Blackjack is a comparing card game, in which a player or multiple players compete against a dealer. Alternatively known as Twenty-One, the blackjack game is perhaps the most popular and widespread form of card gambling. It is no surprise that online blackjack has become a prominent feature in online casinos. Whether you play a land based or online blackjack casino in India, you’re most likely in for an exciting experience. The rules are not that hard to follow, and leaves much allowance for strategizing, while still being in the realm of fairness as regulated by casinos. After getting a good grasp of the basics, you may be able to pull off a real money blackjack win.
How the game works
Your main objective when winning blackjack is beating the dealer. This means that you must draw a hand higher than the dealer’s, having the dealer draw a value that exceeds 21, or by drawing a hand total of 21 with your initial two cards while the dealer does not. Likewise, the dealer can beat you if your hand value is greater than 21, or if their hand has a higher value than yours when the round has been completed.
Cards are given face or pip value, while it is up to the player to decide whether their ace is worth a 1 or an 11. They can use this to their advantage to help them get a more ideal hand. Face cards Jack, Queen, and King are valued at 10.
While a standard 52 pack of cards can be used, most casinos use multiple card decks and shuffle them together. A game that uses six decks, with 312 cards in total, is the most popular variation. The dealer has a blank plastic card which is never dealt, but hidden at the bottom to signal when it’s time to reshuffle. If more than four decks are used, cards are dealt from a shoe.
Gameplay
Once players have placed their wagers, a dealer distributes cards clockwise amongst the players, with one card facing up being slid to each player, and another card facing down for themselves. This will cycle through until each player has two up-facing cards before them, while the dealer has one card facing up, and another facing down.
The player on the dealer’s left begins the game. All players must then decide how to play their hand. For the first hand, a player must add their card values and determine a total that ranges from 4 to 21. If your value is at 21, which means a ten and an ace, then you’ve won the round with a blackjack. A blackjack will win you more or less double your wager without having to play through the rest of the round, so long as the dealer does not have a Blackjack as well.
However, if neither you nor the dealer have a blackjack, then it’s time to decide how to play your hand. There are five ways to do this. First, stand. This means that your first two cards have been deemed acceptable and your dealer will move to the succeeding player. The second, hit. This signal means you would like more cards added to improve your total. You will be given more cards until you exceed 21 or choose to stand. Third, double down. This is when you have a total that works in your favor, but need one more card to double your wager. Fourth, split. If you have cards of equal value, you can put up a second bet and have the dealer split the two cards. Each card becomes the first card on a new hand. Lastly, surrender. If you want to give up your hand for half your bet back, you can do this. This is for when you’ve drawn a particularly bad hand that would not be favorable for you to play.
Blackjack strategies
As in all gambling and games of chance, it helps to work with the knowledge that you do have. let your strategy always consider the dealer’s upcard. If it’s good, which means a 7 or greater, then do not stop drawing until you reach at least 17. If the dealer’s upward is 6 or less, stop drawing when you get 12 or more. Never take a card if there is a chance you may go bust (exceeding 21); this is the main thing you want to avoid in blackjack. However, if the dealer’s card is 1,2, or 3, then stop at a total of 13 or more. This is the basic strategy in blackjack.
Gambling expert John Marchell has key pieces of advice for blackjack beginners: stand when you have a 12-16 hand while the dealer has 2-6; hit if you have a 12-16 while the dealer has 7-Ace; split aces and 8s; double 11 against 2-10 on the dealer’s end; hit or double a total from aces-6. Try to avoid sitting in the first base chair, the chair to the immediate left of the dealer, as this will give you less time to review your hand and the dealer’s up-facing card, which means less time to strategize.
Try to smart with small bets to judge how the rest of the game may go, and see whether the dealer is “hot or cold.”
Why play blackjack online
Blackjack is one of the most common casino games online you can find at almost any online casino. Moving blackjack to a virtual setting has introduced a number of new benefits to players that land-based casinos cannot offer. For one thing, it’s easier to concentrate on blackjack without the crowds and noise of a casino. Online casinos also offer free trials to get a better feel of things before putting real money on the line. There is also a readily available set of rules that the player can reference at any time before beginning the game.
Another great edge that online blackjack offers is the number of bonuses provided by virtual casinos. Sometimes bonuses are specifically marketed for blackjack players, so you can enjoy an increase on your possible winnings. Enjoy a lucrative game of blackjack from anywhere in the world, at your own leisure and convenience.
