Play Blackjack Online

The game of Blackjack (21) is the most popular casino table game in the world today. An enticing blend of skill, strategy and luck, there's no wonder that blackjack is the most played casino table game around the globe.

In contrast to most casino games, players with knowledge and strategy can obtain an edge over the house. This makes Blackjack one of the few 'beatable' casino games. There are different forms of blackjack but all have the same basic premise – a player must have a hand value higher than the dealer's, without going over a value of 21 points.

The first actual references to Blackjack appear around the early 1700's in France. The card game made its way to America by the early 1800's and has been the country's most popular and favorite casino table game ever since. Online Blackjack is the ultimate combination of strategy/skill with an exhilarating measure of chance.

Learn The Basics of Blackjack
The game of Blackjack may seem as a straightforward and simple game to learn- It is! However, the beginner player must become well versed in the game dynamics before placing his first bet. If you can count to twenty one and are accurate in your arithmetic skills, you are already on your way to playing this widely popular casino game. Once your counting surpasses that twenty one mark (or “pontoon” in British English), rest assured your wallet will begin to hurt, so no need to show off how high one can count in this game.

Sitting yourself at the blackjack table pins you solely against the dealer and, unlike many other games, not against the other players. Blackjack rules are quite simple. The foremost objective is not to bust, or reach a hand with a higher total than 21. Only then can you still be eligible to vie with the dealer and be in the running to collect winnings.

Card values are the following: Two through ten are worth their face value and face cards (jack, queen, king) are worth 10. The ace’s value is 11 unless such a value would bring the player’s hand to a bust, in which case it is worth 1. The ways to reach that cherished 21 are varied: if in your two-card hand you’ve accumulated 21 through an ace plus a ten-value card, your work is done, for you’re an automatic winner (except for the rare cases that the dealer also has a blackjack, in which case nobody wins). If this is not your luckiest day and you have to work towards your win, you can do so by requesting (or “hitting”-see glossary of terms in the advanced player link) additional cards beyond the two dealt to you to get as close as possible to 21 without going over.

Ok, so how do I win?
As stated above, in this game, your only competitor is the dealer. He is bound by a set of rules that guide how he will play and represent the house. It is the player’s aim to gauge the dealer’s position throughout the game and make his moves accordingly. There is no reason why several players on the table can’t win simultaneously on the same hand.

Hit or stand on 17? Blackjack Strategy
It is the player's aim to take actions that will reduce the house's statistical advantage. By playing smart blackjack and knowing basic strategy, the player can increase his chances to win.
As stated already ("Learn the Basics of Blackjack"), the dealer at the blackjack table is guided by a set of rules that conduct his play in a specific way. A major one of these revolves around the number 17. The blackjack dealer is obligated to continue feeding his hand with more hits until he reaches a card value of at least 17, while the player may stop at any point he wishes.

Additionally, once the dealer reaches seventeen or above, he must stand and may not add any cards to his hand. You as the player are free to take your chances at such a stage and go for the low card values that would lead you closer to a 21. The house’s advantage is that it does not experience the dilemma in the way that the player does at such a stage since its actions are guided by rules. Attached is commonly-used chart of probability and basic strategy that has been used by players worldwide to determine how to act on certain hands and how beset the dealer.

The table below is a part of basic blackjack strategy and its purpose is to reduce the casino advantage to a smaller percentage. The strategy table is aimed to the Las Vegas Strip rules which is much more common than the Atlantic City rules where the dealer stands on a soft 17. Additionally, most casinos no longer offer the option to surrender.

Key:
S = Stand
H = Hit
D = Double
SP = Split
Rh = Surrender if allowed, otherwise Hit
Rs = Surrender if allowed, otherwise Stand
Rsp= Surrender if allowed, otherwise Split

Simpler than it looks:
This strategy chart may look overwhelming but it is actually quite easy to use. The left hand column shows all the possible combinations that you, the player, might start with when play begins. The dealer, as we’ve learned, only exposes the top card. It is based on the information of these three cards that the chart advises you how to take action. For example, if you were dealt an 11 and a 4, your hand total comes to 15. Locate this row in the “Your Hand” column. If in the same game the dealer’s face-up card is a nine, drag your finger across the 15 row until you reach the dealer’s 9 value column. The intersection of the two brings you to the letter ‘H’. This, according to the chart, is a situation in which you are statistically advised to hit. That is, the dealer has a high probability of beating your 15.

Set for yourself some more hypothetical hands like the one above and get well acquainted with the chart. Become a smarter player.

Who's counting cards? - Swinging the casino
Blackjack has long been a host to one of the casino's largest controversies- card counting. Gamblers have always attempted to "gain the edge" on the casino at the blackjack table.

Simplicity is its popularity: vingt-et-un, a short history of Blackjack
Twenty one. That’s the whole story. Ever since Blackjack’s French precursor originated around the year 1700, its main attraction to players has been its simplicity. Although it has experienced varying waves of popularity both in Europe and in the United States, it has always pulled gamblers to its simple and yet brilliant structure. A massage for the intellect, if you will. The game in its earlier form was played quite differently while sticking to the basic principles of every player trying to reach or get as close to 21. The earlier version of the game only permitted the dealer to double down. Players would owe triple the amount to the casino if the dealer received a natural hand.

And the name Blackjack?
During Twenty One’s arrival to the American gambling houses in the early 1900’s, its popularity was still modest. One of the incentives offered to lure players to the blackjack table was a bonus payout of 10:1 if the player’s hand included the Ace of spades and a black Jack (clubs or spades). The incentive offer has long been eliminated, but the catchy name has stuck with the game through its rise to casino popularity.