Understanding of the Blackjack rules is just to your advantage when you play online Blackjack. With online Blackjack you should first grasp the basics of the game and the peculiarities of the specific variant you are going to play.

The main objective is to try to beat the dealer hand seeing which of the two of you gets the closest to twenty one. The card values in the game of Blackjack are all face cards from 10, Jack, Queen and King all valued at 10 points; cards 2-9 are at their face value and the Ace may count as 1 or 11 however you choose to play it. With all the different games of Blackjack the Blackjack rules state that you must first make your initial bet, before you are dealt your first two cards. The dealer — online casino — deals two cards to each of the players including two cards to the dealer.

To beat the dealer’s hand your hand must rank higher than the dealer’s one and if you are dealt a natural Blackjack –21– you are automatically the winner. If both you and the dealer end up having the same hand value there is no winner.

If both you and the dealer end up having a natural Blackjack which is 21, this scenario is called a Tie or a Push, in this case you will get your bet back. With most online Blackjack games the Blackjack rules state that the dealer must always stand on 17, but will always hit a hand with a value of up to 16.

The following rules apply for different situations that you may encounter during a game:

Split: When you are dealt two cards by the dealer of the same value, you are then allowed to split your hand and play both of these cards each asan individual hand. Your initial bet that you had placed on your original hand will then be duplicated and placed on your second hand also.
If you are dealt a pair of Aces, you are allowed to take one extra card only. Usually any winning 21 hand that you obtain after splitting a pair will be paid out at 1-to-1.

Doubling Down: In the game of Blackjack the Blackjack rules state that you are allowed to double down, meaning you may double your original bet after having your first two cards dealt to you. This option is only available after you have been dealt your first two cards.

Insurance: This is a side bet placed in a game of Blackjack against the possibility of the dealer getting a Blackjack. You may only take insurance in a game of Blackjack if you do not have a blackjack and only if the dealers first card is an Ace. You will find that insurance costs half of your original bet.

I would recommend before playing any version of Blackjack to read and understand the specific rules. The best way to learn is to play the different games of Blackjack in the free mode option offered by almost all online casinos. If you want to learn more about this fascinating game, take a look at Blackjack Domain, a site entirely dedicated to blackjack, its secrets, its strategies and its famous characters, those who strictly linked their lives to the game.

by BOCA