Object of the game:
The object of Blackjack, also referred to as 21, is to beat the dealer in a hand without going over 21. You can just as easily win by standing (refusing more cards) at a reasonable number which is his enough for the dealer to be forced to hit (ask for another card). In other words, you can win by either coming closer to 21 than the dealer bust (go over 21). The strategy you will employ while playing blackjack online for real money is situational. We will provide with the rules and regulations and basic strategy here to get you off on the right foot.
Before we go over the rules, there is one thing that is the key to being a successful Blackjack player. This is something that you need to do before the cards are even dealt. You need to make sure you have the proper mental approach to the game. It’s you vs the dealer. Once you make that your primary focus, you will stop making silly mistakes that cost you money (we’ll get into examples of things to avoid). Too often players make the mistake of just focusing of trying to get as close to 21 as possible instead of playing against what the dealer has. By the end of this tutorial, you will understand exactly what we mean by you against the dealer. In order to fully comprehend any for of strategy, you will need a proper foundation so let’s go over the basic rules of how to play the game.
Blackjack can be played with 1 up to 8 decks of 52 cards
Card values:
1. Cards 2-9 are face value (the number on the card is the true value).
2. Aces = 1 or 11 (you make that decision based on strategy we will go over later).
3. 10-K (meaning all 10’s and face cards) = 10 points.
To calculate the value of your hand, you take the value of the individual cards you were dealt and add them together.
The highest hand you can get is a “Blackjack” meaning you got at least one Ace and any point 10-point card (10 to King). This hand is an automatic winner meaning even if the dealer somehow got a total of 21 but it wasn’t a true “Blackjack” you win. When you hit a true “Blackjack” rest assured that you can’t be beat.
Betting takes place before the cards are dealt.
After bets have been placed, the dealer will deal each player 2 cards and then 2 more to himself.
One of the dealer’s 2 cards is dealt face down.
In Blackjack terminology, this is called the “hole card” (we will provide a glossary with all of the terminology at the end of this article).
If the card that the dealer has showing is an Ace, he will offer something called “Insurance”. An “insurance” is a side wager that pays 2 to 1 if the dealer’s “hole card” is any 10-point card.
***Please note that “insurance” bets can seem a little confusing if you don’t have much experience playing blackjack but not to worry, its much simpler than you think. Just remember:
1. “Insurance” bets are optional.
2. If you do make an “insurance” bet it can’t more than half your original wager. (Remember that you bet before the cards are dealt, therefore if you make an “insurance” bet, it can’t be more than half of your original bet).
3. After offering “insurance”, the dealer will peak at his facedown card to see if he has a “Blackjack”. If he does, he will turn over his cards immediately to reveal it.
4. In the case that the dealer does have a “Blackjack” all hands lose except those that took “insurance”. The only exception is if a player also has a “Blackjack”, that would result in a “push”.
Fore more information on “Insurance” bets, click the following link.
Play begins with the player to the dealers left.
Here are your choices once you’ve been dealt your cards:
1. Stand:
You don’t want any more cards.
2. Hit:
You want to be dealt another card (or more if you wish). If this card or cards cause you to go over 21, you lose.
3. Double:
You double you bet but you are only allowed 1 more card.
4. Split:
If you have a pair or any two cards with a 10-point value, you have the choice of splitting them meaning you split the 2 cards you were dealt and double your original bet. At this point, the dealer will give each card (your pair that you split up) a second card. Then you can make all the standard choices from here (stand, hit or double). Aces are treated differently. The difference is simple, if you split two Aces, you will only get 1 more card. You can’t get a “Blackjack” on split cards, the best hand you can get is “21”. You can keep re-splitting up to a total of 4 hands.
5. Surrender:
You forfeit half of your wager and do not play out the hand. This option is only available on the initial 2 cards.
The dealer plays after each player at the table has had their turn. If the dealer has 16 or less, he will draw another card.
If the dealer goes over 21, everyone at the table that didn’t “bust” wins.
If the dealer does not “bust” then whoever has the higher total between the dealer and the player wins
Winning wagers pay even money (1:1…you win as much as you bet). If you have a blackjack that means it pays 3:2 (or 1.5 to 1 meaning if you bet $100 you win $150).
Time to talk strategy
Before we give you advice on how to play, we feel it’s important to start with what not to do. When playing online blackjack for real money, what not to do will save you as much money as any strategy we can possible give you. Here are a few tips:
Don’t be afraid to bust
Paying too much attention to the how the dealer plays
Basic strategy
There is a chart for basic poker strategy that details what you should do depending on the hand you have and what the dealer has. The thing is, unless you’re a professional Blackjack player, who really has time to memorize what should be done in every situation? That being said, if you’re playing online blackjack for real money, you want to at least have a plan in place to maximize your profits. With that being said here are some basic rules you shouldn’t break according to the math.
1. Surrender a “hard” 15 vs a dealer that shows a 10
2. You should always split Aces and 8’s
3. You should never split 5’s and 10’s
4. Double a “hard” 9 vs a dealer that has 3 to 6
5. Always hit “hard” 11 or less
6. Always “stand “on “soft” 19 or more
The thing about these basic rules is that it’s about math. In previous explanations, we went into great detail about the do’s and don’ts. The reason steps 1-6 are so straight forward is because that’s what math is. There are way more rules than what we presented but like we said earlier, that requires memorizing what to do with each possible hand that you may have vs each possible hand that the dealer may have. You will find that even people who consider themselves experienced players have a very hard time with this.
Counting Cards
Please be warned, this isn’t Hollywood. Counting cards in general should be left to the experts not to mention that it takes years of practice playing thousands of hands. The edge that people feel like they are getting from whatever card counting strategy can be misleading to say the least. Regardless if you are playing online blackjack for real money or doing it at a casino, you need to understand that “The House” (gambling terminology for a casino) will take every possible measure to stop that from happening. How do they do it? Online casino’s use a computer programme with a random number generator that gets these numbers from fresh deck after every hand. As for live casino’s, it depends on the machine. This is an online casino so it doesn’t apply but just for information purposes, if the casino you’re at is using a continuous shuffle machine, counting cards is impossible, don’t even bother.
