It is still the most popular of all card games in casinos: Blackjack! Unlike many casino games, it takes a bit of skill as well as luck. With these tips and tricks, you’ll be ready for your next game.
Blackjack, 21, Vingt et un
Blackjack is said to have its origins in the French card game Vingt et Un, where 21 is the winning number. However, the popular card game got its name in the USA. There, an extra bonus was paid out if a player had the card combination of Ace and Jack of Spades. Spades is black in the French deck, and the Jack is called “Jack” in English. Accordingly, the name of the black Jack is “Blackjack”.
Today, Blackjack is the most popular card game in the world, including online casinos. Probably because the rules are quite simple and the player does not rely on luck alone, but can actively influence the course of the game. Of course, the bank always has the advantage, but with the right strategy you have a better chance of a successful game.
How does Blackjack work?
The game is played with French decks of cards, a maximum of six of 52 cards each are loaded into a so-called sled. The dealer draws cards for each player at the table. The goal is to get as close as possible to a score of 21 or even reach it exactly, but without exceeding it. If you don’t reach 21 exactly, you must at least match or beat the dealer’s score to secure your bet or win a prize.
These options are available
Anyone who sits down at a blackjack table, whether on-site or in an online casino, should know the most important rules and options of the card game. With the following tips and tricks you will be well prepared:
Double
This move is allowed only after the first two cards have been drawn. If you reach a score of 9, 10 or 11 with the first two cards, the chance of getting a score close to 21 in the next round increases. You can then double your current bet, but you will only receive one more card in the following round.
Doubling down (also called double down) is especially worthwhile if you have received two cards with a total value of 9, 10 or 11, as described above. At some tables, doubling down is only possible under these conditions. If you win the round, you get double the winnings. If you lose, however, the bank is sure of double the bet.
plitten
If you get the same card or two cards with the same value twice in the first two rounds, you have the option to split them and continue playing with two separate hands. In the best case this increases the chance of beating the dealer’s hand and at the same time you can double your winnings.
However, you will have to place the same bet on the table again for the newly created second hand. Of course, if both hands are lost, the double bet is gone as well. Contrary to the strategy for doubling down, a split is especially worthwhile with a hand that consists of two deuces (score of four), threes (score of six) or sevens (score of 14). With this starting position, it is difficult to continue playing with one hand or the chance of winning decreases. Accordingly, a split can increase your chances of winning here.
Insurance
An untypical term in gambling, but you can actually insure your bet. If the dealer gets an ace in the first round, then his chance of a blackjack and your loss is proportionally much higher. In this case, you can put half of your already placed bet on the table as insurance. If the dealer actually has a blackjack in the second round, the insurance bet is paid out 2:1, which makes up for the bet you made. You can thus start the next round without any losses.
But be careful: If the dealer does not draw a face card or 10 in the second round and you were wrong with your Blackjack guess, the insurance bet will be withdrawn by the bank. You can then continue to play, but it could still be that you lose the game and thus lose even more bet. Insurance is therefore controversial.
Surrender
The opposite of insurance is the surrender option. If you suspect after the first hand that you will not win against the dealer, you can surrender and get half of your bet back. In Europe this option is widespread, but in the USA it is not offered.
Whether to give up depends on the constellation of your cards compared to the banker. Basically, it can make sense if the dealer gets played an ace in the first hand and you don’t want to rely on the insurance, because you could end up losing even more bet.
Blackjack is and remains a game of chance. However, if you know the most important possibilities, you can at least set up a certain strategy. If you are playing for the first time, you can try out blackjack in demo mode at the online casino and get a feel for the game mode before placing a real bet.
