Blackjack is one of the most popular card games in Australia. The Australian blackjack is played almost under the same rules as it’s played all over the world. The rules slightly differ in the land-based casinos, but online blackjack rules are the same. Today you can play a wide variety of this game at online casinos. Most sites even allow players to play free versions before making a real money bet. Now, let us remind you of classic rules and find out how to play blackjack and win. The main goal is to have a hand with the total point value more than the dealer’s, but it mustn’t go over 21.

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In blackjack, you play against the casino in the person of the dealer. When playing online you will not see a dealer, but just the inscription on the table and hear the voice. However, when you are playing live blackjack, you will see a pretty dealer, watch her shuffling and dealing cards, hearing her voice as it happens in the land-based casino.

The dealer is responsible for the whole game from shuffling and dealing cards to handling bets. The game is played with different number of decks ranging from 1 to 8 which are shuffled after each hand in online version. Once the bet has been placed, the two first cards are dealt to the player and the dealer. You can see your cards and one of the dealer’s cards as well. Then you have to decide whether you will hit (take more cards) or stand (refuse taking cards). Once you’ve stood, the dealer turns over his hole card.

Playing online blackjack is a fun way to pass time, develop your powers of strategic thinking, and test your ability to act under pressure. To get the most fun from your game, you need to know the rules of blackjack. Without these, you may make the wrong moves and lose games that you could have won. Sep 22, 2018 Blackjack rules explained in a simply way, we do not go in to advanced thought processes but explain how the game is played. What are the rules for Blackjack? The rules of the game are relatively the same whether you are playing online, Live or at a real casino.

There are different rules in regard to what the dealer has to do when his hand is worth 17. Under the classic rules of blackjack, the dealer must stand on all 17 hands (soft or hard) and hit when the hand value is 16. However, there are some blackjack variations allowing the dealer to hit on a soft 17, which increases the house edge.

If the first two cards are worth 21 (an ace and a 10-valued card), it’s Blackjack, the highest possible hand. If you get 21 you win unless the dealer has blackjack too, in this case the outcome of that hand is a 'push' or a tie.

You can see all possible bets on the table layout. The player wins 1:1 means he wins the same amount as he’s bet. The blackjack usually pays 3:2.

The suits of the cards do not matter in the game. You can calculate the hand value by summing up the point value of each card in your hand.

Blackjack rules for dummies: Card value

Blackjack hands

The main hand in the game is BLACKJACK also called Natural. It is the hand that is made up of an Ace and any card that has a point value of 10.

And now I’d like to add some words about hands with an Ace. I’ve already mentioned the Ace can count 1 or 11. For example, you get an Ace and 5 meaning you have a hand with the total value of 16. It is a soft hand because you can count an Ace as 11, then your hand is worth 16, but if you want to take a chance and hit you can count the Ace as 1, then your hand is worth 6, and you still have a chance to increase the total value of your hand.

Let’s imagine you are dealt an Ace, Jack and 5, then you’re holding the 16 hard hand. You can’t count the Ace as 11 here without busting!

Player Options

Extra Blackjack Options

There are some additional blackjack options: Insurance, Even Money and Surrender.

Insurance - when the dealer shows an Ace, the player can make the insurance bet. If the dealer gets a blackjack, the player will be paid 2:1, but not the original bet. If the dealer does not get a Blackjack, the player will lose his Insurance bet.

Even Money - when the player has a Blackjack and the dealer’s face-up card is an Ace, the player can make an Even Money bet (worth half of the original bet). This bet protects the player from a push as it turns out the dealer gets Blackjack as well. In this case, the player will take his original bet back and gets the Even Money bet, 2:1.

Surrender allows the player to take half of his original bet back if he believes he will lose his hand. You can make this bet before hitting or standing. Surrender allows the player to save half of the original bet. There is an EARLY surrender and LATE surrender. When it comes to the Early Surrender the player can surrender half of his bet before the dealer checks for Blackjack, while the Late Surrender let the player surrender only after the dealer has checked his face down card for Blackjack. Not all casinos allow Surrender.

Understanding the game

When you see a casino scene in a movie, you can expect drama. Who can forget Daniel Craig fighting for his life between hands in “Casino Royale”, for instance? One game we see in movies is blackjack. Again, the British superspy is at the table, but this time it’s Timothy Dalton in the lead role in “License to Kill”, playing blackjack rather Bond’s favored game of baccarat. Then there’s the card counting by Dustin Hoffman in the emotional, Oscar-winning drama “Rain Man” to win him and his on-screen brother in the movie, Tom Cruise, big money at blackjack in the casinos.

It’s not just in the movies we see the stars playing blackjack. The actor Ben Affleck knows his way around a blackjack table (a little too well for some casinos’ liking). Sports star Michael Jordan, socialite Paris Hilton and rapper P Diddy are all fans of the game, too.

Understanding blackjack

Unfortunately, you can’t just sit down to a blackjack table and win straight off the bat. The good news, however, is that blackjack isn’t particularly hard to play. Once you learn a few basic rules, you can keep building your knowledge and get better and better at the game.

Blackjack isn’t just a game you can play at a land-based casino. If you’re not feeling like going out to play at one or you just wish to get a little practice before you venture into the public arena with your blackjack skills, you can play online first. Here are some simple rules and tips to start you off.

Blackjack rules

Basically, you’re playing against the dealer. The object of the game is to get as close to 21 as possible without going over. To achieve blackjack, you must get 21 with your first two cards. You can win by achieving blackjack; by getting a higher score than the dealer but under 21 or equal to it; or by getting a lower score than the dealer but beating them because the dealer has gone bust.

Kings, queens and jacks have a value of 10. Aces can have a value of 1 or 11. So if you get a 4 and an ace, your hand could be 5 or 15 and it’s up to you to decide whether you want to ask for another card (“hit”) or to just stick with the cards you have. An ace gives you flexibility, but it’s not a straight guarantee your hand will improve when you get the card.

These are a couple of basic rules, but you can find out more about the game at toponlinecasinos.co.uk. Note that there are different variants of blackjack, so some rules may vary slightly, depending on the version you’re playing.

Tips for beginners

When you’re starting out at blackjack, it’s good to read a few tips to help you perform well at the tables. Here are some useful tips for beginners:

Check the dealer’s face-up card

Don’t act before you see the dealer’s up card. It will be bad (2 to 6) or good (7 to ace). The dealer’s up card should determine your own action.

Start small

Don’t go big when you’ve just sat down at the table. Play small while you assess the situation. Is the dealer “hot” or “cold” i.e. are they on a winning streak or a losing one? These streaks can have a big impact on the player, so take some time to evaluate the situation before laying big money down.

Tips for advanced players

Of course, if you’ve been around the tables for a while, you’ll have seen plenty. You can still benefit from a few tips, though. Here are a couple:

Split double aces and 8s

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If you receive two aces or eights, split the hand. Effectively, you’re playing two hands and it takes away some of the edge away from the house, giving you a better chance of winning. Eights give you a “hard” 16 and if you don’t split them, you’re likely to go bust if you hit and lose the hand if you stick. It’s an awkward number, basically.

Don’t take insurance

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If the dealer’s face-up card is an ace, you can take out insurance as a side bet in case the dealer has blackjack. Insurance gives the house a greater edge and really isn’t worth it because you only win your wager back. If the dealer’s second card is a 10, they have blackjack and you’re safe. If it isn’t, you lose your money. Good players know that the odds of the dealer having blackjack are fairly low and, unless they know how to count the cards, don’t take out insurance against it.

Blackjack is a simple game, but that doesn’t mean you can sit straight down at a table and win big. You’ve got to understand the basics to make the game work for you. When you do that, you can really enjoy the game and the taste of victory.