Since first being enjoyed in the houses of 18th century French aristocrats, Blackjack has fascinated all its players and today it is played in casinos all over the world. The only thing better than playing offline Blackjack is playing online Blackjack, and the guidelines below will help you make the most of it.
Blackjack for Beginners
Whether you play offline or enjoy real money blackjack Australia, principles are the same. Each player is dealt 2 cards to start with, as is the Dealer who represents the House. Many online games do feature Live Dealers, but if not the cards are dealt to the House itself. Face cards have a value of 10, Number cards carry their face value, and Ace cards are worth 1 or 11.
The objective of the game is always to get a hand total of 21, or as near to that as possible without going higher. This is where the game’s original French name, Ving-et-Un (Twenty One), comes from, and it is still often referred to as Twenty One. Once everyone has seen their hand, they can choose to draw more cards as they try to get nearer to this target total. Players are allowed to choose when they want to stand, while the House or Dealer must keep drawing until they have reached a total of at least 17. When everyone is standing, all hands are revealed. If your hand and the House hand are both under 21, you win if your total is the higher one and lose if it’s the lower one. If you tie with the House hand under 21 you’re allowed to keep your bet, and if both totals are over 21 the House wins automatically. A hand with an Ace and a Face card is called a Natural Blackjack and is the most rewarding, with a 3:2 return.
You need to place your bets before you see your hand, and then decide whether or not to draw more cards when you do see what you’ve been dealt. It’s this mix of random chance and strategic decisions that makes Blackjack so alluring and endlessly fascinating. For the thinking players of today, it’s one of the best table games available.
Online Blackjack Advantages
Playing at a land-based card table has many unique charms, but the perks of playing online blackjack games have made it the first choice of many. It’s much more convenient, of course, and is a lot more cost-effective as well. There are no travel costs or incidental expenses, and online establishments carry much lower overheads than their offline counterparts, allowing them to accept much lower starting bets.
There are several variations of the game, with subtle differences that pose different challenges and rewards, and it’s a lot easier to explore them all when you’re playing on your desktop or mobile device. You also have almost limitless resources at your disposal, so it’s a lot easier to develop your appreciation and insights when you’re playing online Blackjack. In addition to websites dedicated to explaining the rules and finer points of the game, you can join the vibrant online Blackjack community through chatrooms and noticeboards. These will give you even more useful information and add a great social dimension as well.
There are also plenty of specific tools to help you develop your strategy, such as tables displaying the odds of every possible hand, and how to bet in every situation. You can apply what you learn immediately, and can practice in a Free Play mode at most online casinos. The more you play online Blackjack, the more your skills will improve and so too will your winning chances.