Learn the optimal Blackjack strategy and tips to ace at this game

If you’re looking to have fun playing games at your favored online casino, you will sooner or later end up playing some Blackjack online! As far as casino entertainment goes, this highly popular card game is an all-time favorite.

Blackjack rules are very easy to learn, and once you pick up some essential blackjack tips you’ll find much satisfaction playing cards and coming up with your own unique blackjack strategy.

We have prepared this article to help online casino players who are unfamiliar with Blackjack to quickly get started enjoying it! Read on to learn Blackjack rules and pay close attention to the simple but effective blackjack tips listed in the end of this article!

Blackjack rules are explained in simple terms here to get you started

Blackjack is a fast and furious duel of cards between the dealer and up to 8 players (in a casino setting), with each player taking turns to confront the dealer separately. The aim of each duel is to get as close as possible to 21 without busting, as counted by the value of the cards on the table.

The dealer keeps adding cards to your hand as you place your bets; if you can get 21 without “busting”, you take the money on the table. If you go over 21 (a “bust”) the dealer wins and you lose.

In other words, when you’re playing Blackjack online you’re always looking to beat the dealer’s own hand without busting (getting a hand over 21). Even though the dealer may interact with many players at once, all games are separate – meaning it’s essentially a one on one competition between player and dealer.

The value of the cards in blackjack is the number of the card; face cards are all worth 10 points – this includes 10, J, Q, K. Aces are special (and very useful cards) in this game, since they can either be worth 1 or 11 points according to your decision and convenience at the time of counting.

At the beginning of a game of Blackjack online, you’re typically dealt two cards face up and the dealer draws himself two cards – but only one is placed face up; the dealer’s last card is only revealed at the end of the game, to keep things interesting.

When it’s your time to play, you have two options available: “hit”, which means you want the dealer to add another card to your hand, and “stand”, meaning you’re happy with your hand and want to proceed to see the dealer’s hidden card and checking who wins.

Something to keep in mind: while there are many versions of Blackjack, and even though it’s not unusual for casinos to introduce their own variations, the essential universal rules are explained in this section. In any case, you may want to check any blackjack room you join for particular rules or game twists before you start playing. For example, many casinos will rely on using “a shoe“ – a mix of several decks to reduce chances that players will be able to count the cards to improve their chances of beating the dealer.

Some useful blackjack tips to help you sharpen your winning edge

If you happen to get 21 points with your first two cards, that’s called a “Blackjack” and you want instantly.

If you are dealt two equal cards in the initial draw, you can perform what is called a “split”, effectively creating both hands to be played separately and thus doubling the bet. You can also call a “double”, which means you want to add just one more card to your hand while doubling the bet.

When the dealer has drawn a face up 10, you get an additional option called “insurance”, which means you make a kind of side bet where you will get double the money if you end up hitting a Blackjack in that game. Though this is not a statistically advantageous position, you may want to call it when you have a strong intuition about your current hand.

You have another option available in standard Blackjack rules, called a “surrender”; this is when you decide to give up on the current hand and only lose half of your bet, rather than risking to follow up on the game and losing all your money. Knowing when to surrender can help keep your bottom line positive, when you play Blackjack for a while!