Online Blackjack

The History of Blackjack | The advantage of playing online Blackjack | How to play online Blackjack | Basic Blackjack strategy | Online Blackjack tips | Variants of the Blackjack game | Blackjack Hall of Fame

The History of Blackjack

The game of Blackjack has a definite French connection and is believed to be an amalgamation of the card games "chemin de fer", "French Ferme" and "vinget-et-un" (twenty-and-one) and originated in the casinos of Paris around 1700A.D.

During the 19th century Blackjack (or 21 as it was then known) was brought to the Americas by European immigrants. It was however not a very popular game until the rules were changed to make the odds more favourable to the player. One of these rules changes was the introduction of a 10:1 bonus received when players drew the Jack of Clubs (or Spades) along with the Ace of Spades. This resulted in gaming history being made and the game of 21 became known forevermore as Blackjack.

The advantage of playing online Blackjack

The biggest advantage to playing Blackjack online as opposed to playing in a regular land-based casino is that it is less pressurised and much less intimidating. This allows players to think strategically and at their own pace. It also allows online Blackjack players open access to the basic strategy chart so that they do not have to commit it to memory.

Another reason to play online Blackjack is that it is one of a very select group of casino games where a player’s decisions can actually affect their chances of winning. Almost no other casino game (on or offline) offers this level of strategic thought and this makes online blackjack one of the best bets in the casino for implementing a winning strategy.

For more on what Blackjack games are available at JackpotCity.com online casino please go to our Table Games page.

How to play online Blackjack

Online Blackjack, like its offline counterpart, is a fairly simple game to learn but a difficult game to master. The object of (online and offline) Blackjack is to get a value of cards equal to or as close to 21 as possible while beating the total of the dealer’s cards. Numbered cards are worth their face value and face cards are worth 10. Aces on the other hand are worth 1 or 11 (the player decides). If the total of the cards ever exceeds 21 it is called a "bust" and the player or dealer (depending on whom "bust") loses. If the total of the value of cards is less than or equal to 21 the highest total wins. In the event of a tie no one wins and a new hand is played.

Basic Blackjack strategy

Player choice, when optimised correctly, can reduce the casinos advantage quite substantially. This optimised play is called basic Blackjack strategy and is explained in the table below:

Key: S = Stand
H = Hit
Dh = Double (if not allowed then hit)
Ds = Double (if not allowed then stand)
Sp = Split
SU = Surrender

Please Note: There are slight variations to basic Blackjack strategy depending on house rules and/or the number of card decks. The above is a basic strategy table for 3 or more Blackjack decks.

Online Blackjack tips

• Only play online Blackjack when you can concentrate. This should be wherever you feel most comfortable so that you can make the best possible call for each hand.
• As with any casino game, make sure you understand the rules. Each different online Blackjack game has a slightly different set of rules.
• Always keep an eye on your total credits – when winning bet slightly more and when loosing bet slightly less. This will ensure you stay in the Blackjack game longer and have more opportunity to win.
• Always hold at seventeen unless neither you nor the dealer has a low card showing and you are up. However, if you already have a two or a three, chances of another low card diminish exponentially.
• Only double down if you have at least one face card and the dealer's hand is looking weak. Doubling down can net you a higher payout, but can hit your pocket badly if not used correctly.

Variants of the Blackjack game

Pontoon is an English variation of Blackjack with significant rule differences. In Australia however the game of Pontoon is a renamed version of the American game Spanish 21 and bears no resemblance to the game of English Pontoon. Spanish 21 on the other hand is a very liberal interpretation of the modern Blackjack rules.

"Vegas Style" Blackjack (also called 21st Century Blackjack) is an American version of the game made popular in California. It allows the player to still push if both he and the dealer bust, provided the dealer busts with a higher total.

The French (Vingt-et-un) and the German (Siebzehn und Vier) versions of Blackjack do not offer the chance to split the ace and always count as eleven. Two Aces however also count as a Blackjack. This form of Blackjack, although not popular in casinos, is very popular in the military.

Chinese Blackjack allows different card combinations and no splitting of cards. This form of Blackjack, as the name insinuates, is popular in the Far East.

The most recent form of Blackjack to appear is Elimination Blackjack. This is a tournament form of Blackjack made popular by the surge of interest in tournament based poker games.

Blackjack Hall of Fame

Established in 2002, the Blackjack hall of fame is situated in the Barona Casino in San Diego, California. The most famous members of this illustrious Blackjack group are:

• Edward O. Thorp – author of the Blackjack book "Beat the Dealer"
• Ken Uston – who popularised team play in Blackjack
• Arnold Snyder – the author and editor of the "Blackjack Forum" trade journal
• Stanford Wong – author and inventor of the "Wonging" Blackjack technique

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