Blackjack Rules Online

The beloved card-game we refer to as Blackjack is played in casinos and online casinos all over the world. Blackjack online is one of the most popular gambling activities there is and in this article, we will present a complete guide to this ingenious game. Mainly, we will be focusing on the following questions:

  • How do I play Blackjack online?
  • Which are the best Blackjack online websites in India?
  • How do the Blackjack rules work?
  • What Blackjack strategies are there?

In this article we discuss the rules of blackjack and how to play the game. Each card in blackjack has a definitive value, apart from the Ace, which could be counted as 1 or 11. The goal is to draw a combination of cards, the total value of which is higher than the dealer's, but doesn't exceed 21. Most online casinos offer the same game providers for their blackjack and live casino games, which means that nearly every online blackjack game has the same set of rules and structure. In the end, the goal in any blackjack game is always the same: getting as close to 21 as possible without going over.

How To Play Blackjack Online

  • Blackjack Rules. To beat the dealer by having a higher card total without going over 21. 2 to 10 = Face Value.
  • Let’s continue with how to play blackjack and use a simple game to explain the blackjack rules: Blackjack is played between the player and the dealer. There can be more than one player at every table, but there can be only one dealer. Usually, 8 decks are used to play blackjack online games (also available at online blackjack Canada sites.

The game of Blackjack is a card-game between you and the dealer, which makes it perfectly suited for online casinos. Playing Blackjack at a physical casino or an online casino is basically all the same. To play Blackjack online is smooth and simple and the game can be found on most betting platforms available in India. In the next part of this article, we will present the best and most recommendable Blackjack online platforms in India.

Best Blackjack Online Sites in India

LeoVegas

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Unibet

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Royal Panda

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Online Blackjack Rules

First of all, the objective of the game of Blackjack is to get as close to 21 without exceeding 21. If you hit over 21 you are busted, which means you can not win. To beat the house you need to hit under 21 – but higher than the dealer.

First of all, the objective of the game of Blackjack is to get as close to 21 without exceeding 21.

The setup is the following. Before the dealer starts handing out the cards you will have to place your chosen bet. Each game of Blackjack has its minimum and maximum bet and it is up to you place your wager within these limits. After placing the bet the dealer will deal two cards with the face up to each player and two cards to the house – one face up and one face down.

Knight, Queen, and King, the suits, all have a value of 10. Ace is counted as 11 or 1. The numbered cards from 2 to 9 have the same value as the card number value.

So for instance, if your two first cards, luckily, is an ace and a card with the value of 10, it is called Blackjack since the total value is 21. This means you will win half of your stake unless the dealer also gets Blackjack – then the bet will have no action.

Blackjack Rules Surrender

If taking one step back again to look at the options you have after the cards are dealt. The number of alternatives is four. Either you hit, stand, double down or split.

To hit means that you are given one more card and then you will have to consider the four options. The second alternative is to stand and that means that you stop and will not be given any further cards during the current round. The third alternative is to double down. If so, you will double your amount from the original bet at the same time as you will be given exactly one more card and the hand value is then final. Your fourth option is to split. A split can be done when you have two cards with similar values. To split means that you will play each card as a new hand, each with an exact match of your original bet.

These are the basic rules and restrictions for you as a Blackjack player. But to fully understand the game and to make the most possible strategic decisions you also need to know about the house or the dealer and how they must proceed on their hands. Because Blackjack is all about beating the dealer.

The dealer has one card face up and your decision on which of the above actions to take will be in consideration to the value of the dealer’s card. The dealer also has the restriction stating that the dealer must hit until the hand has a value of at least 17. Any value between 17 to 21 will be final and if the dealer reaches any value above 21 the dealer has also busted.

Best Blackjack Online Strategy

Blackjack is a straight forward card-game with rather simple rules that are easy to learn. But it is also a game where you can be strategic and where experience matters. With a consistent strategy your chances of winning in this game are better than most other games of gambling and, all in all, this is probably why it is such a popular game.

When being strategic in Blackjack you must always pay attention to the value of the dealer’s face-up card, because that value is what decides what your next action will be. To apply a strategy that is based on likelihood instead of gut feelings is simple and it will increase your chances of winning.

In this list below you can see the percentage of the time the dealer busts given their face-up card:

These numbers are facts that are fundamental for the strategic online Blackjack player. It also shows that this game is about all about numbers, likely hood and, in a sense, mathematics. When applying this every value that the dealer’s face-up card is showing is telling you another number in percentage.

Although, this information does not complete a successful strategy. You must also be aware of the likelihood of going bust yourself. Since there is no risk of busting on a value of 11 or less – you will always hit if having a hand with a value of 11or less.

Blackjack Rules Online Course

This fact also makes the risk of going bust if hitting calculation quite simple. This is what it looks like starting from the value of 13 up to 20:

As you can see the risk of busting on a value of 19 is 85% and on a value of 20, it is 92%. This means that you should apply a basic rule of never hitting on these values.

Left are the range of 12 to 18 and the fact that an ace can be either 11 or 1. In general, you should never hit on 18 if it is not a soft 18, where soft means that the value includes an ace being used at 11.

Thus, we are down to the range of 12 to 17 where the more difficult decisions shall be made. In order to define the strategy and how to act on these values, we will present the concept of soft hands versus hard hands, doubling down and splitting in the next part of this guide.

Soft Hands and Hard Hands in Blackjack Online

A soft hand means that you have a hand that includes an ace that is currently counted as a value of 11. The concept of the soft hand is important learning when aiming to master the game of Blackjack. Consequently, a hard hand is a hand that does not contain an ace.

The rules to apply when holding a hand within the range of 12 to 17 is more strict if it is a hard hand compared to a soft hand. The general logic is to stay over 17 and to hit under 17 if it is a hard hand. The soft hand is more favorable but also more complex in terms of which action to take. In general, you should hit if having a soft 15 or less and to hit if having a soft hand of 19 or more. The best action for the remaining soft hands of 16, 17 or 18 will be determined by the dealer’s face-up card.

When to Double Down in Blackjack Online

There are variations to this but the simple rule is to double down if having a hand of 10 or 11. To double down means that you are doubling your original bet and gets exactly one more card which makes the final hand.

If the dealer’s face-up card is of value with a high risk of going bust, such as 4, 5, and 6, you may also decide to double down on a lower hand than 10.

When to Split in Blackjack Online

A split can be done when you have two cards with similar values. To split means that you will play each card as a new hand, each with an exact match of your original bet. A general rule is that aces and eights are the perfect cards for using the split option. Aces, since any 10 count card will bring you a Blackjack and eights since 16 is a count you want to avoid. There are also hands you should never split and those are 10 count cards, fives, and fours.

Rules

Blackjack Online Terms and Expressions

Classic Blackjack is traditionally played with just one single deck, but some variations of the game could have multiple decks.

The most traditional version of blackjack is generally known as Classic Blackjack, or just Blackjack. Acting as the most known and most popular version of the 21 game, Classic Blackjack is generally offered at all casinos, whether they be land-based or online.

It also acts as one of the easier card games to play when compared with others like poker and baccarat.

The Rules of Classic Blackjack

Playing classic blackjack is fairly simple, and as long as you’re informed on a few basic rules to follow, it’s very easy to pick up. The basic game is played with standard decks of cards, so any adept card gamers should find this to be common knowledge. The remaining standard rules of playing classic blackjack are as follows;

  • The object of the game is to create a hand with a value that is equal to or closer to 21 than the dealer’s hand
  • Number cards count as face value (2-10), Aces count as either 1 or 11, and Kings, Queens and Jacks count as 10
  • The dealer receives two cards, as does the player. All player cards are dealt face up, while only a single one of the dealer’s cards is.
  • Players can then hit or stand, with the former providing an extra card and the latter holding the cards at their current value.

Knowing these standard rules is really all that’s needed to begin playing Classic Blackjack. If you’re able to count, then there’s really nothing stopping you from being able to try and beat the dealer’s hand.

Other Important Rules

However, as with all games, there are certain other rules that players should be aware of to give themselves a better opportunity at beating the house. These extra pieces of information are sometimes the turning point between a win and a loss.

Number of Decks

Classic Blackjack is generally played with a single deck – however, certain variations, like Netent’s online Blackjack game for example, will allow players to wager on more. Netent’s Blackjack game is played with three boxes and six standard decks of 52 cards, minus the Jokers.

Dealer Play

Casinos have rules which dictate when the dealer is able to stand or hit. The common rule for Classic Blackjack is to have the dealer hit on a soft 16 and stand on a soft 17. Soft hands are those which contain Ace cards, which as noted before, can be classed as 1 or 10.

Natural Blackjack

This occurs when a 10-value card, plus an ace is initially dealt in any hand. The payout for this is 3:2 and a Natural Blackjack always beats any other hand with a value of 21.

Splitting

If the first two cards you are dealt hold the same face value, you can split them into separate hands. Only one split per hand is allowed and proceeding with this will double your initial wager placed. After splitting Aces, you receive only a single additional card for each split hand. All others can be hit multiple times.

Doubling

After the first two cards, you can double your wager. After doing so, you are dealt one extra card and then your hand automatically stands.

Insurance

Rules

If the dealer’s first card is an Ace, a player can buy insurance. This costs half the value of the initial bet and pays 2:1 if the dealer gets a Blackjack. If the dealer does not have Blackjack, you lose the insurance bet.

Surrender

Rules

This option allows players to bow out of an unfavorable hand at the cost of half their bet.

Classic Blackjack Hints & Tips

Always remember to stand your hand when you have a hard hand with a value of 17-21, or a soft hand equaling 19-21. Being dealt a pair of Ace cards should result in a split option.

If you have a pair of fives and the dealer is showing any card between a 2 to a 9, use the double option. Meanwhile, if he has a 10 or Ace, be sure to Hit your hand.