In this article, you will find instructions on how to start playing Blackjack online. It contains information about the rules of the game, its varieties, strategies and the cost of cards. You will find out what you need to enjoy online Blackjack, whether it is available for free, and whether you can download it to your mobile. Study our expert review.
What is Blackjack?
Blackjack has been played since the 15th century when the first mention of this game appeared in Italy. Now it is enjoyed all over the world, and in Russia, for example, it is called 21. This card entertainment is equally popular both in offline casinos and on gambling portals. It’s easy to learn how to enjoy it. Blackjack is not only a game of chance but also a game of skill. Experienced gamblers can achieve success in it by applying various strategies. None of them guarantees success, but provides significant support in understanding the flow of the game, and teaches self-control.
Blackjack has several variations, the rules of which have some differences. It is currently considered one of the three most popular online casino games, along with Roulette and Baccarat. Find more below.
How to start playing online Blackjack?
To start playing online Blackjack, you need to decide whether you want to play for cash or for free. The course of your actions in the online casino depends on it. Study our instructions:
- Choose an online casino. Pay attention to the following factors: permission to play from your country, legality, license, variety of payment methods, and availability of support service. If you are satisfied with the results of your analysis, then proceed to the next point. If you have doubts about the reliability of a gambling site, then keep looking;
- Create an account (come up with a username, and password, write an email address and enter the required data). This is necessary to receive bonuses from online casinos, conduct payment transactions and use all the services of the platform without restrictions. Do not forget to verify your account to be able to withdraw winnings in the future;
- Make a deposit using one of the payment methods available on the website. Study the limits and the time of receipt of funds to the account and choose the best option;
That’s it — now you can find Blackjack in the casino/live casino sections (if there is one on the site). Choose one of the variations and start it!
It is not by chance that we said that you need to decide in which format you would like to start playing 21 Blackjack. Many online casinos offer the opportunity to try the game in a free demo mode. This does not require registration, and no deposit is required. We will tell you more below.
Rules of the Blackjack game
Basic Blackjack rules are extremely simple. The customer needs to beat the casino/dealer. To do this, he must collect as strong a hand as possible. The hand is formed by dealing cards from the deck. Usually, up to eight decks are used in the game.
Each card has its value, which we will discuss below. Collecting cards, the player must score more points than the dealer/casino, but no more than 21.
Here is the standard round of the game:
- The player makes a bet, after which the dealer deals the cards;
- Each user gets two cards, and the dealer takes two or one card (depending on the version of the game);
- If one of the players has 21 points on his hand, then he won. The rest continue the round;
- The dealer deals the third card to the customers who have declared it;
- If one of the users gets 21 points after the dealing, he also wins;
- If one of the players gets more than 21 points, then he lost, and his bet goes to house;
- If the dealer has 21 points in his hand, then all users with fewer points lose.
Your Blackjack card value chart
To become an experienced and successful gambler, you need to know the Blackjack chart card value. There is nothing complicated about it. The base deck contains 52 cards (the joker is excluded). The value of each of them according to the Black Jack rules is as follows:
- Ace is equal to 1 or 11 (depends on the stage of the game);
- King, Queen, Jack and 10 are equal to 10;
- Cards from 2 to 9 are equal to their nominal value.
Example: After the hand is dealt, you have a King and 7 in your hand. The sum of the two cards is 17. This is not a very positive result. Most often, users prefer to stay at 17 and not get the third card, because they have few options left to not exceed 21 points. Yes, if the third card is 2 or 3, this is a good result with a high chance of winning. If 4 fall out, it is an automatic victory. But the problem is that there are more cards in the deck because of which you exceed 21. That’s why Blackjack is a game where you need to think before you act.
Types of Blackjack to play Online
In an online casino, you can enjoy variations of Blackjack. Their rules have some differences that you need to know before starting the game. Here are some examples.
American
This is the most popular and, perhaps, friendly version of the game for players. It has nuances that you need to know about. The main difference is that the dealer deals himself with two cards, one of which is open and the other is closed. If the open card is a 10 or an ace, then the dealer must automatically open the second card. If he has 21, the game ends immediately. Players who have less than 21 points lose. The bet is returned to the user if he and the dealer have a 21.
European
Another popular kind of game. Here are some of the important rules of this version:
- You can double the bet after the amount of 9, 10 or 11 on the hand;
- It is not allowed to split, 4, 5 and 10-point cards;
- The dealer can take the second card only after he has dealt the cards to the customers. This is considered a serious advantage of the casino.
Caribbean Stud
An exotic version of Blackjack that is played with six decks. There is an opportunity to pass in this game with any number of cards — in this case, half of the bet will be returned to the player. The dealer enters the game only after scoring 17 points. If the points of the customer and the dealer are equal, in this case, a draw is counted and the player loses the bet.
In the online casino, you can find other variations of Blackjack. Carefully study the rules before starting the game.
Blackjack strategies
To increase their chances against online casinos, customers use one or another Blackjack strategy.
Blackjack basic strategy. Most of all, players are afraid to score more points than they need. For example, if you have 12 points on your hand, you think: take more or stop. If 10 drops out, it will mean a loss. Therefore, gamblers often give up. But in fact, this technique reduces the probability of winning by 4%. When using the basic strategy Blackjack, you need to react to the ratio of your points to the dealer’s points.
Depending on this, you need to make the following decisions, for example:
- Take another card;
- Double the bet;
- Pass, etc.
The Martingale system. This famous strategy is very popular in many gambling games. It consists of the fact that after each loss, the customer must double his bet. As a result, when he wins, he will be able to immediately win back all the losing bets and win the size of the base bet. Remember that after winning the Martingale system, you need to return to the base bet. You determine its size for yourself before the game starts.
There are also advanced strategies, but we suggest that you first master the basic techniques.
Counting cards in Blackjack
Many experienced gamblers use card counting tactics when enjoying online Blackjack. It is important to note here that the rules of Blackjack do not prohibit the use of this technique, but it is very disliked by employees of offline casinos. The explanation is simple — counting cards can significantly increase the player’s advantage over the house. In an online casino, it is useless to prohibit counting cards, but the use of this tactic is complicated by shuffling the deck after each hand. Several programs can count cards for a customer, but their use is strictly prohibited.
The most famous and easy technique for counting cards in this game is the Hi-Lo strategy. To use it, you need to set a special value for each card:
- The value of 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace is -1;
- The value of cards from 2 to 6 is +1;
- The value of cards 7, 8, and 9 is 0.
According to this value, the player counts the cards that are dealt from the deck. The starting mark is 0. For example, if a queen falls out, then you need to subtract 1 from the starting count. If a four falls out, then you need to add 1. If a seven falls out, you don’t need to add anything, etc.
Counting in this way allows the user to predict which cards are left in the deck.
How to play Blackjack for free?
As we said before, many online casinos allow you to enjoy Blackjack online for free. With this, gambling companies attract new customers. After playing a game they like, users can decide to stay on the site, register, make a deposit and play for cash.
That’s what the benefits of the demo mode are:
- Free Blackjack;
- Registration is not required;
- No deposit needed;
- A game for fun;
- Opportunity to learn the rules;
- Calm game without nerves;
- Free training in-game strategies;
- You can leave any time without consequences.
There are disadvantages to playing Black jack for free: you cannot win real money and accept bonuses from online casinos. But you can always create an account, make a deposit and play for cash.
Some final tips
In this article, we have told you how to play online Blackjack. Here are some more tips that will be useful to you:
- Use money management. Do not try to recoup quickly after losing. Double your bet when you have confidence in your hand, or if you use a Martingale Strategy;
- Set limits. In order not to lose all the money, determine in advance the maximum bet size and the maximum bankroll for the game;
- Time is money. You should not spend hours playing. You will start to get tired and lose concentration, which will lower your chances of success.
Players ask
1. Do I need money to play Blackjack online?
You need money to enjoy online Blackjack. However, many online casinos kindly provide visitors to their sites to play in a free demo mode. Do not neglect this opportunity. This is a good way to learn the rules of the game and learn how to apply its strategies.
2. Is online Blackjack a fair game?
Online Blackjack is a fair game if you enjoy it in a legal online casino or mobile app. Be sure to study the information about the gambling platform before entrusting your money and data to it.
3. Can I download Black jack to my mobile?
You don’t need to download Blackjack 21 to your mobile. You can use your smartphone to enjoy this game on the mobile version of the online casino site. Another way is to install an official application from a reliable gambling operator.
4. Is it difficult to learn how to play Black jack?
Learning how to play Black jack online is not very difficult. The rules of the game are very simple if you combine theory with practice. We recommend that you first play in free mode to train your skills and understand all the nuances.