Most people have heard of blackjack, even if they’ve never had a shot at playing it. Is this the most famous card game in the world? It’s certainly one of the easiest games to understand, although you shouldn’t be fooled – it’s easy to understand but not as easy to play as you might think.
If you are curious about blackjack and you would like to know more about it, check out our review of online blackjack right here. If you have any questions, chances are the answers you want are here.
What is blackjack?
This is a card game where you are dealt two cards to begin each hand. The dealer receives two cards as well. You must try and get a total of 21 to achieve blackjack in that hand, i.e. to get a winning hand. If you go over, you go bust.
What happens if you get close to 21 but don’t hit that magic number? Relax – you could still be the winner. You need to get closer to 21 than the dealer, but of course you cannot go over that number. Hit 22 and it is game over.
The simplicity of the game attracts lots of people. You can understand the rules in just a few seconds. You couldn’t say that of the various types of poker games out there, or indeed many other card games. That’s why it attracts beginners, especially those looking to play in online casinos.
How many types of blackjack are there?
Classic blackjack is the one most players will be familiar with. This works as described above. It might be played with a single deck, although it is possible to introduce as many as eight decks in this version of the game. You receive two cards to begin the game, both facing down. The dealer receives two cards as well, although in their case only one card (the hole card) is face down.
If their face-up card is a 10 or an ace, the other card is viewed by the dealer. If the value of that card gives them blackjack (i.e. 21), the game ends there.
Some casinos offer progressive blackjack as well. This works in the same manner as the classic game, with the addition of a progressive jackpot. This usually requires the player to wager an extra bet on top of whatever they have wagered on their hand. Without that extra bet, you don’t get a chance to scoop the big prize.
Another popular variant is European blackjack. This uses two decks of cards and the dealer only sees the value of their upturned card. Even if that card is a 10 or an ace, they don’t check the other one prior to play beginning.
Here are some other forms of blackjack you might encounter:
Zappit
Perfect Pairs
Blackjack Switch
Super Fun 21
Spanish Blackjack
What is the house edge in blackjack?
Did you know blackjack has the lowest house edge of all the available casino games you could play?
The house edge is the percentage of takings the house will retain as profit on those games. For example, a house edge of 1.5% (commonly seen in online blackjack games) means that $1.50 out of every $100 wagered will be retained by the casino.
The house edge you will experience as a player will depend on how skilled you are at playing the game. The more experienced you are, the lower the house edge could potentially be. If you want to get the best odds of amassing some winning hands, read as much as you can about the game. Make sure you understand when to request another card, when to stick with what you have, and how to work out what the dealer could potentially have.
Practice before you play for real
This is the best way to find out how blackjack works when you’re sitting in front of your computer ready to try the game for real. Most casinos allow players to try blackjack games via the demo version. This plays the same as the real thing, only with demo credits loaded for you to use. Any winnings are retained in the game as demo credits, so there’s nothing to withdraw. However, you do get the chance to see how to play variants of the game.
Online blackjack attracts lots of fans thanks to its relative simplicity and its appealing house edge. Will this prove to be one of your favorite casino games too?
