Definitive Guide to Playing Online Blackjack in 2023

The history of Blackjack starts quite a long time ago. A French card game by the name of Vingtetun (Vingt-et-un stands for 21 in French language) was probably the first version of the game from which Blackjack later came to be. The game was invented in France but brought to America by European settlers who mover there. Over the many years, Blackjack changed in quite a few ways and took inspiration and different details from various card games coming from all parts of the world, from Italy to the Far East.

The name of the game originally came from the French words for the number 21, but it changed over the years as the game evolved in America. Modern day Blackjack is quite a bit different from this original version and the rules have been changed to make the game more exciting and playable. The name Blackjack came from an original rule that required the player to hold the Jack of Spades (the Black Jack) in his hand to make Blackjack. The payout for such a hand was originally 10:1, but this rules was abolished over time.

The big revolution for the game of Blackjack came during the days of the Great Depression, when the State of Nevada decided to legalize gambling. The Nevada government was hoping to make some extra tax revenue this way, but the legalized gambling became a massive thing and spread across the state like wildfire, quickly expanding to the rest of the USA as well.

While Blackjack was originally French, everyone saw the game as an American invention now, and it soon spread across the globe as such. The development of the internet and mobile technologies helped bring Blackjack even closer to players who could now play it from the comfort of their homes or on the go, using their mobile devices and connecting to the internet. The game remains the same, but the access has never been easier.

Blackjack has gone through several phases in its evolution and development before it reached it current state. Today, the game uses a specific terminology that has been heavily Americanized due to the huge impact of Las Vegas and US gambling on its development.

Blackjack: A starting hand that involves one Ace card and one picture card (a ten, jack, queen, or king). Blackjack immediately wins you a 2:1 payout.

Double Down: A play that allows you to receive only one more card but also doubles your bet on the hand. If you can win, you will double what you would have originally won.

Bust: A hand that exceeds 21 and is, therefore, a losing hand in all cases.

Hit: Ask the dealer for another card, and I hope you don’t bust your hand.

Push: You and the dealer have the same hand value, therefore splitting the pot.

Soft Hand: A hand that involves an Ace and can be counted two ways (Ace counts as 1 or 11)

Hole Card: The dealer’s second card, which is not exposed at the start of the hand. In some versions of the game, the dealer will look at the hole card before anyone has a chance to act, looking for a Blackjack.

Upcard: The first card that the dealer receives and which is exposed from the start.

Stand: The simplest play in Blackjack. Don’t take any more cards and let the action go to the next player or the dealer.

Split: You can split your hand whenever you are dealt a pocket pair. If you decide to split, you will have to match your bet and you will be playing two separate hands for the same value. Splitting can be extremely beneficial, especially if you are dealt a pair of Aces.

Insurance: If the dealer is holding an Ace as their up card, you may ask for insurance. If the dealer happens to have Blackjack, you will receive a payout of 2:1. If not, you will lose your insurance bet and proceed with the hand as normal.

Surrender: In many versions of Blackjack, you have the option to surrender. If you surrender, you will get back half of your money, while the other half will be forfeit. According to basic strategy, there are some situations in which this is the optimal play.

The main objective of Blackjack is to make a hand with a value as close to 21 as possible. Yet, going past 21 means you lose. You will always be playing against the dealer and if you can make 21 before he does, you win. Aces count as 1 or 11 in Blackjack, while all pip cards count for their face value. All face cards count for 10 points.

To get the game started, each player must place a bet. The dealer then gives each player two cards and also deals two cards to himself. The dealer’s second card, called the hole card, is not revealed before players at the table have acted on their hands. Each player gets to play their hand and request more cards if they so desire. Doubling and splitting, as well as surrender and insurance are allowed in some versions of the game. The dealer will stop taking more cards if he reached 17, but you don’t have to.

The game allows you to win or lose a hand, but also to tie if yours and dealer’s hands are the same value. In this case, the hand will be a tie, and you will get your bets back. If you can make a Blackjack with your first two cards, you will be paid immediately with the payout standing at 3:2.

If you are just learning how to play Blackjack, you need to understand a few basic concepts before you learn advanced strategies. You must first learn when to ask for more cards and when to stand even with a marginal hand. Sometimes, even doubling down on your cards or splitting your hand can make a lot of sense.

Always remember that the casino has a slight edge in the game. Yet, you can play optimal strategy and get very close to breaking even in the long run.

Blackjack is all about odds and chances. You will need to understand the combinations of cards and your odds of getting each card and outcome. You must also keep a sharp focus to win the game. For the most part, you should never ask for more cards if you have 17 or higher, while combinations between five and 16 usually warrant a hit. Yet, quite a few other options are involved, and you need to learn the basic strategy by heart before you can start winning.