Blackjack Online for Beginners
This article is for those who are still new to blackjack. We will cover the basic aspects of the game, from the attributes, the terminology that every player should be familiar with, to the basic variations of the blackjack game.
Blackjack table
In most casinos, the blackjack table is covered in green cloth and can seat up to 7 players (some casinos also offer 5-seater blackjack tables). On one side of the table is the dealer, and around him are 7 players. Each player can take a seat and place one bet, or place three bets and receive three pairs of cards.
Dealer
The dealer represents the casino during the game. He will stand at the table for several rounds and be responsible for the shuffling and dealing of cards. They are also responsible for collecting the losers’ bets and paying out to the winners.
Cards
Blackjack can be played with a traditional 52-card deck, or the number of decks can be increased to 2, 4, 5, 6 or 8 decks.
When playing with one or two decks, the dealer shuffles the cards and invites one of the players to split the deck to prevent card counting. The dealer will hold the cards in his hands and deal them to the players. After each round, the cards are shuffled.
When playing blackjack with multiple decks, the dealer places the shuffled cards in the shoe. The topmost card is usually eliminated from the game.
After all the bets have been placed, the dealer starts dealing the cards. Each player is dealt two cards face up. And since the croupier is also involved in the game, he is also entitled to cards. However, one of his cards is face down.
After all the cards have been dealt, the dealer approaches each player and is interested in his next move.
In most casinos, players are not allowed to touch the cards. Only the dealer has the right to touch them in order to avoid any tampering, substitution or any other activity that could affect the fairness of the game.
Purpose of the game
The main goal of blackjack is to defeat the dealer. It doesn’t matter what combinations of cards other players have, or whether someone else has a better hand than yours. The only thing that matters is that the sum of your points is greater than the sum of the dealer’s points. The best combination when playing blackjack is considered to be the one that scores 21. If the player has more than 21 points in his hands, he is automatically eliminated from the game.
The meaning of the cards
Blackjack cards are rated according to their face value. An ace can be worth 1 or 11 points, and a jack, queen and king – 10 points. The rest of the cards are rated from 2 to 9.
Soft and hard hand
A hand in which an ace is missing or in which it is worth 1 point is considered tough. And if the ace is worth 11 points, then this combination will be called a soft hand.
Dealer Rules
In any blackjack game, the dealer’s actions are determined by the rules of the game. They cannot independently make decisions about which move to make at the moment. The basic rules for dealers are arranged so that every player at the table can read them. For example, the rules are “The dealer stops at 17”. This means that the total amount of the dealer’s card points is 17, then he cannot take an additional card, even if they see that some players have 18 or more cards.
Take an extra card or stop?
After the player receives his two cards, he has the right to take an additional card and increase their total value of the hand, or not take cards and play with only two cards that were dealt. The player draws additional cards until he collects 21 points and wins, or 22 or more and automatically loses.
Doubling
This option allows the player to double their original stake in exchange for being able to receive only one additional card. For example, the dealer’s face up card is 4, you have 3 and 6, which gives you a total of 9 points. This is the perfect situation for doubling. You increase your bet and hope for a 10-point card that will give you 19 points. The dealer can very easily go over or stop at 17. Either way, you win.
Separation
Splitting also allows you to increase your stake after the initial hand. If you have paired cards in your hand, then you can split them into two hands. You will need to double your original bet to cover the second hand. Each hand will be played separately. A good pair to split is 8’s. Two 8s give you a total of 16 points, so if you split them you have a chance of getting 10, which will bring 18 points and most likely a victory.
