Blackjack Online: Game On!

As one of the most popular card games in the world, blackjack is often many an online gambling enthusiast’s first pick. Even though it looks pretty simple to grasp, the blackjack online game involves many strategies. Therefore, we have composed this guide to introduce you to various blackjack tips and tricks.

Game History

There are various speculations about the blackjack origins, but most researchers agree that the game probably started its journey around 1700 in French casinos. The French used to call this game “vingt-et-un,” which in their language means “twenty-one.” Once we get to the rules, you will see why people call it the 21-card game.

Today, blackjack can be found in any land-based or online casino and is one of the players’ favorites. You can deposit real money right away or, on most casino websites, try out a free blackjack online game version first. If you practice enough and manage to keep track of the cards and mathematically approach the game, the chances of you winning will increase significantly.

Table Layout and the Deck

Blackjack is played on a semicircular table that is usually set for seven players. In some instances, however, there may be only five seats available or as many as twelve. The players are seated at the front of the table while the dealer stands behind it.

Before you start to play blackjack online, other game specifics you should know about are the type and number of card decks used. This game uses a standard 52-card deck, and in most cases nowadays, dealers shuffle several decks. The most popular choice is the six-deck game with a total of 312 cards. In addition, the blackjack dealer uses a blank plastic card, which is not dealt but placed near the bottom of the deck to indicate when the cards should be reshuffled.

Now that you are familiar with the setting, let’s get down to business and learn how to play blackjack.

Blackjack Game Rules

First of all, let’s clarify what the idea behind this game is. You are playing against the dealer, not other players, and the ultimate goal is to beat the house by getting a score as close to 21 as possible or, ideally, hitting that exact number. If you go over 21, though, the game ends for you.

When it comes to card values, face cards are worth 10 while the others keep their actual value. The only exception is the ace, which can count as either 1 or 11, depending on the player’s decision.

Actual Gameplay

To start your blackjack game online, you need to place a bet and wait until all other participants do the same. Most casinos nowadays do not accept cash bets for blackjack, so you need to have the dealer exchange your money for casino chips. The minimum and maximum bet limits are set for each table individually and can go from as low as $2 to $500 or more.

When the dealer has finished shuffling the cards, they choose one of the players to cut the deck. Then, the above-mentioned blank plastic card is placed in the deck to keep the last 60 to 75 cards from being used in the game. The house does this to make counting the cards more difficult.

We encourage you to play the blackjack game online for free first until you get familiar with all the rules. Once you get the hang of everything, you can give blackjack online gambling for real money a try. If you are into crypto gambling, bitcoin blackjack options could be just the thing you have been searching for.

Whether fiat or crypto, once you’ve placed your first bet and the game begins, the dealer will give each player one card faceup and also one card faceup for themselves. Afterward, another round of cards is dealt faceup to the players, while the dealer takes their second card facedown. The next part is where playing the blackjack game online gets interesting.

If a player gets an ace and a face card or a 10, it means they’ve scored 21 – a “natural” or “blackjack.” A few scenarios are possible here:

• If the player has a natural and the dealer doesn’t, the dealer has to pay the player one and a half times the bet amount.
• If the dealer gets a natural, they take the bets of all players who don’t have naturals.
• If both the dealer and another player have a natural, that player can take their chips back.

If the dealer’s first card is an ace or a ten-value card, they can look at their face-down card to see if the two make a natural. If it’s not, they don’t check the face-down card until it’s their turn to play.

A good blackjack game strategy should come into play at this point. The player to the left is the first to start, deciding if they want to stand (not get any more cards) or hit (ask for another card). In other words, the player can remain with the two cards they started the game with or ask for additional cards to try and get as close to 21 as possible.

When the cards have been dealt to all the players, the dealer’s face-down card is turned up. If the sum is 17 or more, the dealer must stand; if it’s 16 or below, another card needs to be drawn.

Signaling intentions is not part of an online blackjack game, of course, but we’ll cover it briefly as well. When it’s your turn to play, you can simply say “hit” or scratch the table with a finger toward yourself if you want another card dealt. If you wish to stand, just say “stand” or “no more,” and the dealer will skip you.

If you get two cards of the same denomination at the very beginning, you can choose to treat them as two separate hands. In that case, you must put an equal bet on the second card as you did on the first one. If you split a pair like this, the two new hands will be treated separately throughout the game.

Another great thing about blackjack game bets is that you can double your initial bet in case your first two cards give a total of 9, 10, or 11. To illustrate, if you get two fives, you can double the bet, split the pairs, or just continue with the dealt hand.

If your hand surpasses 21, you have lost the game. If this happens to the dealer, they must pay each player who stayed below 21 the amount of their bet. When the house stands at 21 or less, the dealer needs to pay the players who have a higher total than them (but not over 21) and collect the bets of all those with lower scores.

Remember that you can put theory into practice by playing the blackjack online game for free on numerous gambling sites before placing any real bets.

FAQ

Is it illegal to play blackjack online?

In the US, no federal laws go against playing blackjack online. While the Federal Wire Act does regulate sports betting, the same does not apply to online blackjack, as these two are considered different types of wagering.

Can you make money playing online blackjack?

If you play blackjack using fiat or cryptocurrency deposits, you stand a chance to win some real money. Most online casinos will also give you a welcome bonus once you place your first bet on a blackjack online game.

How do you play blackjack online with friends?

All of the best online gambling sites include live blackjack as one of their main attractions. Unlike the demo options, these live-dealer games welcome multiple players, so you can simply invite your friends to join you at the same virtual table.

Is playing blackjack online worth it?

It depends on what you’re looking to achieve. Playing blackjack online can certainly entertain you for quite some time and, if it turns out that you’re good at it, it can also bring you some real money.