Blackjack is one of the most popular games people like to play at casinos. The game has long been considered as the only casino game where players can win over the casino. It doesn’t require being a professional to beat the dealer in Blackjack.
Players with above the average knowledge of the game have higher chances in Blackjack than the casino.
Either way, Blackjack remains one of the favorite games for players that enjoy involvement and strategy. Read on this page to find out all about Blackjack rules and the best strategies to play.
The origin of Blackjack has been a mystery for a while now. Despite continuous search efforts, there is still no exact time or date of when Blackjack was created. The general consensus is that the game originated in French casinos around the year 1700. Blackjack was originally called Vingt-et-Un, which is French for twenty-one.
There have also been rumors circulating that this game was created by the Romans. In any case. Blackjack made its way to Nevada in 1931 and gained massive popularity in America’s first state to legalize gambling.
Nevertheless, casino rules for Blackjack have slightly changed when the game first hit American casinos. Afterward, almost all versions of the game available online and offline were based on the American version.
In this form, the dealer represents the house and deals with the players’ cards facing down on the table.
Cards can be held by players only after the dealing turn is completed for all players.
Dealer waws allowed to double in the original form of the game, making today’s version different.
These days dealers also put the plastic card in the lower middle of the deck. This way, over 70 cards shouldn’t be dealt at all and card counting becomes almost impossible.
However, there are indications that card counting is still present nowadays as such experts know how to beat the game. After 3 centuries of the game history, blackjack is now among the most popular casino games. New casino websites always put various versions of the game in their offer to please Blackjack lovers of all kinds.
The game of Blackjack is played with one or more decks of cards, and each number or face on the card holds a point value. The two through 10 cards are worth their face value, kings, queens, and jacks are worth 10 points, and aces can either be one or 11 points. The games are usually played on an arc-shaped table, and up to seven players can play against the dealer. Typically there is some sort of placard explaining the minimum and maximum bets allowed at the table.
Anyhow, playing actually begins after the gamblers place their betting chips in the betting square. After all, bets are placed, the dealer commences dealing out cards. The goal is to get 21 points or beat the dealer without going over 21 points. Basically, how a hand goes is that the dealer will deal the players one card up and one card down, and the deal himself the same. Then the players will either take a card or stand on the cards they already have.
The dealer must at least score more than 16 and must stand on anything 17 or higher. The action of taking another card is called a “hit”. Players will want to take a “hit” in hopes of getting closer to the prize of scoring 21. If a player continues to takes hits and scores over 21, then they “bust”. A “bust” is the term used to explain scoring over 21 which results in an automatic loss. Players don’t always have to take a hit, they can “stand”. A “stand” is when a player decides that the cards he has already are good enough to beat the dealer.
Sometimes players feel that the next card they are going to take is going to be the one they win with. If that is the case, they could do what is called a “double down”.
A double down is when someone doubles their original bet for one more card. If someone is dealt two of the same card, they could “split” the two cards and have two chances of scoring 21. In a split, the gambler places double his original bet to turn one hand into two and play out both hands in a normal fashion. On some hands, the dealer may show a face card or an ace.
At the point, it may be a wise decision for gamblers to take “insurance” out on that hand. Also, insurance is pretty much a bet that the dealer has a blackjack. Winning the insurance will just cause someone to break even on their bet.
If a player is dealt cards resulting in 21 it is called a Natural. If it happens so that players have a natural and the dealer doesn’t then the dealer pays out one and a half times the player’s bet.
The ultimate strategy of Blackjack is being able to count cards, but for those who can’t count cards here are some basic points. One of the first things to know is to never surrender. Some casinos allow surrender which is when players are allowed to give up their hand, after a dealer checks for blackjack, to lose half of their bet. Surrender is just too much to think about when playing, and essentially the individual loses money without even playing a hand. When it comes to splitting, never split tens.
Always split 8’s and aces, otherwise take a hit. If a player starts out with a 10 or face card, it is likely that they may want to double down. Double down is a great tool to use if the player is confident that they are going to win the hand. The last strategy is to either take a hit or stand. The rule of thumb really is to take a hit if you have 16 or lower and stand on 17 or higher. The only reason someone should take a hit on 17 is if the two cards are an ace and 6. In that case, the player should do what he feels best.
Knowing just ordinary rules and strategies won’t help players winning money on Blackjack. It takes all kinds of deviations and additional rules to truly get the upper hand in the card game.
Among some of the well known Blackjack strategies, flat betting would be the easiest one. Also, this strategy requires splitting the betting budget into 20 small portions and wage the same in each play.
Blackjack is definitely one of the most popular casino games today. The rush and excitement people get from playing are similar to something like skydiving or rollercoaster riding. All in all, the first stop at any casino should be the Blackjack table.