Ultimate Blackjack Guide For Rookies

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Blackjack Explained

Blackjack represents the American version of the popular card game Twenty-One. Blackjack can also be considered a predecessor of this game. If we were to speak on its origin, it’s surprisingly unknown where this game originated from. However, this game started gaining tremendous popularity back in the 1700s in France.

The name blackjack arises from the French term ‘Vingt-et-un’ which means 21.

The first blackjack playing strategy was introduced in September 1956. Four men decided to publish a paper that analyzes the aim of finding a strategy maximizing their mathematical expectation. Who would’ve known that this paper would become the base of future attempts to beat blackjack?

From being only a land-based casino game, now it has become one of the most popular online casino games. Moreover, in the US, this game is the second most popular casino card game. Later on, Chap will help you reveal what makes blackjack so special.

How To Play Online Blackjack?

Here, we will show you a step-by-step guide on how to successfully play at the best blackjack online casinos. This CasinoChap guide will help you with everything you need to know before placing your first wager. It will be especially helpful for all of you that are just getting started with playing blackjack!

Firstly, visit one casino from the options above. Secondly, register an account. Then, after you’ve chosen the casino you want to play at, deposit your money. It’s time to visit the game lobby and pick your blackjack variant. Finally, place your bet and try out your luck! You never know, you may win more often than you would’ve hoped.

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Blackjack’s quick and exciting gameplay is the among reasons why players love this game. Meanwhile, Blackjack is one of the few games in which a player can impact the outcome. Even though it’s easy to play, it is indeed challenging to master. Through time, you need to learn the basic playing strategy and afterwards, your chances of winnings will be forever boosted!

Understanding The Blackjack Rules

Before we proceed in detail with the blackjack rules, we need first to differentiate the terms’ soft’ and ‘hard’ hands. The difference between a ‘hard’ and a ‘soft’ hand in blackjack lies in one specific card, and that’s the Ace.

If one of the cards you get is an Ace, you can treat it in two different ways. Well, an Ace card can be either a 1 or an 11. If you have an Ace and an 8, your hand could either be 9 or 19. If you have an Ace and a 4, your hand could either be a 5 or a 15. If you count the Ace as 11, then the hand is soft and vice versa. If your count is as 1, the hand is hard.

How Does The Gameplay work?

First, the game starts with an initial bet. The online blackjack action is the following. Once you have placed the wager, the dealer will deal you two face-up cards. They also give themselves one face-down and one face-up card. Then, you’ll have a few options, which are:

Stand – You have a solid, but not the best hand. So, you don’t do anything and wait for the dealer’s move.
Hit – You have a low hand count, and you want to improve it by adding another card. Thus, you don’t do anything and wait for the dealer’s next move.
Double down – If you get a fantastic hand, you can double your bet, and request one extra card.
Split – You can split a pair of cards with the same face value into two different hands. For that, you must add a second bet as well.
Surrender – You surrender the game, and get half of your bet back.

What’s The Dealer’s Role?

The dealer’s role in Blackjack is essential. When the dealer has served every player, their face-down card is turned up. If the total is 17 or more, they usually must stand. If the total is 16 or under, they usually must take a card. They keep drawing cards until the total is 17 or more, at which point the dealer must stand. In case the dealer’s hand is bust (over 21), the player automatically wins the game. Otherwise, we move on to the next phase.

Game Resolution And Prize Size

How to win online blackjack? Actually, it’s not as tricky as other online casino games. In case anyone’s hand goes bust (over 21) at any point in the game, that player loses immediately. However, in case no hand goes bust, you compare your respective hand counts to determine the winner.

The winner is the player that scored 21 or who was closer to that hand count. For example, if your hand count was 19, and the dealer’s hand count was 18, you win the game. If you win, you receive a payout in accordance with the paytable. Blackjack usually pays 2 to 1. In case the dealer goes bust, you will get even pay.

Blackjack Side Bets

Blackjack side bets are extra bets that are being placed during a typical game of Blackjack. They usually predict which cards the player, and sometimes, the dealer will receive. The most popular choice here is the insurance bet that pays 2 to 1. It focuses on whether the dealer will hit a blackjack and had bad odds. So, Chap thinks you should avoid it. Another popular side bet is perfect pairs, whose payouts are impressive and go up to 30 to 1.

Side bets table

Combination Name	Combination Example	Payout
Mixed Pair	8♣8♥	5:1
Coloured Pair	J♠J♣	10:1
Perfect Pair	A♥A♦	30:1
Total value of 19 or 20	6♠3♥ + Q♣	2:1
Total value of 21	Q♥4♠ + 7♣	3:1
Total value of 21 (All three cards are the same suit)	K♥5♥ + 6♥	15:1
6,7 and 8	6♥7♣ + 8♠	30:1
Three 7s	7♣7♦ + 7♥	50:1
6,7 and 8 (All three cards are same suit)	6♦7♦ + 8♦	100:1
Three 7s (All three cards are same suit)	7♣7♣ + 7♣	200:1

Notice: some of the combinations depends on the specific type of blackjack or the number of decks used in the play.

Blackjack Rule Variations

When reviewing blackjack, Chap must mention the rule variations. Each variant of blackjack comes with a few unique rules. These rules can influence the house edge as well as the player’s options. Not only that, but it can also affect the dealer’s choices and the whole gameplay. The main aim in all blackjack variants is to beat the dealer’s hand without busting by going over 21.

The number of decks – If you use fewer decks, that decreases the house edge. The probability of drawing an Ace is even higher with fewer decks. Most blackjack games are played with 3-8 standard 52-card decks.
Dealer stands/hits on soft 17 – Each game has a rule about the dealer. This requires a must hit or stand on soft 17, which is printed on the table surface. Substituting a hard 17 rule with a soft 17 rule in a game benefits the player, decreasing the house edge by 0.2%.
Player restrictions – After splitting aces, the common rule is that only one card will be dealt with each Ace. The player cannot split, double, or take another hit on either hand. After a split, most games allow doubling down on the new two-card hands. Making doubling after a split impossible increases the house edge by about 0.12%.

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Online Blackjack Playing Strategy

Every game of blackjack has its separate basic strategy. Now, we are going to present an example of an online blackjack strategy that works for the standard variant! CasinoChap wants you to remember that even an extra deck or a simple ‘no splitting’ rule can affect the ideal strategy.

Regardless of the specific rule variations, taking insurance or “even money” is never the correct play under a basic strategy.

Drawing Cards

Use these following rules, so you can determine when it’s best to Hit, according to your hand and the dealer’s face-up card.

If the dealer’s face-up card is 7, 8, 9, 10 or Ace, and your hand totals 8 or 12 through 16, Hit.
If the dealer’s face-up card is Ace, and your hand totals 11, do not Double, Hit.
If the dealer’s face-up card is 10, and your hand totals 10, do not Double, Hit.
If the dealer’s face-up card is 7, 8, or 9, and your hand totals 9, do not Double, Hit.

Standing

The other following rules you show you when it’s best to Stand, according to your hand and the dealer’s face-up card.

When your hand totals 17 or above, no matter what, Stand. (Some strategies will tell you to Hit 17 if the dealer has an Ace.)
If the dealer’s face-up card is 6 or below, and your hand totals 13 or above, Stand.
If you have a suitable pair of 10s or Face Cards, do not Split them, Stand.

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Doubling Down

There is no denying that Doubling Down is one of the most thrilling moves in Blackjack. Here, you will learn when it’s best to Double Down.

Hard 9 against the dealer’s low cards – when you are dealt a total of 9, double down when the dealer shows a card between 2 and 6.
Soft 16 to 18 against the dealer’s low cards – If the dealer shows a card from 2 to 6, this is a great time to double your bet.
Hard 10 or 11 against any lower dealer card – If the dealer has a lower total, it’s the perfect timing to double down.

Splitting

Next, we have the rules for Splitting and when we think you should Split. Don’t let Chap confuse you with the ‘DAS’ below. It means ‘double after splitting’.

Always split Aces and 8s.
Never split 5s and 10s.
Split 2s and 3s against a dealer from 4 to 7 against a 2 or 3 if DAS is allowed.
Split 4s when the dealer shows a 5 or 6 and only if DAS is allowed.
Split 6s against a dealer from 3 to 6, and a 2 if DAS is allowed.
Split 7s against a dealer from 2 to 7.
Split 9s against a dealer from 2 to 6 or from 8 to 9.

Card Counting

Card counting is a strategy used primarily in blackjack. It determines whether the next hand is likely to give a probable advantage to the player or the dealer. It allows players to bet more with less risk when the count gives an advantage. As well as minimize losses during an unfavorable count.

Card counting is not illegal, however, is highly disliked by the landbased casinos. Interesting fact! Famous Hollywood actor Ben Affleck was counting cards while playing blackjack in a Las Vegas casino.

The point behind card counting is to basically remember which cards have already appeared. This helps you know what cards to expect next. Your Chap here wants to highlight that card counting doesn’t work when playing online because of the RNG-determined results. Also, live casinos tend to shuffle the cards before each round, so this makes card counting impossible too.

What’s Online Blackjack House Edge?

The house edge is also known as the casino advantage. It’s something that exists on every table game, lotto, or slot machine in casinos both online or land-based. So, no matter where you choose to invest your money if you’re betting on casino games, you can’t escape the house edge.

As CasinoChap told you before, each rule variation affects the house edge. Here are some things that can either lower or increase it. Generally, the more freedom the player has, the lower the house edge is.

Fewer decks mean lower house edge.
The dealer will stand on soft 17.
The player can double after a split.
The player can double on any first two cards.
The player can resplit to 4 hands.
The player can’t resplit Aces.
The player can’t hit split Aces.
There is no surrender rule.
Blackjack pays 3 to 2.
The player will lose only the original bet against the dealer.

Most Popular Online Blackjack Variants

For you to learn how to play blackjack online properly, we need to let you in on the most popular blackjack variants! Some of the blackjack games may be hard to find, but it’s worthwhile searching for them. Here are some of Chap’s favorites.

Multi-Hand Blackjack – This variant is one of the most popular variants of the blackjack game. The name itself tells you that it allows you to play multiple hands at the same time. You can have up to five different hands running, with each one competing against the same dealer hand. Other than that, the rules remain the same.
Blackjack Switch – This next variation is a variation of the standard blackjack game. Here, the player gets two hands and is allowed to switch cards between them. This will increase the strength of one or both hands. Of course, this is a great advantage but also double the risk (bet).
Double Exposure Blackjack – In this following variation, both dealer’s cards are dealt face-up, which gives a considerable advantage to the player. This is because you have more information at your disposal when you make your decisions. Plus, you can be more confident about whether the dealer will bust or not.
Perfect Pairs Blackjack – “Perfect pairs” are two cards which are the same, pay the best odds. The chances of getting dealt a pair in your hand aren’t very high. Still, don’t be afraid to take a risk, you never know how much you will gain.

How To Know That Online Blackjack Is Fair?

The question that surely concerns most of you is if in the end, is blackjack really fair? Let your CasinoChap solve this mystery – ABSOLUTELY! Online blackjack games use RNG (random number generator) for all results, so they’re impossible to predict. Live blackjack online offers the action in real-time, so you see that everything is fair. Plus, these games are by popular providers to they are 100% secure.

These games are the next best thing to sitting in a land-based casino. When playing at a reliable and trusted site, players can be sure the games are fair and honest. By choosing licensed casinos that use the best software, players can enjoy fantastic blackjack variations and have exceptional chances at winning. Always choose an accredited casino site you Chap respects, like the ones listed here. This way, you’ll only play the best and safest blackjack games.

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