Online Blackjack

Blackjack (also known as 21) is a favorite among many gamblers, because it is a slow paced game. You either steadily win or steadily lose! This makes it ideal for a gambling novice to play as you will not lose huge amounts of money.

So let's learn how to play Blackjack!

Object of Blackjack

The object of Blackjack is for the total of your cards to be closer to 21 than the dealer’s cards, without exceeding 21. This game is played against the dealer. The values of the cards are as follows:

- K, Q, J & 10 = 10
- A = 1 or 11 (you can choose which value)
- All other cards count as their face value

Playing the game

The player places a bet in front of him. Then the player and the dealer will be dealt 2 cards each. Both the player's cards will be face up, but the dealer will have one face up card and one face down card.

If the player has Blackjack (an Ace and any 10 value card), he wins with a payout of 3:2. For example: If you bet $10 and have Blackjack, you will get $25 back.

If he does not have Blackjack, he has the option to "hit" (being dealt another card/s) to get closer to 21. If the player goes over 21, he "goes bust" and the dealer (casino) wins by default. The player can "stand" (stopped being dealt cards) at any time. Remember, you objective is to get as close to 21 as you can without going over.

When the player stands, the dealer will turn over his face down card. If he has less than 17, he has to hit until he has over 17. If he has over 21, the dealer will bust and the player wins. (Here you can see that you can even win with 12 or 13 in your hand if the dealer goes bust.) If both the player and the dealer have the same total, the game is drawn and the player will have his bet returned. Otherwise, the person with the hand closest to 21 wins.

The above is Blackjack in its simplest form. There are also other "special" calls you can make in certain situations:

Split
If your first two cards have the same point value, you may split them into two separate hands by placing a second bet equal to the original bet. You then proceed play both hands separately. You may draw as many cards as you like on each split hand, but if you split two aces, you receive only one additional card for each ace. If you receive an ace and a ten-value card in a split hand, it is counted as 21 and not Blackjack.

Double
After you are dealt two cards, and think that another card will allow you to beat the dealer’s hand, you can increase your bet by an amount up to your original bet or “double” your bet. Your wager is doubled, and you are allowed to receive only one more card.

Insurance
Insurance is considered to be a game of its own within Blackjack. If the dealer has an Ace as his face up card, you’ll be given a chance to buy insurance. When you buy insurance, you’re betting that the dealer has a blackjack. It allows you to try and protect yourself when you think that the dealer may have Blackjack. When buying insurance, you place half of your initial bet by pressing the Insurance button. If the dealer does have Blackjack, you are paid 2 to 1 on your insurance bet. If the dealer doesn’t have Blackjack, you lose your insurance bet. Buying insurance just does not make statistical sense.

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