Blackjack
Blackjack, or as it is often called, 21, is one of the most widely played casino game in the world. Black-jack is often described as a game of chance, but if certain skills and strategies are implemented, the player has a huge edge. The set of rules governing blackjack are very simple, which is a major reason for the widespread popularity of the game. If you keep certain things in mind, then you can greatly reduce the edge held by the house.
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Blackjack History
Like most other games, you can’t really pin point the origin of online casino blackjack or the exact time that it was created. Games with similar rules were played in France during the 17th century. One of these games was called Vingt-et-un which translates to twenty-one. The game must have traveled to North America with the French. Blackjack spread to other parts and evolved over a period. In the early twentieth century many casinos offered better odds if you had an ace of spade and a Jack of a black suit. Though no such offers are there now, but the name Blackjack has remained. Some online casinos where you can play this game are:
Rules of Blackjack
Blackjack is played with one, two, four, six or eight decks of cards. The main objective of the game is to beat the dealer by getting a hand of 21, or a hand, which is as close to 21 as possible and is higher than the dealer’s hand. If the sum is over 21, then you are bust and lose regardless of what the dealer gets. The suits have no meaning in the game. Cards ranging from 2-9 have the same value as their numbers. All face cards in blackjack have a value of 10 and an ace can have a value of 11 or 1 depending upon your hand.
When playing in offline casinos, the rules state you must place your bet upon the spot in front of your sitting position. You sit on a semi circular table with the dealer in the centre. All players are then dealt two cards both face up. The dealer gets two cards but only one is face up. After you have been dealt, you are required to take a decision with your hand. You can hit, split, double-up or stand. Most casinos use hand signals over verbal instructions, which is why all these decisions have to be conveyed through hand signals.
If you want another card, you hit, signaled by tapping the table or waving a hand towards your body. If you don’t want any more cards, you stand, signaled by horizontally waving your hand. You can also double your initial bet but you get only one card after that. It is signaled by placing chips next to your initial bet. If you have two cards with same value, you can split them into two different hands. This is done by placing another bet outside the betting box and pointing two fingers in a V shape.
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Blackjack Strategy
Though the game is governed by simple rules, winning at it requires a little bit of skill and strategic play. People have come up with many ways to win at the game of blackjack, the most widely used is card counting. This technique is quite complex and hard to master but there are a few basics you can follow.
You can win by following a few basic steps. If your card total is between 12 and 16 it is a stiff hand and over 17 is a pat hand. If the dealer’s up card is between 2 and 6 then it’s a stiff, if it is any card between 7 to ace than he has a pat hand. If you have a pat hand you always stand. If both you and dealer have a stiff then you stand. If you have a stiff and he has a pat then you hit. This will help you in the beginning but if you want to master the game of blackjack you should try and go deeper into other strategic options.
Blackjack Side-Bets
Many casino tables offer a side bet for online casino blackjack.
The most common one among these side bets is called the Insurance. A side bet is separate than the main wager. Insurance is a side bet, which can only take place if the face up card of the dealer is an ace. This is a false attraction for the player, as there is a probability of the second card for the dealer being a 10 card (but it is lesser than it being any other card). Insurance pays 2:1, so you can wager and recover the money, which you might lose on your main bet.
Blackjack Variants
Blackjack is a hugely popular game and there are many variant of it which are played all over the globe. One of the most popular amongst these variants is Spanish 21, which offers a lot of liberal rules for the players. Similar to Spanish 21 is Pontoon, which is played mostly in Australia and is played without the hole cards.