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Blackjack has been played in the U.S. since the 1800's and is a favorite amongst gamblers world wide. It originated in French casinos in the early 1700's, where it was called "vingt-et-un" ("twenty-one"). The name, Blackjack is derived from a player holding a Jack of Spades and an Ace of Spades as the first two cards to which the player is awarded extra pay. The black suit, Spades added to the winning Jack brought about the name we use today, Blackjack. The rules of the game are actually quite simple and easy to learn. There are however, numerous strategies a player can learn to increase their odds. The standard set of 52 playing cards is used and players do not compete against each other, they compete against the dealer
Cards:
Online single and multi box format blackjack can be played with one to six (depending on the casino) standard decks of 52 cards, jokers omitted. Most online casinos offer single and multi deck blackjack games.
Values of Cards:
Kings, Queens, and Jacks = 10
2-10 = face value
Aces = 1 or 11
No significance is given to any of the four suits.
Online blackjack is a card game where the player competes against a computerized dealer. The player wins when the total value of cards in his hand is closer to 21 than those held by the dealer, without exceeding 21. A hand with a value over 21 is called a "bust" and loses automatically. If the player and the dealer tie with the same final card total, neither wins and the player's bet is returned. This is called a "push". The player wins one and a half times his bet if his first two cards total 21 - BLACKJACK.
The dealer is dealt two cards and the player is dealt two cards in each box that the player has placed an anti. The player's cards are dealt face up, while only the dealer's first card is shown. If the player wants another card, they click HIT and can "hit" as many times as they wish as long as the total of his cards does not go over 21. If the total of the player's cards exceeds 21, it is called a "bust" and results in an automatic loss.
Once a player is satisfied with the cards he is holding, he should click STAND. This is repeated for all the boxes the player is playing. Once the player is finished, the dealer will turn to expose his face down card and decide whether he's going to take another card or stand. The most common rule is that the dealer must "hit" on a 16 and "stand" on a 17. Essentially, the dealer must have cards totaling 17 or more. Once the dealer is satisfied with the cards he is holding, the winner is decided. If the player's card total is greater than the dealer's, or if the dealer "busts", the player is declared the winner.
If there is a tie between the player's card total and the dealer's card total, then it's called a "push" and nobody wins.
Blackjack is awarded when a player or dealer is dealt a 10-value card (a 10, king, queen or jack of any suit) plus an ace in their first hand. If a player gets a blackjack, the player wins 1.5 times their bet or automatically loses if the dealer has blackjack. If both are dealt a blackjack, then it's called a "push" and nobody wins. If the player has blackjack, but the dealer has 3 cards that add up to 21, the player still wins the hand even though both hand values are 21.
If the face-up card of the dealer is an ace, the player has the option of buying "insurance" by betting an additional 0.5 times his original bet. If the dealer gets blackjack, after the player has bought insurance, the player will win two times his insurance bet. If the dealer does not get blackjack, then the player loses his insurance bet and the result of his original bet is determined by the total of his cards vs. the dealer's cards.
If a player is dealt two cards of the same value (including two of the same face cards), he has the option of "splitting" the cards and double his initial bet. He is now able to play two hands of blackjack, one at a time. The first hand is dealt a second card, then the player must decide whether he would like to STAND or HIT. Once the player is finished with the first hand, he can move onto the second, repeating the same process. After the player is satisfied with both hands, the dealer will take his turn. The dealer will now reveal his other card and must take additional cards or "hits" until he has a total of 17 or more.
The player has the option to double his bet after viewing his initial two cards. He will then be allowed only one additional HIT to complete his hand. Some casinos also allow a player to double down after a Split, except in the case of two aces.
Winning hand = 1 to 1
Insurance = 2 to 1
Blackjack = 3 to 2
Click the chips in order to place your bet (the amounts vary between online casinos).
Click DEAL to deal the cards
Choose between HIT, STAND, INSURANCE, SPLIT, and STAND, depending on the cards you have received.
Below are three charts that show you basic strategy, based on the two cards that you have been dealt and the dealer's single card that is face-up.
| H
= HIT
|
D
=
DOUBLE |
S
=
STAND |
P
=
SPLIT |
If
double after splitting
is not allowed P*
=
HIT
|
|
