Online Blackjack – Rules, How to Win, Where to Play

For the casino game of blackjack, the rules are simple, the play is thrilling, and there is ample opportunity for the use of all sorts of strategy. In fact, for expert players who mathematically play better than the average person, the odds are oftentimes in those players’ favor to win!

Even if you are not a veteran player, the house advantage is less, making blackjack one of the most statistically attractive games for any player. Even though the popularity of blackjack dates back to World War I, its roots go back to the 1750s in France where it is called “Vingt-et-Un” (in French, meaning “21”). These days, blackjack is a must-play card game that can be found in every online casino and land-based casino.

Online Blackjack – Rules, How to Win, Where to Play

Objective of Blackjack

At the start of a blackjack game, the players and the dealer receive 2 cards each. The players’ cards are normally dealt face up, while the dealer has 1 face down and 1 face up.

Each player attempts to beat the dealer by getting a count as close to 21 as possible, without going over 21.

Blackjack Card Values and Basics

When playing blackjack, the cards 2 to 9 have their face values. Tens (10), Jacks (J), Queens (Q), and Kings (K) are valued at 10, and Aces can have a value of either 1 or 11. The Ace is always valued at 11 unless that would result in the hand going over 21. If the Ace makes the hand valued at over 21, then it is automatically counted as 1.

The best possible blackjack hand is an initial deal of an Ace plus any 10-point card (10, J, Q, or K), because that would result in an automatic 21 (11 + 10).

If both the player and dealer have reached 21 points, the result is a tie and the bet is returned to the player. Any hand with an Ace valued as 11 is called a “soft” hand, while all other hands are considered “hard” hands.

The house advantage of this game comes from several rules that favor the dealer. The main advantage is that the player must act before the dealer, allowing the player to bust and lose their bet before the dealer plays.

Blackjack Betting Amount

Before each game begins, each player places a bet (with casino chips) in their own designated betting area. Minimum bets and maximum bets will vary depending on the game and the VIP level, but the general limits are from $1 per bet to $10,000 per bet (and $50,000 per bet for VIP games!).

Blackjack Order of Play and Playing Options

For each blackjack round, each player places their desired bet in the betting area directly in front of them. The dealer then deals cards one at a time clockwise around the table, from the dealer’s left to the dealer’s right – 1st a card face up to each player, then a card face up to the dealer, and then a 2nd card face up to each player, and finally a 2nd card face down to the dealer.

If the dealer has a 10 or an Ace face up, then players are offered the option to place an Insurance Bet. Insurance is a side bet by the player on whether or not the dealer has 21. If a player chooses to take Insurance, then they place an additional bet equal to half of their original bet. (The player’s Insurance bet wins if the dealer has 21. Any Insurance bets will pay 2:1.)

The dealer now checks their face down card to see if they have 21. If they have 21, then they expose that face down card. The round is automatically finished and all players lose their original bet unless these players also have 21. If a player and the dealer each have 21, then the result is a tie and the player’s bet is returned.

If the dealer does not have 21, then all insurance bets are lost. However, players who have 21 are instantly paid. It is now the time for the remaining players to choose what to do. Starting with the player sitting farthest to dealer’s left, he/she can take the following actions:

Stand – If the player is happy with the total they have, then they can “Stand” by taking no further action. It is the next player’s turn. This next player can also stand as long as their hand total is not more than 21.

Hit – If the player wishes to take another card, then they choose “Hit”. A single card is then placed face up onto their current hand. If the hand total is less than 21, then the player can choose to Hit again or Stand. If the total reaches 21, then no more cards will be dealt to this player. If the total is over 21, then the hand will “Bust”, and the player’s money is taken by the house (casino). It is now the next player’s choice of action.

Double Down – If the player thinks that they have a good hand (generally a total of 9, 10, or 11), then they can choose to “Double Down”. The player does this by placing a second wager equal to their first wager. A player who decides to double down will receive exactly 1 more card face up and will then be forced to Stand, regardless of the total.

Split – If the player’s first 2 cards are of matching value, then they can choose to place an additional bet equal to their original bet, and then split the 2 cards into 2 separate hands. An additional card is then dealt to complete each separate hand. The split hands are played one at a time in the order in which they were dealt. For each hand, the player has the usual options: Stand, Hit, or Double Down.

Surrender – Some casinos allow a player to Surrender so that they can take back half of their bet. Once a player surrenders, their hand is automatically finished.

After all players have completed their actions, the dealer will play their own hand according to certain rules. First, they will reveal the face down card. The dealer will then continue to take additional cards until they have a total of 17 or higher. The next rule will depend on the casino. Some casinos require the dealer to stand while others require additional cards to be dealt until a total of 18+ is reached. Please check the casino’s rules when playing.

If the dealer busts, then all non-busted player hands are automatically winners! Remember, you do not need to reach 21. You only need to beat the dealer!

Blackjack Payouts

If the player and dealer have equal unbusted totals, then the hand is considered a tie and the player’s bet is returned (just like nothing ever happened).

If a player wins a hand, then they are paid at 1:1 on the total bet wagered on that hand. For example, if the player wagered $10 and won the hand, then they get $20 in total (original $10 plus the winning $10). If the player wagered an initial $10, doubled down another $10 during gameplay, and then also wins the hand, then they will be paid a total of $40 (the original $10 + $10 and also $20 in winnings).

If the player gets 21, then they are paid at 3:2. For example, if the player wagers $10 and gets a 10 and an Ace, then they will be paid a total of $25 (the original $10 plus $15 in winnings).

5 Most Popular Blackjack Variants

Check out the distinguishing features of 5 of the most widely played forms of blackjack with the quick summary below.

#1 – American Blackjack

American Blackjack (sometimes called Classic Blackjack) is the most widely played variant of the game. In American Blackjack, the dealer gets their face down card before any player can take action regarding their own hand.

Recommended casinos that are great for American Blackjack games:

#2 – European Blackjack

In European Blackjack, the dealer does not receive their face down card until after the player has made a decision about what action to take (Stand, Hit, Double Down, Split, etc.). Generally, there are more restrictions on various aspects of gameplay than in American Blackjack.

Recommended casinos that have a huge selection of European Blackjack games:

#3 – Vegas Strip Blackjack

Vegas Strip Blackjack is also a very popular variant. With this game, usually the double-down rules are very liberal (because it’s Las Vegas!), as players can double their wager at any time, while many other blackjack variations have very strict rules. Splitting is also very liberal compared to other variants. You can split any pairs (including Aces) and re-split a total of 3 times.

Recommended casinos that offer a great variety of Vegas Strip Blackjack games:

#4 – Blackjack Switch

The feature which sets Blackjack Switch apart from other varieties of blackjack games is that players get 2 hands to play separately. Players then have the option to switch the second cards dealt to each hand.

Recommended casinos that have Blackjack Switch games:

#5 – Blackjack Perfect Pairs

Blackjack Perfect Pairs is a side bet that the player makes before the cards are dealt. If the player receives the cards and the first 2 cards make a pair, then the player will be paid. There are 3 different types of pairs possible:

Mixed Pair = same number (or same face card), different suit, different color
Colored Pair = same number (or same face card), same color, different suit
Perfect Pair = same number (or same face card), same color, same suit

Recommended casinos to play Blackjack Perfect Pairs:

Blackjack Card Counting

This has been seen in countless Hollywood movies, so you must have heard of it! Card Counting is a method that provides the player a mathematically proven way to gain an advantage over the house, long-term. The main idea is to play as many rounds as possible so that more cards are dealt, which then allows the player to better know when to place a favorable bet.

Before you get too excited, please remember that this does not guarantee that the player will win money in one session of blackjack. Even with a statistical advantage, it is always possible for the player to go through an extended period of bad luck.

In addition, successful card counting is usually only profitable for players at land-based casinos. You can still try to count cards at online casinos, but there are several major disadvantages:

Continuously counting cards will make the game very slow to play. A slow game means more time is required to make the same money that you can earn at other games.
The decks of cards are usually shuffled early, not allowing enough cards to be dealt so that players can count meaningfully. This allows much, much fewer favorable player advantages to develop.
The casino’s software records every player bet and all the cards dealt. This makes it relatively easy for a casino to also track the count and watch for players raising their bet only when the count is favorable.

For the above reasons, Card Counting has not become commonplace at online casinos. So is there no way to win at blackjack?

5 Best Basic Blackjack Strategies

Strategy #1: Never Make the Insurance Bet

The Insurance bet is a losing bet, which is why your best strategy is to never take insurance when the dealer’s face card is an Ace (11). Yes, even if you are also dealt a good hand (with a total of 19 or 20), do not make the insurance bet. The reason is that the payout (2:1) is less than the odds that the dealer will actually get 21.

Strategy #2: Always Double Down on a Hard 11

You will always win more money if you Double Down on a hard 11 against any dealer’s face up card instead of using Hit in all games.

Strategy #3: Always Split a Pair Of 8s and Aces

You should always split a pair of 8s and Aces regardless of what the dealer’s face up card is. Doing this is your best strategy because splitting Aces will give you a good chance to win a hand (since you start 2 new hands with 11 each), while splitting 8s will allow you to cut your losses (or win more often) in the long run.

Strategy #4: Never Split a Pair of 5s or Tens

When you have a pair of 5s it is always better to keep the current 10 and then draw another card rather than splitting the 5s and playing 2 new hands with 5 each. Even though splitting 10s seems tempting, keeping them together as 20 will give you the best chance to beat the dealer.

Strategy #5: Never Play a 6 to 5 Blackjack Game

Historically, when you get 21, you are always paid at 3 to 2 (3:2) odds. For example, if you wager $10 and you get 21, you will be paid $15 ($10 x 3/2) in winnings. However, some online casino games pay at only 6 to 5 (6:5) odds. Therefore, a $10 wager will win you only $12 ($10 x 6/5).

If you choose to play 6:5 blackjack games, then the house edge will usually become greater than 2%. Your best strategy is to play only blackjack games that offer a 3 to 2 payout.

Where to Play the Best Online Blackjack Games?

Every online casino introduced on our website will have at least 40 blackjack games (and all the major variations) for you to choose from. Some casinos even have over 300 blackjack titles available, meaning that your choices are almost endless!

But which website to choose?

If you always enjoy new titles as soon as they are released, then Bitcasino.io will be the perfect choice! New blackjack games (video versions and live versions) are added weekly!

If you enjoy the thrill of live casino, then Cleopatra Casino will never disappoint. Their selection of over 100 live blackjack games will entertain you for days!

If you prefer to play blackjack at an online casino that offers a generous welcome bonus, then please consider Cloudbet Casino. As a welcome present for all new players, you can get up to 5 Bitcoin in free money!