Blackjack

The basic rules of blackjack

With the development of online casinos there was a lot more possible with the casino games. This is also the case with blackjack, with the coming of online casinos more types of blackjack were developed. For example Blackjack double exposure where you can see all the cards of the dealer, or Blackjack 5 hand were you can play with 5 different hands. On this page we will just stick to the basic blackjack rules as they are maintained in an online casino. Once you understand these rules you will see that you will understand most of the other types of blackjack as the aim of the game is still the same; to get as close as possible to the 21 points and beat the dealer with that. You must not go over the 21 points, when you do so you automatically loose.
Blackjack is as you already imagined a card game and is played at a table. The number of the card decks that are being used depends on the type of game but also on the online casino that you play in. With classic blackjack they use most of the time just one deck of 52 playing cards. The cards are divided as follows: the Ace is 1 or 11 points, the numbered cards each represent their own value and the J, Q and K are all worth 10 points.
At the beginning of the game when the cards are being dealt you can buy insurance. This is done when the first card of the dealer is an Ace, with this he has more chance to get a blackjack. By buying insurance you insure yourself against a natural blackjack by the dealer. Most of the time however, buying insurance will cost you more then it will give you so we do not recommend it.

How to play online blackjack

In an online casino it is usually just you playing against the dealer. When you play a tournament or a live version of Blackjack you will also have your fellow players at the table.
When you have taken your virtual seat at the blackjack table the dealer/computer will first shuffle the cards. Placing a wager usually happens automatically in an online casino. The cards will be dealt and you will receive two cards face down. So you are the only person who can see your cards. The dealer receives most of the time one card face up and one card face down, so you will know just one card of the dealer.
In the case you have an Ace and a ten valued card it is called a natural and you have won, this also counts for the dealer of course. When both of you have a natural it is called a tie and you will receive your bet back and the game starts over again. A natural will always beat all other combinations.
When neither you nor the dealer has a natural the game continues and you can ask for another card. The dealer however is only allowed to take another card when his total is less then 16 points. When he has over 16 points with the cards in his hand he is not allowed to take another card. These rules can however differ per type of blackjack. When you are both finished your hand will be compared to the hand of the dealer and the one who is closest to 21 points will win that game round. There are three options you can win, loose or have a tie.

Important blackjack terminology

There are some important terms used with blackjack that you should know of when you play the game. these are :

Hit; you say hit when you want another card
Stand; in the case you do not want another card you stand
Split; it can happen that you receive two of the same cards, for example 6 and 6. You are allowed to split these into two hands which you can play separately. This will give you more chances in winning.
Double; most of the time you can only double on a hand with 9,10 or 11 points. You can double your bet amount and after that you will only receive one more card.
Bust; when you go over the 21 points with the cards in your hand it is called a bust. A bust always loses.
Push; when you and the dealer have a tie they also call it a push.
Soft hand; a hand which holds an Ace is called a soft hand because the Ace can count as 1 or 11 points. For example when you hold a Ace and a 4 it is called a soft 15.
21; this is a combination that will also give you 21 points but is not a natural.