Blackjack is one of the most widely played online casino games, including at online casinos. The objective of Blackjack, or “21” is to accumulate cards with a total value of 21, or as close to 21 as possible, without busting. If the first two cards dealt contain an Ace and any other card valuing 10, this is known as “Blackjack”, which usually pays 1.5 to 1, unless the dealer ties with the player.
The value given to cards is as follows: The non-face cards are valued at face value. Face cards are valued at 10 points. Aces are either worth 1 or 11. It is worth 11 unless an 11 would cause your hand to bust.
To start playing Online Blackjack, you simply need to select the amount you want to bet by clicking on the chip denomination that you wish to play with. Once the bet is placed, to deal the cards, simply click on the “Deal” button. The dealer will deal you two cards face-up, and then he will deal himself two cards, one face-up and the other card is face-down on the table.
Based on the value of your cards, you will need to make one of six of following player options: “Hit”, “Stand”, “Double”, “Split”, “Surrender” or “Insurance”. The insurance bet if used correctly can save you a lot of money.
Once the player/dealer has decided the final value of their hands, the results are displayed on the screen. To play again betting the same amount, click “Rebet”. To play a new hand with a different bet amount, click on the different chip denominations to make your bet. The balance of your casino account is always displayed, so you know how much is in your bankroll to play with.
Stand: By clicking on the “Stand” button the player is declaring that they’re content with the value of their hand and that they don’t want additional cards. A player may stand at any time.
Hit: If the player is not content with the value of his or her hand the player can hit, which basically means that the player is requesting the dealer to deal an additional card. The player can hit and continue hitting until satisfied with the value of the hand.
Double: In most variations of Online Blackjack, if the first two cards dealt to you total 9, 10 or 11, an option to ‘double’ may be offered. If this option is selected, you will double the bet and get dealt one additional card and stand. Doubling may also be offered after splitting if the hand qualifies for doubling. If the player loses, he or she will lose the entire bet amount, the initial bet, and the additional amount wagered for the double option.
Split: If the player is dealt two cards of equal value (for example two 9’s or two Ace’s), the player can “Split” the cards into two separate hands. If this option is selected, you will make an additional bet which is equal to your original bet on the new hand.
Insurance: Insurance offers players the opportunity to protect themselves from a dealer blackjack. If the dealer’s up card is an Ace, the player can insure himself by clicking on the “Insurance” box. Insurance bets are half of the initial bet amount. Once insurance is taken, the bet pays 2 to 1 if the dealer gets a blackjack, and the player loses the original wager. If the dealer does not get blackjack, the player loses the insurance bet.
In blackjack, many players fall short of their true earning potential because they do not follow the basic strategy for every hand. And if players do follow the suggested strategy when they are winning, they deviate from the strategy when they’re down.
A good example of this is a player that has just lost a significant amount of money that is now in a position where the strategy recommends the player to double down, but instead of following basic strategy these types of players start looking for ways to reduce their losses as opposed to maximizing their wins.