Blackjack – The Game
The game of Blackjack is one of the most popular card games around either in a land-based casino or an online casino. Blackjack is one of the few games in which the house has very little edge over the players. A little bit of math goes a long way in Blackjack.
There are various factors to consider before jumping into a game of Blackjack. The basic ones are:
- Choosing a table
- Buying Chips
- Making a bet
- Cashing in
At land-based casinos you have the luxury of choosing a table with lower table limits or a table with fewer decks. But at online casinos all tables run a standard 8-deck game.
Blackjack Basics
Premise of Blackjack:
In Blackjack, you and the dealer (the computer) are dealt two cards to start. The objective of Blackjack is to have a hand value that adds up closer to 21 than that of the dealer's cards, without going over 21.
The hands of other players do not matter. The match-up is always one-on-one, you against the dealer.
Values of the cards:
- Ace - 1 or 11 (if counting the Ace as eleven would put the hand over twenty-one, the Ace is automatically counted as one instead).
- The value the Ace has as it's always assumed to have the value that makes the best hand.
- Cards 2 through 9 - valued as indicated.
- 10, Jack, Queen, and King – 10.
- For example, a hand containing a Jack, Ace, and 4 has a value of 15.
Note that the Ace is counted as one in the above example.
How to Play the Game:
You begin a hand of Blackjack by placing a bet on the table as described above. You will then receive two cards face up. The dealer will receive one card face up and one face down. Once you have been dealt your two cards (and based on the nature of these cards) you can do the following by clicking with the left mouse button on the appropriate button:
Hit:
Requests another card. You can request a hit as many times as you like, but if your total goes over twenty-one, you will "bust" and lose the hand.
Stand:
Requests that you receive no more cards. The hand as it currently stands will be judged against the dealers.
Split:
If you have two cards of the same denomination, a Split button will appear. You can split your cards into two hands and play each hand separately. Your original bet will be duplicated for the new hand. Each hand will be played out as usual except when splitting Aces, where only one additional card per hand is dealt. A white box displaying your card total will appear over each hand indicating which hand is active. The split option can only be used once per hand -- you cannot split part of a split hand. Any winning 21 obtained after splitting a pair is paid 1-to-1.
Double Down:
If you select this option, three things will happen: you will get exactly one more card, your turn will end, and your bet will be doubled.
Insurance:
Buying insurance gives you the chance to protect your wager, in
case the dealer may have Blackjack. When buying insurance,
place half of your original and if the dealer does not have
Blackjack, you lose your insurance bet, if the dealer does have
Blackjack, you receive a payout of 2 to 1.
Note:
The Double Down and Split options will only be active immediately after you receive your first two cards. If the dealer has an Ace showing, you will be offered a chance to buy Insurance for half of the amount you bet. When you buy insurance you are, in effect, making a second bet. You are betting that the dealer has a natural Blackjack. If the dealer does have a natural Blackjack (in other words, his down card is a ten or a face card), you will collect a payoff of 2 to 1 on your insurance. You will also lose your original wager, unless you have a natural Blackjack too. If the dealer does not have a natural twenty-one, the rest of the hand is played out as usual and you will lose your insurance money.
If you win the hand, you will get back your original bet plus the same amount in profit. A hand that consists of an Ace and any ten value card is called a natural twenty-one, or a natural Blackjack (except in the case of a Split hand - see details above). If you win with a natural Blackjack, you will be paid off at three-to-two odds, which means you get your original bet back plus 150% profit. (So if you bet $50 and win with a natural twenty-one, you get $50 (your bet) plus $75 (your bet plus half of your bet), which totals to $125.
Blackjack Basic Betting Methods:
Increase as You Lose Systems
With this type of betting system you increase the amount of your bet each
time you lose a hand. Example: Bet one unit, lose, bet two units, lose, bet
three units win, bet one unit. In this progression, the player increases his bet
after ever loss and returns to his original bet after a win.
Increase as You Win Systems
With this type of betting system, you increase your bet after every win.
Example: Bet one unit, win, bet two units, win, bet three units, win, bet four
units, lose, bet one unit. In this progression, the player increases his bet
after every win and returns to his original bet after a loss.
Blackjack Strategy Table:
|
Four Decks or More - Dealer Stands on
Soft 17 |
|
Dealers Hand |
| Your Hand |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
A |
| 8 |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 9 |
H |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 10 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
| 11 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
| 12 |
H |
H |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 13 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 14 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 15 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H/R |
H |
| 16 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H/R |
H/R |
H/R |
| 17 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
| A,2 |
H |
H |
H |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A,3 |
H |
H |
H |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A,4 |
H |
H |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A,5 |
H |
H |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A,6 |
H |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A,7 |
S |
D/S |
D/S |
D/S |
D/S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
| A,8 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
| 2,2 |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 3,3 |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 4,4 |
H |
H |
H |
Spi |
Spi |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 5,5 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
| 6,6 |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 7,7 |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 8,8 |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
| 9,9 |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
S |
Spi |
Spi |
S |
S |
| 10,10 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
| A,A |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
Spi |
| H |
Hit |
| S |
Stand |
| D |
Double (Hit if not allowd) |
| D/S |
Double (Stand if not allowd) |
| Spi |
Split |
| Spi |
Split to double after a split (Hit if not
allowd) |
| Spi |
Split to double after a split (double if not
allowd) |
| Spi |
Split to double after a split (stand if not
allowd) |
| H/R |
Surrender if allowed, otherwise hit |
| S/R |
Surrender if allowed, otherwise stand |
| P/R |
Surrender if allowed, otherwise split |
|
