Blackjack

Blackjack Intro

Blackjack is a world famous card game which is very popular both in online casinos and in land based ones. The game is also known as 21 – it comes from the max number of points you can get. Although blackjack is mainly a game of luck there are a few strategies that can help you win big. You also have to use logic, if you know math well – even better.

In a blackjack game you do not play against other players – your only opponent is tha casino. This does not mean that you will be alone at a blackjack table – there can be several other players.

The aim of the game is to beat the dealer by having more points. The points must not exceed 21, otherwise you lose.

History of blackjack

Believe it or not, the history of the famous blackjack game goes back to the 17th century and  the French casinos. Back then there was a game called “Vingt-et-un”, which in French means twenty-one. It had similar rules to modern blackjack, with the only difference that then only the croupier could double his bet.

Another interesting claim is that this blackjack actually originates from Spain. The rules were similar – you had to collect more points than your opponent, not exceeding 21.

No matter where it came from, blackjack made its way to North America. This happened in the 19th century, when laws on gambling on the continent did not yet exist.

Later, casinos began to use a special bet to attract more customers. This bet was called Blackjack and it is considered the beginning of the modern name of the game, the same as it is known today.

Today Blackjack is one of the preferred games, both in physical casinos and online. There is a reason for this, as the rules of blackjack are not too complicated and this makes it accessible to all types of players.

Key terms in blackjack

Before you start a blackjack game, it is very important to get acquainted with the most commonly used terms. They will help you in the course of the game and thus increase your chances of big winnings.

• Balanced count

This is a counting system and with it the sum of all cards in a deck have to be 0.

• Blackjack

This is the strongest card combination – an ace and another card that has a 10 value – J, Q, K or 10.

• Bankroll

This is the money you have in the game.

• Bust

Bust is simply a loss, also called a break. It is used when your cards exceed twenty one.

• Double or Double down

This doubles your bet – if you have good cards, the dealer will give you an extra card.

• Draw

The player receives one extra card after the initial first hand.

• Insurance

This a game option – you an use it if  the dealer draws an ace card as the first one and there is the cance he might form a blackjack.

Other blackjack terms

In addition to the above terms, there are many others that are more consistent with other varieties of classic blackjack Bulgaria.

• Even money

This term is used when the player has already made a Blackjack, and the croupier draws an ace for the first card, he can offer him even. Then the player takes a 1: 1 win, getting the opportunity to avoid a draw and then lose everything.

• Hard hand

Hard hand is also known as a heavy hand. Here the player does not have an ace in his hand and is in danger of losing the next draw.

• Soft hand

Soft hand is the opposite situation of hard hand. In it, the player holds an ace in his hand.

• Split

This means division. It is undertaken when the player has two cards with the same points. Then he has the right to split them and play with each of them separately. This will allow him to bet on both hands and also double his bet.

• Stand off

This is the situation when the croupier and the player have an equal value of the cards they hold. In this case, no winner is announced and the player gets his bet back.

• Unbalanced count

Unbalanced counting means that after the sum of all the cards in the deck, the final result is different from 0.

• Bust card

A bust card is one whose value exceeds the total sum of the cards you hold. In this case it is more than 21.

Blackjack  Rules

Blackjack rules are simple and easier than those in other games with cards. Thus, the game is suitable for beginner players as well.

In a blackjack game you will be seated in a semicirled table. The players are on the side that is rounded and the dealer is on the other side. The number o fplayers varies – from to 2 to 7 and this includes the dealer.

Blackjack is played with a few deck of cards and your only goal is to beat the dealer. You must have cards that are valued more that his cards in order to beat him and win. Be careful, the value should not go over 21.

At the start of the game, the dealer gives a card to each of the players and himself. If the dealer gets an ace he has to offer the insurance option to all players. Then the dealer gives another card to all participants and this continues until someone gets the value of twenty one. If the dealer forms a blackjack an dthe players have used the insurance option, they receive half of their bet back.

Types of blackjack

You can play blackjack online in two ways – live or video game. It all depends on your preferences and skills for the game itself. The difference between the two is that in the video game the cards are dealt and counted by computer software, and in the live game this is done by a real dealer.

On the other hand, the famous blackjack game has many variants, which are played all over the world. It is divided into several types, and we can say that their rules are similar, but there are some differences.

Classic blackjack

In a classic game of blackjack you have 8 decks with 52 cards. After the card shuffle, the dealer give the players one card each, the dealer himself does not get a hiddn card. When there are sixteen heavy cards or less or seven soft hands, the dealer gets a new card.

If the player forms a blackjack – meaning his card s value equals 21, the casino pays his winnings in a 3:2 ratio. If the player losses, he losses only his initial bet. The not eliminated bets are taken as equal and are not refunded.

With the classic version of the game the player has only a min amount of bets where he will have the chance to double. But he will have the opportunity to split – either the same cards pair or the same value cards. This gives 2 separate game hands and the player is required to place a new bet with the same value as his first one.

A drawback to the classic variant is that you will not have the chance to withdraw from the game. You can only opt for insurance if you consider the dealer will get blackjack. This way, if you lose, your bet will be given to you in a 2:1 ratio.

European blackjack

European Blackjack is hugely famous worldwide not only within Europe. The rules are different than those in the classic variant. For a start, the game is played with 6 decks of fifty-two cards.

The croupier shuffles the decks and begins with dealing the first hand – no hidden card for him here either. A new card is drawn once there are 17 soft hands and a blackjack pays 3:2.

This version of the blackjack game has a requirement for the min bet – it is 1. After placing the bet, you can double it with the next hands you  get  – these contain 2 cards. After the next, third card, you can no longer be able to withdraw from the game.

You can split in this version just as you can do it in the classic one. This creates 2 separate hands – bets have to be the same amount as the first one. A difference in this type of blackjack game is that you can stop your participation in the game. If the croupier does not get an ace, you can return the dealt hand with 2 cards and get back half of your original bet.

Spanish blackjack

With this type of blackjack the players have 48 card decks. There are 8 decks in this game. The good news with this version is that if both the player and the croupier form a winning blackjack – the player always wins. Otherwise the rules are similar to those in the classic game.

This version lets you withdraw from the game at a later stage – if you consider your  cards not good enough.

Pontoon blackjack

Pontoon Blackjack is quite similar to classic blackjack. It involves 6 decks with 52 cards, and in the first hand each player receives 2 cards face up. The croupier also gives two cards to himself, but they remain hidden. In this way, they will remain a mystery to the players until the very end and they will not know whether the croupier has blackjack or not.

One more significant difference that we could note comes from the very name of this game, Pontoon. This is the name of the winning combination of cards and it is composed in several ways, and finally the sum of the values ​​of the cards should be 21.

Atlantic City Blackjack

Atlantic City Blackjack is one of the most popular blackjack games in North America and around the world. Here you will also notice a lot of similarities with the classic version, starting with the required number of decks of cards with which each game begins. There are eight of them with 52 cards, which are shuffled at each start. Initially, the dealer here will receive a hidden card and has permission to check for Blackjack immediately.

After you make your first bet, you will receive your first cards, and all the rules we have described for the classic version of the popular blackjack game still apply. If you want to play a more careful game, you can apply a double or insurance or even give up at any time if you think your cards are not strong enough.

Blackjack switch

Blackjack Switch is probably the most interesting version of classic blackjack. Here the main difference that you will be able to notice is in the hands that the players receive at the very beginning. Unlike other types of blackjack, with Blackjack Switch, you will get two hands and you will have the opportunity to change the first cards in the next hand.

This type of game can involve four, six or eight decks of 52 cards, which are shuffled at the beginning. Each table position has two betting boxes instead of the standard one. Here you can use split, double and other standard online blackjack rules.

Successful Strategies for Blackjack

Without a doubt, before you start any blackjack game, you need to know the basic blackjack strategies that will help you win. It is also a fact that regular practice will improve your skills.

1. The main blackjack strategy – It has a lot of variations, but all of them will give you a mathematical advantage. If you stick to this strategy, your chances of losing will be significantly reduced. It will require you to familiarize yourself with all the probability tables and charts that are included in it. Another positive aspect of the main strategy is that it will reduce the casino’s advantage to a minimum.
2. Double your bet – Doubling your bet is a strategy in many other card games. This system is quite old and is used by many casino players. The only setback with it is that it requires you to have a larger budget – necessary if you get more losing hands. This strategy is kind of similar to Fibonacci and Martingale – 2 very well know strategies for other casino games as well.
3. Strong / weak card – This is an online blackjack strategy used by players everywhere. The principle here is anti-logic – after each strong card that the croupier deals, there is a possibility that the next one will be a weaker one.

It is advisable to use these and other blackjack strategies very carefully and responsibly. Winnings are not guaranteed, but if you use these tricks, you will definitely increase your chances of success.

Card counting in a blackjack game

Blackjack card counting is something that has been used since the early years of the last century. In the beginning it was allowed, while now in 99% of casinos, it is forbidden. But even if it was allowed, in the various online blackjack games, counting is impossible for a number of reasons.

There are several types of card counting ways.

Simplified method

This method is based on how many high (strong) cards are left in the deck that the croupier can draw. If there are very weak cards (under 7), the chances of one of the next ones being high are very high. It is then recommended that each player bet a larger amount. This is especially true for bad combinations by the dealer.

Standard counting

This type of counting is more complex than simplified. Each card has a different value (points), which is set in advance. During the game, you have to monitor the ratio very carefully and count. And here is the scoring table:

• +1 for low value cards: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
• 0 for cards: 8 and 9
• -1 for cards with a strong value: 10
• -2 for ace cards

If the sum of the cards on the table is positive, then your chance of success is greater than that of the croupier. But if the value is negative, the dealer has a better chance of being the ultimate winner.

As already mentioned, card counting is prohibited in all blackjack games. If you do not want to be caught, you will have to learn to do it quickly, almost automatically. What you need to remember is that when you play in a virtual casino, this trick is not possible. In the online version of the game, the cards alternate randomly.

Professional method

This method of counting cards is not new and has also been used for many years. It is definitely a much more sophisticated version of the above methods. We will not be able to show you exactly how it works, because it is much more difficult to understand. You will find everything about this way of counting blackjack cards in the specialized literature.

Blackjack Chances of winning

The odds of winning in blackjack can reach 42.22%. However, this does not mean that the casino wins in 57.78% of cases. This is because there is a third possible result – a tie. On average, 8.48% of blackjack games end in a tie, leaving the probability of losing 49.10%.

These chances can vary considerably in the case of European blackjack or Spanish blackjack. It depends on the blackjack variant, the rules for the player and the dealer and your style of play. Players without strategy, for example, will see that their chances of winning blackjack are drastically reduced.

Blackjack FAQ