It is difficult to find a card game that is as fast-paced and exciting as online Blackjack. As one of the oldest games, played long before modern casinos were invented, the blackjack game has a massive following around the world. Although the game is dependent on luck, to some extent, it is also considered a skill-based game. Players can use strategy to improve their odds since the game revolves around mathematical probability.
The great thing about table games such as blackjack is that they give players the chance to tip the odds in their favour and have more control over the outcome of the game. Many beginner players mistakenly believe that winning at blackjack simply requires your cards to add up to 21. However, the most important thing to keep in mind when playing blackjack online is that your primary goal is beating the dealer.
We always recommend learning a basic strategy when playing blackjack in order to avoid relying on blind luck and boost your chances of winning consistently.
Blackjack Online Guide & Basics
Winning at blackjack has been popularised in Hollywood movies, such as Rain Man and 21. Both movies portray players who are able to count the cards, a technique that is frowned upon or completely illegal at a number of casinos. In any case, counting cards is not possible in online Blackjack.
Before attempting to use strategy in the game, the player needs to understand the rules. Fortunately, most online casinos offer free versions of the game for players to familiarize themselves with the rules of gameplay.
Before playing blackjack at real money casinos, you must be confident enough to know at least the basics of the game. Depending on the cards in the player’s hands, there are a number of actions that can be taken to better the odds of winning.
When a player gets a pair of aces or 8s, he is better off splitting them. In the case of aces, this should help the player achieve 2 sets of 21s. Having a pair of 8s is considered to be one of the worst hands, so splitting them would allow a player to improve his chances.
Similarly, a player should never split a pair of 10s or 6s. With a pair of 10s, the player’s total is 20, which is a very good hand to have. Meanwhile, many professionals agree that splitting a pair of 6s normally results in having two poor hands.
Value of Cards
Cards numbered 2 to 10 are equivalent to the same numerical value
Jacks, Queens, and Kings are equal to 10
Aces may be worth 1 or 11
How to Play Blackjack Online
The rules of blackjack are simple and easy to understand for everyone. Although this is a game of chance, many casino visitors around the world find it very fair. They appreciate that they can influence the gameplay by making wise decisions in their favor. The more in-depth analysis also reveals a wide range of strategic options and a fascinating depth of play. We will explain here to you how you can play blackjack online in a few simple steps.
Time needed: 5 Minutes
Tools required: Mobile or Computer
Funds required: unlimited
Select your bet size
Once you have opened the Blackjack table, you can select the desired bet size.
Place your bet
Now, it’s your turn to place your bet. This can be done with a simple mouse click at the centre of the table.
Receive 2 cards
The virtual croupier will deal you 2 cards which is the start of the blackjack round.
Choose to Hit, Stand or Split
Now it is up to you what to do, you can either hit, stand or split your cards, depending on the card values.
Blackjack Table Charts
Our blackjack table charts provide a detailed description of when to hit or stand, double down, split pairs or surrender. Blackjack charts like Basic Strategy, Pair Splitting Strategy and Soft Hand Strategy take a lot of the guesswork out of playing blackjack since the visual element helps players get a clearer idea of how to make informed decisions.
It’s imperative to learn these charts like the back of your hand and commit them to memory in order to confidently anticipate all possible outcomes in any single game of blackjack. However, even if you do successfully memorize any or all of these charts, it’s still not enough to win at blackjack each and every time you play due to the house edge.
Basic Strategy
H = Hit D = Double S = Stand
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
A
4-8
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
9
H
D
D
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
10
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
H
H
H
11
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
12
H
H
S
S
S
H
H
H
H
H
13
S
S
S
S
S
H
H
H
H
H
14
S
S
S
S
S
H
H
H
H
H
15
S
S
S
S
S
H
H
H
H
H
16
S
S
S
S
S
H
H
H
H
H
17-21
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
Pair Splitting Strategy
H = Hit D = Double S = Stand SP = Split
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
A
2,2
H
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
H
H
H
H
3,3
H
H
SP
SP
SP
SP
H
H
H
H
4,4
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
5,5
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
H
H
6,6
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
H
H
H
H
H
7,7
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
H
H
H
H
8,8
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
9,9
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
S
SP
SP
S
S
10,10
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
A,A
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
Soft Hand Strategy
H = Hit D = Double S = Stand
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
A
A,9
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
A,8
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
A,7
S
D
D
D
D
S
S
H
H
H
A,6
H
D
D
D
D
S
H
H
H
H
A,5
H
H
D
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
A,4
H
H
D
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
A,3
H
H
H
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
A,2
H
H
H
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
The History of Blackjack
Also known as the game of 21, the game of blackjack dates all the way back to the 17th century in a Spanish tale, although some people have argued that its origins go back even further than that, to Ancient Egypt.
Many have also claimed that blackjack owes its history to a French game, called Vingt-et-Un, while yet another theory states that the game was invented by the Romans, who played it using wooden blocks with numbers on them, instead of playing cards.
Despite the confusion around its origins, the infamous game of 21 made its way around France and Spain until it eventually spread to the US, specifically New Orleans to legal gambling halls, in the 18th century, where it continued to grow in popularity. This initial form of the game, however, was quite different from traditional blackjack as we know it today.
Modern day Blackjack was born a lot later when casinos and gambling halls were looking for innovative ways to market the game and attract more people to play it. These venues offered extra casino bonuses to players in the event of a blackjack being dealt alongside an ace of spades.
The rules of the game also evolved slightly over the years, especially after the widespread legalization of gambling in the United States. For example, earlier forms of blackjack only allowed the dealer to double.
1768
First Record of Blackjack in France
Blackjack first appeared in a small province in France.
Blackjack reaches Britain
The game is brought from France to Great Britain and gains popularity.
1780
1800
First Blackjack Rules are being established
Rules for this game appear and the game is knows as Vingt-Un.
Blackjack Tips and Tricks
There are some additional tips and tricks, which, together with a good strategy, can help players to beat the dealer. For starters, players should never take insurance as this option greatly favours the house. It is also always better to start with small bets to test the waters.
Many players choose to play at a table and see whether the dealer or the player is hot or not. It takes a few rounds to decide this, so the player is better off making low-value bets. Although this tip is not backed by statistics, many players believe in having hot or cold streaks. When a player has a cold streak, he should stop playing and keep his money for another day in order to avoid chasing losses and losing even more along the way.
Go for blackjack variants with a house edge of lower than 1%
Play one hand at a time rather than multiple hands at once
Always play using a casino bonus
Play with a Winning Blackjack Strategy
The Oscar betting system is one tried and tested blackjack strategy that ensures winning at least one single chip. And the best thing about this system is that there are only 3 main rules involved: increase your bet by one chip whenever you win a hand; play the exact same bet size whenever you lose a hand; if you’ve won any money in a single session, withdraw it and start afresh in the next session.
One major benefit of using this system is that it helps players to manage their money adequately by limiting losses instead of chasing them up with bigger bets each time in order to recover them.
Online BlackJack vs Land based Casinos
Although the rules of blackjack remain the same, there are a few differences when it comes to playing the game online as opposed to playing in a physical, land-based casino. For starters, playing blackjack online is a lot more convenient, since it virtually eliminates the travel time and costs involved with playing at physical venues.
However, playing blackjack online sometimes lacks the adrenaline and fast-paced vibes of playing in an actual casino, although many operators are changing this thanks to the birth of live casino games.
Pros
Several unique blackjack variants available
Better bonuses on offer
Can be played from anywhere on your smartphone or tablet
No additional expenses of travelling to a land-based casino
Cons
Lacks the high-charged atmosphere of real casinos
Harder to employ card counting as a strategy
Why not Practice and Play Blackjack for Free?
If you happen to be a complete beginner, we highly recommend playing online blackjack for free in order to familiarize yourself with the game and polish your skills before risking any real money from your own bankroll.
As blackjack has a lot to do with skill and mathematical reasoning rather than luck, it’s worth taking some time to do your research and get some practice in rather than relying on luck. Nowadays, the majority of online casinos offer several variations of online blackjack in demo mode.
Online Blackjack – FAQ & Advice
Before you start playing any variant of online blackjack, it’s essential to make sure you know what the odds of the game are. Players who learn strategies and understand the probability of a specific game achieve a growing account balance much faster than players who choose to ignore these valuable strategies. It also helps to make use of lucrative bonuses offered by online casinos, as these bonus funds can help you boost your bankroll and get a lot more out of your online blackjack gameplay.
What is the best Blackjack Winning Strategy?
The simplest and best strategy for winning at online blackjack is the Oscar betting system, since this allows players to effectively manage their bankroll and avoid chasing losses. Using this system makes it easy to win at least one chip per session, and it can also save you more money in the long run and make you more conscious of how much you spend on your online gambling in any given session. Playing many smaller sessions with the goal of hitting smaller but more frequent wins is always more favourable than going too big.
What is the most common Blackjack terminology?
Blackjack terminology may sound like a foreign language to a complete beginner, but the good thing is, all you need is a little patience and practice to get used to what the different terms mean. For example, your first decision in any game of blackjack should be whether to hit or stand — either ask for another card or refuse additional cards. You could also split pairs, double down or surrender, in which case you’ll receive half your bet back. You might even have the chance to take insurance.
BSE: Basic Strategy Edge helps achieve better odds by using a basic strategy DOA: Double Down on initial cards D10/11: Double down is only allowed on 10s and 11s
What are the basic rules of Online Blackjack?
The primary rule of blackjack is to attempt to beat the dealer’s hand by acquiring a hand of cards that comes as close to the number 21 as possible, without going over it. After placing a bet and receiving their initial two cards, players can opt to hit, stand, double down, split, surrender or take insurance. The only way to get used to these rules and hone your blackjack skills to practice as much as possible, even by playing blackjack for free in demo mode.
Is it possible to Count Cards Online?
Unfortunately not. Unlike in land-based casinos, where card counting techniques experienced a massive surge before they were made illegal, online blackjack games make use of a mechanism known as Continuous Shuffle Machines, which is responsible for shuffling card decks throughout gameplay.
This software makes it highly tricky if not virtually impossible to employ card counting strategies, since it is much faster than a regular human dealer. In our opinion, there are far more superior blackjack strategies to choose from rather than resorting to card counting.
What are other popular Online Blackjack Variants?
Apart from classic blackjack, players can also take their pick from several fun variants of the game which are available at most online casinos. Some of these variations include European blackjack (played with just 2 decks of cards), Single deck blackjack, Blackjack Double Exposure, Multi-player blackjack, Caribbean 21 blackjack, Spanish 21, Progressive blackjack, Blackjack surrender, Blackjack switch and live dealer blackjack. All of these variants include different features to make the game more interesting and ultimately up the ante in your online blackjack gameplay.
With over 5 years of experience within the gambling industry, Alina has decided to dedicate her set of skills to Casinokix. She has great knowledge of online casinos and knows exactly what makes a fair and reputable casino. For the time being, she is responsible for our content production and tries to provide readers with the best information about the casino world. Her professional approach is part of our success story. Alina also has a Diploma in Journalism.