Everything You Need To Know About Online Blackjack
Online blackjack is one of the most played games at the online casinos. Head to any casino and you’re sure to find a game of online blackjack as part of that casino’s staple selection of games. Whilst other popular games like baccarat, craps and poker are extremely prominent at the casinos, there’s something about blackjack which has captured the public’s attention.
There are plenty of reasons for this, but the key aspect would be that compared to other casino games, blackjack is an incredibly strategic and predictive game, meaning players can understand the game better and their chances of winning within it. It’s a numbers game which takes concentration, skill and a deep understanding of probability to get to grips with.
In this quick guide, we’ll run you through how you can get the best online blackjack UK and starting playing online blackjack for real money as soon as possible. Online blackjack is so simple to play and in many ways more streamlined than the regular casino version.
So whether you’re interested in online blackjack no deposit, online blackjack PayPal or simply want some online blackjack casino reviews, let our guide walk you through the basics of what to expect from the world of online blackjack.
The Differences Between Online Blackjack And Regular Blackjack
Online blackjack has a few key differences to the real world version of blackjack, which players might not be aware of when they play blackjack online for the first time. The biggest difference is that cards in online blackjack are randomly generated. Online blackjack games are usually played with multiple decks of cards, which are randomly generated when they are laid on the table. In effect, this removes the ability to count cards or base the outcome of the game based on the cards that have been dealt, since there are too many duplicate cards in play.
Players won’t just find online blackjack in one form. While the traditional casino version of the game is relatively well known, many will be surprised to find that there’s dozens of variations which can give blackjack fans a huge selection when it comes to how they want to play.
Players can enjoy the regular online variant, they can play for smaller minimum bets, larger maximum bets, multi-hand, versions which include a slot game built in and even get the full on casino experience by playing online blackjack at the live casino.
How To Play Online Blackjack
One of the key strengths of online blackjack is that it has a high skill ceiling, but a low skill floor. What this basically means is, the basics of the game are extremely simple to pick up, but players can still work their skills to become better and better at the game.
Online blackjack is a single player game played between a player and the dealer. The aim of the game is for the dealer and the player to get as close to 21 as possible. Whoever gets closest to 21, wins the game. If either the dealer or player goes over 21, then they lose immediately.
It’s best to remember that in online blackjack, the focus of the player should not be to get as close to 21 as possible, but instead just to get a higher hand than the dealer. You’re playing against the dealer and therefore you should only really be focusing on what their hand has, not just aiming to go as high as possible and put yourself at additional risk.
A regular round of online blackjack goes like this. The player and dealer will be dealt two cards each. The player’s cards will both be face up, while the dealer’s has one face up card and the other is face down. The player can then decide to hit or stay to get closer to 21.
Every time the player hits, he receives an additional card, but if he stays, his turn is over and the it is then the dealer’s turn. The player must hit or stay not only to get close to 21, but also based on what he knows the dealer has, based on the dealer’s one face up card.
The Dealer’s Moves And Restrictions
Unlike other casino games, in online blackjack the dealer has to make moves and play against the player. Unlike the player however, the dealer is restricted to certain rules. He can’t freely make whatever plays he likes and therefore the dealer does have a slight advantage when it comes to predicting the outcome of the game, based on what he knows the dealer can do.
The dealer must simply hit constantly until he hits 16. Once the dealer gets to 16 or above, he must stay and then the round is over. The player can use this to their advantage, since he knows that any hand over 16 has a higher chance of beating the dealer, due to the dealer’s restrictive move set.
The Extra Player Moves – Split, Insurance & Double Down
In online blackjack, players can make some additional moves to help improve their chances of winning, or potentially just win a little extra. The three extra moves the player can make is split, double down and insurance.
Splitting means that the player splits their two card hand into a two hands and get dealt an extra card for each hand. The player will then play with two hands instead of one, in effect, playing two separate games of online blackjack against the dealer.
The player can also double, which means they can double their bet, but in return, they can only hit once more before being forced to stay. Since players can only bet at the start of the round in online blackjack, doubling down allows them to earn a bigger payout if they feel the round is going well.
An insurance bet is an additional bet which the player can make if the dealer’s upturned card is an ace at the start of the hand. If the dealer gets a natural blackjack hand, a hand value of 21, then the player wins on that insurance bet. If not, then they lose that bet.