If you’re serious about playing blackjack for real money, then you should take the time to learn as many strategies as possible before you start playing.
What Is Blackjack?
Blackjack is a simple card game that involves having to beat the dealer. There are multiple varieties, but they all follow the same basic rules. For example, once you have mastered one type, all other variants will be easy to learn.
You can find single-player games, where it’s just you against the deal, and multi-player games, where more than one player tries to beat the dealer. Additionally, you can find single-hand games and multi-hand games.
The two main types of blackjack available online are regular online games and live games. Random Number Generators (RNGS) determine the results in regular games, but RNGs don’t determine the results in Live Dealer Blackjack Games.
Some of the best blackjack games out there today have been developed by a multi-industry-award-winning online casino software provider/game development studio called Playtech. The most popular Playtech games to keep an eye out for in 2023 include the following hit titles:
- Premium Blackjack – Single Hand
- All Bets Blackjack
- Blackjack Switch
- Cashback Blackjack
- Free Chip Blackjack
If you’re looking to take your online casino experience to the next level, you may want to check out Playtech’s iconic range of Live Dealer Games, some of which include:
- Live All Bets Blackjack
- Live Unlimited Blackjack
- Live Casino Blackjack 21+3 (for the more advanced player)
- Live Quantum Blackjack
- Live Majority Rules Speed Blackjack
The live dealer games are usually only ever available in the real money mode, whereas most other blackjack games from Playtech can also be accessed in the free-play demo mode.
Before you risk losing your hard-earned money playing in the real money mode, you may want to practice playing in the free-play mode. If a game that you want to play isn’t available in the free-play mode, then simply reduce your stake to the lowest value possible to give you more time to play.
You can play these blackjack games on desktop or mobile, and they can be launched instantly in your web browser or from within Playtech’s perfectly secure online casino download client.
What’s the Aim of Blackjack?
The aim of blackjack is to try and get as close to 21 points as possible using the cards you are dealt. You and the dealer (and any other players who are currently active in the round) start by receiving two cards. When it’s your turn, you can stand (stay with the current hand if you think it’s good enough) or hit (take another card). You can also split (split the hand so that you have two hands) or take insurance (never recommended).
All you have to do is add the cards together to find out their total value. Each numbered card is worth its face value in points. Therefore, the 2 is worth 2 points. The 3 is worth 3 points, and so on. The royal cards (King, Queen, Jack) are worth 10 points, and the Ace can be worth 1 or 11 points. If you are dealt, for example, a Queen and an Ace, your hand would be worth 21 points (10 + 11).
The dealer usually must draw to 16 and stand on all 17s. Blackjack pays 3:2, and you can often play one round from as little as $/€/£1.00 (or equivalent currency value) up to $/€/£5,000.00 or more. If you go over 21 points, the game ends. It’s known as going bust. If the dealer has the same hand value as you at the end round, the game will end in a tie/draw/push, and you will receive your initial stake back.
Best Blackjack Strategies To Learn
Here are some of the easiest and most basic blackjack strategies you should learn to begin with. Remember to always split two Aces and two eights. Don’t ever split a pair of fives or tens. Double down on ten when the dealer’s face-up card is 9 or less. Always double down on a hard 11 and hit a hard 12 against a dealer’s 2 or 3 face-up cards.
Additionally, always double down a-2 through a-7 when the dealer’s upcard is a 5 or 6. Stand on a hard 16 against a dealer’s 10 face-up card if your 16 is multi-card. If you’re dealt a pair of 2s or 3s against a dealer’s 2 or 3 face-up card, split, where possible, and hit if they don’t.
Finally, remember to double down on 8 against the dealer’s 5 or 6 face-up cards when playing single-deck. Always surrender hard 16 against a dealer’s 9, 10 or ace face-up card, and hard 15 against a dealer’s 10 face-up cards.
There are lots of other things to learn, but you should really get to grips with these essential strategies before any others.
