hole card (face down), each
player then decides whether he wants to hit (get
another card), stand (stay with no more cards),
or split your one hand into two hands (only an
option when both cards in your hand are the
same). This action continues until all players
have busted or chosen to stand. Then the
remaining players, along with the dealer, show
their cards, and a winner is determined.
There are other strategic elements of blackjack
(such as insurance, which you should always
decline) that will affect the outcome of a hand,
but once you have established how to play the
game, then you can continue researching further.
Lastly, one difference between online and
offline blackjack is that it is possible to
count cards at a live table, but not at an
online table because, unlike the live deck, the
virtual deck is shuffled before every hand.