Blackjack is one of the simplest and the most intriguing games of chance.
Most historians agree that this popular online entertainment appeared in the XVII century. At that time, French gambling houses held the game called Vingt-et-Un, which means 21 in French (some argue that Vingt-et-Un meant “twenty and Aces”). However, the fact is that Vingt-et-Un was very similar to modern blackjack, with the only difference that the dealer could double his bet.
The game continued to develop over the centuries, but the real breakthrough was achieved due to the French immigrants, who brought Blackjack to New Orleans, Louisiana, where the gamble got its name “21”. As for the modern title, blackjack got it, when gambling was legalized in Nevada, and casino owners tried to attract players by introducing high payouts. The biggest prize was awarded for the combination of a jack of spades and an ace of the same suit.
By the way, blackjack is one of the few games of chance, the result of which depends on your gambling skills. By developing your analytical abilities, you’ll be able to nullify the advantage of the dealer and make big money. Luck still matters, no doubt, but in the long run, everything depends on you!
Blackjack: Basic Rules
Before you make your first bet with real money, make sure you comprehend all the rules and subtleties. Take advantage of the free-of-charge regime to test the specific gamble and come up with an effective strategy.
The main goal of the player is to collect either 21 or a hand higher than the dealer’s one. Note that scoring 21 is not always possible and reasonable, and you should learn how to play to stop in time and not exceed the maximum limit.
For the dealer, the rules are quite simple: if he scores 16 or less, he must take one more card. If he scores 17 or more, he must stop. The first card is dealt face-up, which allows the player to act in the correspondent way. The cards are dealt to the player until he stops or exceeds the limit. If the sums of the dealer’s and the player’s hands are equal, it is declared a draw. If the player scores blackjack, he gets 150% of the bet. If both the player and the dealer score blackjack, it is declared a draw.
Blackjack: Game Features
- Values of cards from 2 to 10 coincide with their numerical value. For example, 7 gives you 7 points. Jacks, Queens and Kings are equal to 10 points. Aces is either 1 or 11, depending on your current score (for example, a combination of an Aces and 2 can be either 3 or 13). Blackjack is a combination of an Aces and any picture (a Jack, a Queen or a King).
- If the player gets a pair of Aces (or any other pair), he can either split his hand into two parts, making one more bet and continuing to play the game or account one or both aces as 1 point and continue the game. However, some gambling halls treat the combination of two Aces as the Golden Blackjack, which declared the player a winner.
- The game supports doubling and insurance. The latter is most often used, when the dealer receives an Ace as the first card, which means that his chances of a win significantly If the dealer scores blackjack, the gambler gets 200% the amount of insurance. If the dealer scores any other combination, the player loses the insurance, and the game continues. As for doubling, it’s possible only for a hand of two cards.
Closing Remarks
Any online casino is interested in making profits and therefore has a certain mathematical advantage over players. That’s why you have to think through your strategy, manage your budget, and learn the Blackjack game rules to the smallest details.