Is Blackjack Worth Playing
Posted : admin On 8/3/2022Sports & Recreations → Casino-Gaming
- Author Tom Moris
- Published October 26, 2009
- Word count 2,160
How to play blackjack
Blackjack is famous for the low house edge, which can go below 0.50% when the game is played according to the optimal strategy. If you place a side bet, you can put your balance at danger since the house edge is much higher. For instance, the 21+3 side comes with a 3.2386% house margin. NOT CHECKING THE PLAYING RULES. Most players just plop themselves down at the first open. Blackjack Card Values in Play The goal of Blackjack is to beat the dealer, but so many people misunderstand this as trying to get as close to the sum of 21 as possible. It’s easy to make this mistake, because in order to beat the dealer, one must have a hand that surpasses the sum of the dealer’s hand without surpassing 21.
One of the most attractive features of the game of Blackjack is the low house edge compared to other games on the casino floor. Good players will face a house edge of around 0.5%, and even if you. 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.
The object of the blackjack game is to accumulate cards with point totals as close to 21 without reaching more than 21. Face cards (Jacks, Queens and Kings) are worth 10 points. Aces are worth 1 or 11, whichever is preferable. Other cards are represented by their number.
If player and the House tie, it is a push and no one wins. Ace and 10 (Blackjack) on the first two cards dealt is an automatic player win at 1.5 to 1, unless the house ties. A player may stand at any time.
Playing blackjack
To win the game, you need to beat the dealer without busting. You bust when your cards total to more than 21 and you lose automatically. The winner is whoever has closest to a total of 21. You reach 21 by adding up the values of the cards.
The blackjack table seats about 6 players. Either six or eight decks of cards are used and are shuffled together by the dealer and placed in a card dispensing box called 'Shoe'.
Before receiving any cards players must place a wager. Then the players are dealt two cards face up. The dealer gets one face up, one face down. Each player in turn either stays or takes more cards to try and get closer to 21 without busting. Players who do not bust wait for the dealer's turn. When all the players are done, the dealer turns up the down card. By rule, on counts of 17 or higher the dealer must stay; on counts of 16 or lower the dealer must draw.
If you make a total of 21 with the first two cards (a 10 or a face and an Ace), you win automatically. This is called 'Blackjack'. If you have Blackjack, you will win one and one-half times your bet unless the dealer also has Blackjack, in which case it is a Push or a Tie (or a Stand-off) and you get your bet back.
The remaining players with a higher count than the dealer win an amount equal to their bet. Players with a lower count than the dealer lose their bet. If the dealer busts, all the remaining players win. There are other options for betting namely Insurance, Surrender, Double Down, Even Money and Split.
Insurance: side bet up to half the initial bet against the dealer having a natural 21 - allowed only when the dealer's showing card is an Ace. If the dealer has a 10 face down and makes a blackjack, insurance pays at 2-1 odds, but loses if the dealer does not.
Surrender: giving up your hand and lose only half the bet.
Early Surrender: surrender allowed before the dealer checks for blackjack.
Late Surrender: the dealer first checks to see if he has blackjack. If he does, surrender is not permitted.
Double Down: double your initial bet following the initial two-card deal, but you can hit one card only. A good bet if the player is in a strong situation. Most casinos will allow you to double down on any two cards. Some casinos will let you double down after splitting and some will limit your doubling down to hands that total ten or eleven. However, there is one condition: When you double down, you must take one additional card and you cannot receive more than one.
Even Money: cashing in your bet immediately at a 1:1 payout ratio when you are dealt a natural blackjack and the dealer's showing card is an Ace.
Split Hand: split the initial two-card hand into two and play them separately - allowed only when the two first cards are of equal value. Use each card as the start to a separate hand and place a second bet equal to the first.
Hard Hand: A hand without an Ace, or with an Ace valued at 1 is said to be Hard in that it can only be given one value, unlike a Soft Hand. (You can value an Ace 1 or 11 to suit you).
Soft Hand: A hand that contains an Ace counted as 11 is called a Soft Hand.
House advantage (it may vary with some rules)
Without basic strategy 7% average.
With basic strategy 0.5% or less.
Card counting can reverse the advantage up to 1% to the player.
Here are some variations of blackjack
Using different number of decks: all other conditions being the same, as a general rule the fewer the decks, the better for the player.
Allowing the dealer to hit a soft 17: a disadvantage to the player. It gives the dealer a chance to improve.
Allowing a double down after splitting pairs: can be advantageous to the player if used wisely.
Allowing re-splitting of Aces: a clear advantage to the player.
No dealer hole card: common on cruise ships, this variation is a disadvantage to the player. The dealer does not deal himself a second card until the players have played and they can lose the doubles and splits.
Las Vegas and Atlantic City variants
Las Vegas blackjack:
Las Vegas games are played with two decks and the House must hit on hands less than soft 17 (17 involving an Ace) and must stand on hands of 17 or greater.
Atlantic City blackjack:
Atlantic City games are played with four decks and the House must hit on 16 and stand all 17's.
Perfect Pairs blackjack
Perfect Pairs is a blackjack side bet. It can be played on a standard blackjack table and does not require the main game rules to be changed. All Perfect Pairs wagers are decided and dealt with at the completion of the initial deal.
Perfect Pairs bets are made prior to any cards being dealt and must be supported by a regular Blackjack bet on the same betting box. A Perfect Pairs bet wins if the first two cards dealt to a players Blackjack hand are a pair and it loses if they are not a pair.
There are 3 different types of pairs and the payout odds vary accordingly:
Mixed pair (A pair that is made up of 1 red suited card and 1 black suited card - example 2 of clubs + 2 of hearts)
Coloured pair (A pair that is made up of 2 same cards of the same colour but are of different suits - example 6 of clubs + 6 of spades) example 8 of spades + 8 of clubs)
Perfect pair (An identical pair - example K of diamonds + K of diamonds)
Perfect Pairs rules
A player may place a Perfect Pairs wager on any box on which the player has placed a Blackjack wager
A Perfect Pairs wager must be placed before any cards in the round of play are dealt
A Perfect Pairs wager wins if the first 2 cards dealt to the player are a pair
A Perfect Pairs wager loses if the first 2 cards dealt to the player are not a pair
Winning Perfect Pairs wagers must be paid as per the displayed paytable
After each player has been dealt the first 2 cards, the dealer must take all losing Perfect Pairs wagers and make a payout to each player who has a winning Perfect Pairs wager
The dealer then goes on to deal with each player in the usual way for Blackjack
Perfect Pairs payouts
Perfect Pair pays 30 to 1
Coloured Pair pays 10 to 1
Mixed Pair pays 5 to 1
The house edge on Perfect Pairs blackjack side bet is 6.76%.
21+3 - Blackjack and Three-card poker side game
Play Blackjack and 3-card Poker at the same time. 21+3 is a European-style Blackjack game with a high-paying side bet opportunity similar to the very popular Pairs Plus bet in the Three Card Poker game. No special poker skill is required.
The 3-card side bet, which pays relative to the combination of your first two cards and the dealer's up card, is optional. You receive two cards, both face up, and, the Dealer receives one face up card. If you made a 3-card bet and these first three cards form a winning outcome, you are immediately paid according to the side bet pay table. This side bet is independent of your subsequent Blackjack play.
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This info gives you some successful Blackjack Tactics, an online guide to blackjack strategy. Our goal is to help you become a winning black jack player.
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Some of the blackjack strategy related content that you'll find on our website includes:
Online blackjack strategy articles
Blackjack charts and statistics
Blackjack rules
Betting systems
Blackjack history
Online casino info
Blackjack game variations and variants
Blackjack odds and probabilities
Blackjack book reviews (coming soon)
Blackjack terms and definitions
Card counting strategies
All of the resources and information on this site about the game of 21 are free.
The information and resources on this site are aimed at both new blackjack players and veterans. Informed blackjack players are winning blackjack players, and our goal is to help you become an informed and winning player. Blackjack Tactics is meant to be a perennial resource for blackjack players, so we encourage you to bookmark the site so you can return whenever you want to.
We hope to become the leading blackjack strategy website on the Internet, and we hope that eventually any blackjack strategy question you might have will be answered in these pages.
Why Play Online Blackjack?
Blackjack, along with video poker, is one of the only casino games where your decisions actually have an effect on your chances of winning. No other casino game offers this level of strategic thought, and in fact, a skilled blackjack player can actually tilt the odds in his favor. Even if you're only a partially skilled player, knowing basic strategy only, you can reduce the house edge to just 0.5%. This makes blackjack one of the best bets in the casino, even if you don't count cards. And learning the correct strategies is easy.
Blackjack Questions and Answers
Did you know that if you removed every 5 from the deck, you would switch the odds from the casino's favor to the player's favor?
Did you know that when counting cards you don't have to track specific cards?
Do you know the difference between a soft total and a hard total?
Is Blackjack Apprenticeship Worth It
Do you know why progressive betting systems in blackjack are flawed?
Did you know you can sometimes read the dealer by picking up on tells?
The answers to all of these questions can be found in the articles on this website. Please contact us if you have specific questions about blackjack strategy, we want to hear from you. You can contact us by emailing admin@blackjacktactics.com.
You might be interested in some of our recent strategy articles, like:
6-5 Blackjack
It was always taken for granted that a casino would pay 3-to-2 on a natural blackjack. If you drew a 21 on your first two cards, you take 50% more bet home. Players who bet $10 win $15 on a natural blackjack.
But in the last few years, Las Vegas casinos decided to change the old formula. Casinos set up 6/5 games, where the house pays only 6-to-5 on a natural blackjack.
So on a natural blackjack, the casino pays only $12 on a $10 bet. That becomes a huge difference in the amount of money you win in an hour's time. Changing the payoffs on blackjacks adds 1.39% to the house edge on that game of blackjack.
How did the casinos get away with this?
To walk past a 3:2 blackjack game and play 6:5 blackjack seems crazy. The answer is that casinos found a slick new way to market their new game, tricking novice players into handing over more money to the house.
How to play Black Jack successfully online - Play Blackjack
Article source: http://articlebiz.comMost online blackjack games do a decent job of recreating the land-based casino atmosphere. They offer polished graphics and close views of the table.
Even still, online blackjack doesn’t totally recreate what it’s like to play in a brick and mortar casino. This is where First Person Blackjack comes into play.
The first-person version relies on unique table views to put you closer to the action. It provides an interesting look at one of the most classic online casino games.
This page discusses more on the basics of First Person Online Blackjack. It also covers if this game is a major upgrade over the traditional version.
This Game Puts You Close to the Casino Atmosphere
Again, the view with standard real money online blackjack isn’t bad. You’ll enjoy a nice straight-on look while playing.
However, your perspective is static and never changes. Unlike at a land-based casino, you don’t get to look around and see anything other than what the gaming site provides.
First Person Online Blackjack takes a different approach to the matter. It offers views that are similar to what you’d see when sitting at the table.
Furthermore, the camera rotates at different parts of the hand so that you get to view different things while playing.
For example, the camera view begins with you further away from the table. But the perspective moves closer as cards are dealt and you’re ready to play the hand.
Multi-hand Option and Side Bets
Online blackjack has become increasingly complex within recent years. Most games now offer side bets and other frills to enhance the entertainment value.
First Person Blackjack is no different in this regard. It provides extras in the form of two side bets and a multi-hand option.
The two side bets include perfect pairs and 21+3. These wagers work as follows:
- Perfect Pairs
- You win this wager by getting a pair within your first two cards.
- A perfect pair (same color and suit) pays 25:1.
- A colored pair (black or red) pays 12:1.
- A mixed pair pays 6:1.
- It features a 95.9% house edge.
- 21+3
- You win this bet by forming a poker-style hand with your first two cards and the dealer’s up card.
- A suited three of a kind pays 100:1.
- A straight flush pays 40:1.
- A three of a kind pays 30:1.
- A straight pays 10:1.
- A flush pays 5:1.
- It features a 96.3% house edge.
First Person and Standard Blackjack Have Much in Common
First Person Blackjack definitely looks different than the standard online version. However, it also has some things in common with regular online blackjack. You can see all of these commonalities below.
Basic Betting Options
The betting options in first-person and standard online blackjack are the same in both types of blackjack. You begin each round by selecting your chip denomination.
Available chip denominations include $1, $5, $25, and $100. After choosing your denomination, you put your chips within the designated betting circle.
Once a round is finished, you’ll have the choice to either re-bet or change your options. The re-bet option is handy if you want to play hands quickly while maintaining the same wagers.
Is Blackjack Worth Playing
Virtual Setup
First Person Blackjack may look more realistic than what you’re used to with online blackjack. However, it still runs on gambling software.
Everything from the table to the cards are generated by software. This setup is similar to any other online blackjack game that’s available.
Low Stakes
You don’t need to bet much to play First Person Online Blackjack. In fact, you only need to wager $1 per hand.
This cheap minimum wager fits with the rest of the online gaming world. Almost every other internet blackjack game also features a $1 minimum bet.
Of course, you may feel like playing for higher stakes. In this case, you can wager as much as $2,500 per round ($500 per hand in multi-hand) with the first-person variant.
Same Rules Apply
Many online blackjack games feature small nuances when compared to each other. However, they generally offer more favorable rules than the average land-based game.
For starters, almost every online blackjack game pays 3:2, instead of 6:5, on natural blackjacks. This rule alone lowers the house edge by 1.4%.
First Person Blackjack also offers plenty of favorable rules, including doubling down after splitting, the dealer standing on a soft 17, and re-splitting up to four hands.
It doesn’t necessarily offer of the best RTP (99.21%). However, it’s still better than what’s seen with playing in an average traditional casino.
How First Person and Live Dealer Blackjack Compare
First Person Online Blackjack draws inevitable comparisons to the live dealer version. After all, it’s the most realistic experience that you’ll get through online blackjack.
Live dealer blackjack takes place in a brick and mortar casino studio. It uses a real dealer, table, and cards to create the perfect atmosphere.
If you’re going to play blackjack from home, you can’t get any more authentic than top live dealer casinos. The latter essentially brings a land-based casino to your smartphone.
The one thing that First Person Blackjack has over the live version, though, is the rotating views. The camera changes as you experience different parts of a blackjack hand.
Your perspective starts further away from the table. Once cards are dealt, your view zooms in to better see the card values. When playing multiple hands, your view and table/seat position switch as well.
Blackjack Playing Strategy
With live dealer blackjack, the camera only focuses on the dealer and the table. It never moves to provide different views of the casino.
Overall, players who want the most realistic experience possible will still choose live dealer blackjack. But the first-person version runs a close second.
Pros and Cons of First Person Online Blackjack
First Person Online Blackjack has become fairly popular in online casinos due to its unique advantages. However, it’s not entirely perfect either. Below, you can see the pros and cons to this game.
Pros
The first and most obvious benefit to First Person Blackjack is its unique views. Unlike with a regular online game, you actually get to look around and see different parts of the table.
You’ll especially enjoy this effect when playing multiple hands. Your view rotates as you switch positions to play a new hand.
First Person Online Blackjack also gives you the ability to control the game speed. You decide when to play hands and take breaks—not a dealer.
This game doesn’t cost much to play either. Like other blackjack games online, the first-person variation features a $1 minimum bet.
Finally, First Person Blackjack makes for a nice transition to the live dealer version. In fact, it offers a “live” button that takes you directly to the live dealer blackjack tables.
Cons
Most online blackjack games offer a demo mode. Unfortunately, the first-person variation doesn’t. With that said, you must play this game for real money or not play at all.
Secondly, Evolution Gaming is currently the only developer that offers first-person blackjack. Evolution doesn’t serve every country or state (e.g. most of the US). Therefore, you might not even be able to play this game.
Is Live Blackjack Worth It
One more potential problem is that First Person Blackjack doesn’t perfectly replicate the live dealer atmosphere. While the rotating camera views are nice, it still offers software-generated graphics rather than the real deal.
Should You Play This Game?
If you enjoy regular online blackjack, then you should definitely give the first-person variation a try. The latter works just like typical online blackjack but with a twist.
Rather than staring at the same perspective of the cyber table for an entire session, you get to see different views of the table.
First Person Blackjack doesn’t completely replicate what you get from the live dealer experience. But it brings something new to the table if you’re used to the standard version.
It also allows you to play for just $1 per hand. If you feel like playing for much more, though, then you can wager as much as $2,500 per round ($500 per hand).
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to sample this game because no demo mode is available. Even still, First Person Online Blackjack is worth trying for at least a few hands or more.
Conclusion
Traditional online blackjack has entertained gamblers for over a quarter century. But newer variations that have come out over the years now give players more options to choose from.
First Person Blackjack was born out of these new variants. Rather than having you stare at the same spot on the table, you get different views while playing.
Playing Blackjack online, free
This game isn’t completely revolutionary and won’t suddenly transport you to a brick andmortar casino. However, it does offer a certain charm that’s missing with regular online blackjack. With that said, you should give the first-person variation a try if you’re looking for something different from your online blackjack experience.