Winning at Blackjack
Learn How to Play Blackjack with our Online Guide
Aim of Online Blackjack When you play Blackjack you compete only against the dealer. Your aim is to take cards until the total value of your hand is 21, or exceed the value of the dealer’s hand by getting as close as possible to 21, without exceeding it (going bust). You lose if you go bust, whatever cards the dealer holds.
The Rules of Blackjack
- The dealer keeps taking cards until they total at least 17.
- When the dealer draws a card which brings his total to 17 or more, he must stop, regardless of the value of the player's hand.
- Blackjack is declared if player or dealer has an ace and a ten-value card (ten, Jack, Queen and King all count as ten-value cards).
- Whereas other winning hands pay at “evens” (i.e. you win your original stake), Blackjack pays at odds of 3 to 2 (i.e. you win three chips for every two chips you bet).
- Aces can be worth either 1 or 11 whichever is better for your hand.
- Ten is the most common value for a card (as all tens and picture cards are worth 10 points).
- You can double your stake if your first two cards total 9, 10, or 11 (this is called “double down”). It can be worthwhile to do this if you think you are likely to be dealt a 10 next (thus getting to 19, 20 or 21). However, check the dealer’s card too! You are not allowed to double if you have an ace in your hand. It is also worth noting that you will only receive one more card when you double.
- If the value of the first two cards you are dealt is the same (NB picture cards must be the same, not just ten-value), you can opt to "Split". In effect, this doubles your stake and therefore doubles your chances of winning. Again, keep a weather eye on the dealer’s card before you "Split".
- If the dealer’s card is an ace, you will be able to place a side bet as "insurance" against the dealer declaring Blackjack. When the dealer has an ace, he has a good chance of declaring Blackjack because of the number of ten-value cards in the pack. If you buy insurance and the dealer gets Blackjack, the insurance pays at odds of 2 to 1. If you buy insurance and the dealer fails to get Blackjack, you lose your insurance money. Insurance bets are always half the value of your initial bet.
- When you play Blackjack in online casinos, you can play at your own pace. You do not need to worry if you take a while deciding whether to “hit” or “stand”, you can play the game in your own time. Of course, you do not have this luxury when you play at a live casino table.
Blackjack Strategy - Guide to Basics
Want to know whether to “Hit” or “Stand”?
Gaming world experts have developed a simple strategy to increase your chances of winning. This strategy may be used as a guide when deciding whether to request an extra card.
In the table below, the value of your hand is listed in the left hand column; the value of the dealer’s hand is on the top row. It is a good idea to print this table out and keep it with you when you are playing. The table is simply a guide to the basic decisions you need to make at Blackjack. We hope you will find it helpful, but many players have their own strategies and systems which may be quite different.
Blackjack Guide to Hit or Stand |
| | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Ace | | 8 | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | | 9 | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | | 10 | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | HIT | HIT | | 11 | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | HIT | HIT | | 12 | HIT | HIT | S | S | S | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | | 13 | S | S | S | S | S | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | | 14 | S | S | S | S | S | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | | 15 | S | S | S | S | S | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | | 16 | S | S | S | S | S | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | | Ace, 2 | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | | Ace, 3 | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | | Ace, 4 | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | | Ace, 5 | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | | Ace, 6 | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | | Ace, 7 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | HIT | HIT | S | | Ace, 8 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | | 2,2 | HIT | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | | 3,3 | HIT | HIT | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | | 4,4 | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | | 5,5 | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | HIT | HIT | | 6,6 | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | HIT | | 7,7 | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | HIT | HIT | S | HIT | | 8,8 | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | HIT | HIT | | 9,9 | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | S | SPL | SPL | S | S | | 10,10 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | | Ace,Ace | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL | SPL |
KEY:
| HIT |
Take another card |
| S |
Click STAND (do not take another card) |
| SPL |
Click SPLIT (separate your two cards and play a hand based on each) |
| DD |
Click DOUBLE (double your stake) |
Blackjack is a game of skill, but it is also a game of chance. Now that you know the rules and some strategies, why not visit one of our best online casinos and have a free game of Blackjack?
|
