This page contains everything you need to know about blackjack, aka 21. Blackjack is arguably the world’s favorite card game (the only close contender is poker).
In this blackjack guide, you’ll learn how to play blackjack, how the different game variants work, and how to win blackjack more often. You can read this from start to finish if you’re a blackjack beginner, or you can skip ahead to the most relevant section for you if you’ve played before.
How to Play Blackjack for Beginners
Blackjack is an incredibly easy card game. There are some more complex options which we’ll get into later, but for now, let’s cover the basic way to play online blackjack.
You’ll play blackjack against the casino dealer. After you have placed your opening bets, she will deal two cards to you, and two to herself to start the game.
The objective of blackjack is to get a hand value worth 21. If you can’t make 21, the objective is to get as close to 21 as possible without exceeding it. You need to decide whether you want to hit, which means request another card, or stand, which means to play your hand as it is. Some players feel it isn’t advisable to hit if you have a hand value worth 17 or more.
If you hit, a new card will be dealt. Remember that if you exceed 21, you bust and lose the game. You can request multiple hits. Once you decide to stand, the dealer will decide what she’ll do according to the blackjack rules.
Finally, the showdown will occur. It’s your hand vs. the dealer’s hand. If neither you or the dealer has 21, the highest-value hand which is closest to 21 without going over it wins. For example, if you dealer has a hand worth 19 and you have a hand worth 20, you win.
There are some other blackjack rules such as surrendering, splitting cards, doubling down, and so on. We’ll explore those in greater detail in this blackjack guide. To begin with, memorize the above. It will stand you in good stead when playing any blackjack game.
Before we get into the different variants of blackjack, it will be good to cover what some of the blackjack basics. If you memorize these as well as the sequence of gameplay outlined above, you’ll be able to play just about any blackjack game.
Blackjack – Some of the Need to Know Basics
You’ll need to familiarize yourself with the following blackjack concepts to be able to fully understand the game properly.
Hand Values: The first thing we need to address is blackjack card values. All cards are worth their numerical value (e.g., an eight is worth eight), while face cards like Jacks, Queens, and Kings are worth 10 each. An Ace can have a value of one or 11. So, if your first hand is an Ace and a 10 of Hearts, you have 21 aka blackjack.
Hit: To hit in blackjack means to receive another card. For example, let’s say your first two cards have a value of 14. The dealer’s up-facing card is a Jack, so you know she is likely to have a stronger hand than you. In this case, you might receive another card. There’s always the danger of going bust in this scenario.
Stand: This is the opposite of hitting. You are happy with the hand you have or decide it is too risky to hit and play the hand as it as dealt. Remember that you can hit and then decide to stand later.
Double Down: In some cases, you may be allowed to double your original bet when your first hand is dealt. Each blackjack casino will have its own rules about this. For example, you might only be able to do it if your hand is worth 11 or less. Usually, you may only receive one more card after you double down.
Split: If your first two cards are of the same value, for example, two Aces, you can decide to split them and make a second bet. You’ll then be able to play these as separate hands in the same game.
Insurance: This is a blackjack side bet which you can make if the dealer has an Ace on the table. If you take insurance, you’re betting that the dealer has blackjack (21). If she does, you will receive a 2:1 Payout. So, if you win the insurance bet and lose the hand, you will come out evens. Make sure you understand the odds of blackjack before placing this bet.
If you understand all of these basic blackjack principles, you are equipped to play blackjack. Why not try a game of free blackjack to see how they work in reality? As the saying goes: there’s no better way to learn than by doing.
Blackjack Variants
You’ll find classic blackjack available at almost every blackjack casino site. However, over the years, some different twists on the game have developed in different areas and by design. This has led to multiple distinct blackjack variants. In this section, we’ll look at how those work.
Classic Blackjack
You’ll find classic blackjack at almost every online casino. The objective, as with all games of blackjack, is to make a hand with a total of 21. If you can’t make 21 exactly, you want to get as close to it as possible without going bust.
You and the dealer will both be dealt two cards each, to begin with. You’ll then need to hit (ask for another card) or stand (play your hand as it is). Whoever has the hand closest to 21 wins. If either you or the dealer exceeds 21, you lose.
Classic blackjack is the basis for all other blackjack variants. They all have different rules and individual traits, but they all follow this basic style of gameplay.
European Blackjack
This variant is the same as classic blackjack except that it is only played with two decks rather than eight.
Another difference is that the dealer’s hole card won’t be dealt until you decide how to play your cards. You can hit, stand, split, or double down. Once you’ve decided what to do, the dealer’s second card is issued.
Progressive Blackjack
If you’ve ever played progressive jackpot slots like Mega Moolah, you’ll already know how these jackpots work. Every player contributes to a collective jackpot with a slice of his/her bets. Eventually, one lucky player wins it.
We’ve seen progressive blackjack games where it’s won randomly, and we’ve seen variants which award it for a specific hand. It all depends on which blackjack casino you play at.
Atlantic City Blackjack
This variant originated along the boardwalk in Atlantic City, but you can now play it at lots of the top blackjack casinos online.
It has a few quirks: the dealer can peek at his hole card, and he can stand on a soft 17.
You can split as many as three hands. You can also opt for late surrender and can take insurance if you think the dealer has blackjack.
Vegas Strip Blackjack
You won’t have to go to Las Vegas to play Vegas Strip blackjack. It’s available at lots of online casinos.
This blackjack variant has a few unique rules – the dealer can peek at his hole card, he must stand on a soft 17, and doubling down is only allowed after Aces are split. This variant is played with four decks of cards.
Pontoon
British players are more likely to play Pontoon than any other variant. It’s sometimes called Stick & Twist on the British Isles.
Pontoon is unique in that all of the 10s are removed from each deck. This means that decks with only 48 cards are used.
You should be aware that the house edge on Pontoon is greater than many other blackjack games. This is due to the 10s being removed from the decks.
Spanish 21
This is another blackjack variant with the 10s removed from the decks. It’s played with between six and eight decks for a total of between 288 and 384 cards. Again, this does increase the house edge.
The dealer is allowed to peek at his hole card. He’ll also automatically win if he has natural blackjack (21 without requesting a hit). Late surrender is allowed, as is surrendering after doubling down.
Live Dealer Blackjack
You can now play blackjack with real live dealers through video technology. Live blackjack games are hosted in dedicated gaming studios and in real blackjack casinos around the world. For example, at some casinos, you can play blackjack with dealers based on the floor of the largest casino in the USA – Foxwoods Casino.
Live blackjack games could be any variant, but most of the time you’ll play classic blackjack with live dealers. Doing so adds a fun, sociable element to online blackjack. You’ll feel as if you’re in a real casino even though you’re at home.
Blackjack Tips & Tricks
One of the main attractions of blackjack is that it has such a low house edge. If you use perfect blackjack strategy, you can bring the house edge down to 0.5%. That’s tiny, and that’s why lots of players try to play blackjack for a living.
Before you play real money blackjack, we want to share some effective blackjack tips with you. Using these will maximize your chances of winning.
(1) Learn Blackjack Strategy – This is a card game which involves skill. Yes, it does involve some luck, but there’s more than that at play in blackjack.
Use blackjack charts and cheat sheets when you’re a beginner. These will tell you when to hit or stand based on what you have in your hand. They’ll also tell you when to double down and split for maximum advantage.
You won’t win blackjack every time when you use these, but you will win more often. Eventually, you’ll have memorized these charts, and you won’t need them anymore. Some experienced players recommend that you physically write out the blackjack strategy chart multiple times until you’ve memorized it.
(2) Use Blackjack Bonuses – Visit our casino blackjack page, and you’ll see lots of welcome bonuses for new players. There are also regular reload bonus for regular players.
These bonuses enable you to play real money blackjack for free. You’ll have to make a deposit to get a large enough bonus to make it worth it, but there are some smaller no deposit bonuses available, too.
Blackjack bonuses are a great way to “get your feet wet.” They’ll allow you to play real money games without the risk to your own bankroll, and you’ll still have the chance to win real money payouts. Just be aware of wagering requirements before you try to make a withdrawal.
(3) Select Variants Carefully – The blackjack variant you play can make a big difference. Go back and study the blackjack variant descriptions above. Select variants which award 3-2 payouts on blackjack and which offer the chance to surrender late in the game. These small things can really make a difference over hundreds or even thousands of hands of blackjack.
(4) Never Bet on Insurance – Every game has a “sucker’s bet,” and in blackjack, it’s the insurance bet. The insurance bet is a bet that the dealer has blackjack, and with an up-facing Ace, that means you’re betting that he has a down-facing 10. What are the chances of that? A lot less than 2-1, which is what an insurance bet pays. It may seem attractive if you see that Ace and are intimidated, but think about the numbers, and you’ll realize the blackjack insurance bet is never worth it.
(5) Get Into House Money ASAP – If there’s one thing you can control in every casino game, it’s your own bankroll. In blackjack, you should aim to double up and take your own money off the table as fast as possible. For example, you might bet $100, win, take your $100 off the table, and start making $5 bets with the house money you’ve won. This way, you can’t really lose, and if you use basic blackjack strategy, you can grind out a steady return with a little luck. This is how the blackjack pros do it.
Now you know just about everything there is to know about blackjack as a beginner. Why not visit a top-rated blackjack casino, grab a bonus, and get started? We wish you luck.
