The Complete Blackjack Guide: How to Play Blackjack Online

What can you say about blackjack that hasn’t already been said? This game carries a legend that is known all over the world. It’s been glamourised in books and movies, and has remained a fascination for mathematicians, gamblers and casual casino players. So simple in premise, yet so deep in practice, blackjack is one of those games that’s easy to pick up but can take a lifetime to master.

In this blackjack guide, you’ll learn the basic blackjack rules, blackjack card values, side bets and everything else you’ll need for picking up the game. As well as learning how to play blackjack, we’ll teach you some simple blackjack strategies to help you along in getting your blackjack journey off to the right start. We’ll also be pointing you in the right direction for finding the best online casinos for blackjack in the UK today.

The Essentials of How to Play Blackjack

Blackjack, also known as twenty-one, boils down to a battle between the player and the house. Starting with just two cards in the hole, players must build a hand that is a close to 21 in value without going bust. The dealer is tasked with the same challenge. Closest to the magic figure wins. Remember, any hand with a value of 22 or more will automatically lose, so there’s a real balance to strike. Player’s make decisions throughout the game to determine how many cards they are or aren’t dealt. It’s this decision-making process that makes blackjack such a popular and fascinating game. Unlike other casino games such as slots or roulette, blackjack requires a level of skill that truly affects the outcome of the game. Take a look at the blackjack table below and familiarise yourself with the terms and layout of a classic online blackjack table. It’s worth bookmarking our page with more information about slang and special blackjack terminology for when you’re ready to sound like the pros. In addition, it’s worth checking out the casinos we mention in the table below. Those are particularly good ones, when you’re sort of new to the rules and the game as a whole.

Blackjack Card Values Explained

If you’re going to build a hand a close to 21 as possible, you’re going to need to know the value each card holds in the blackjack rules. Cards from 2 to 10 are taken at face value. A 3 is three, an 8 is eight, and so on. Face cards – kings, queens, and jacks, for example – all carry a value of 10. Aces are a little bit more complicated. An ace can either count as 1 or 11, depending on what’s best for the player (or dealer) at any given movement. An ace’s value is not fixed during a hand of blackjack. If, for example, you are dealt an ace and a 4, your hand will be worth 15. If you then hit and draw a queen (worth 10, remember) the ace will revert to being 1, and your new hand is still worth 15 in total (Q=10, A=1, 4). It sounds more complex than it actual is. The great thing about playing online is you never have to worry about these blackjack card values really, and are never required to do any maths yourself. The blackjack software will always work out whether an ace should be 10 or 1, for example, so you can just sit back and enjoy the game. There is no difference between suits in blackjack.

The Blackjack Table Itself

You may have seen blackjack tables in land-based casinos or even TV and films, but online things are ever-so-slightly different. Of course, the table layout, betting boxes and the shoe are all exactly the same, but there are some subtle additions. Notice the bankroll box at the bottom, displaying the total amount currently in your online casino account, for example. The action buttons, where players choose to hit, stand, split or double down, are displayed at the bottom. Bets are played using virtual chips in online casinos and work exactly the same as it would if you were handling real chips. Click to select the chip size you want, and click the betting box to place it. If you are handling £5 chips and you want to bet £10, simply click twice.

Blackjack popularity and widespread fame has facilitated the rise in insider slang and special blackjack terms. In case you need to brush up on the lingo, take a look at this roundup of the key blackjack terminology.

Blackjack Side Bets

The game of blackjack has been around in one form or another since the start of the 17th century. Throughout the years, the game has developed as variations nations and generations have gotten their hands on it. Today, thanks to the wonders of online casinos, it is possible to play all kinds of different blackjack games – each incorporating different parts of blackjack’s exhaustive past.

Rules changes can be a simple as changing the number of decks used. Most modern blackjack games are played with six or eight decks all shuffled into each other. The number of decks in the shoe affects the house edge and thus some players prefer to play with a specific number of decks. When dealt a pair in the hole in blackjack, it’s possible to split your hand into two. Some blackjack variants will also allow the re-splitting of aces should you be lucky enough to land them, whereas others won’t. The number of times players can hit split hands is also often restricted in some games and not others. The standard payout for landing blackjack is 3 to 2. The odds for a player blackjack are fairly uniform, but more modern games shaping the future of blackjack are mixing up the formula so much that odds on a player blackjack are having to drop as low as 1 to 1.

Blackjack online is becoming more and vibrant and, as a result, more diversity is creeping into the market. New games such as 21 Duel and Blackjack Switch are changing the rules completely, allowing players to exchange cards between multiple hands or to borrow from a set of community cards to create the best hand possible. The future is bright for this casino card game. For more information about the best online blackjack games, check out our hub.

Blackjack Rule Variations

The game of blackjack has been around in one form or another since the start of the 17th century. Throughout the years, the game has developed as variations nations and generations have gotten their hands on it. Today, thanks to the wonders of online casinos, it is possible to play all kinds of different blackjack games – each incorporating different parts of blackjack’s exhaustive past.

Rules changes can be a simple as changing the number of decks used. Most modern blackjack games are played with six or eight decks all shuffled into each other. The number of decks in the shoe affects the house edge and thus some players prefer to play with a specific number of decks. When dealt a pair in the hole in blackjack, it’s possible to split your hand into two. Some blackjack variants will also allow the re-splitting of aces should you be lucky enough to land them, whereas others won’t. The number of times players can hit split hands is also often restricted in some games and not others. The standard payout for landing blackjack is 3 to 2. The odds for a player blackjack are fairly uniform, but more modern games shaping the future of blackjack are mixing up the formula so much that odds on a player blackjack are having to drop as low as 1 to 1.

Blackjack online is becoming more and vibrant and, as a result, more diversity is creeping into the market. New games such as 21 Duel and Blackjack Switch are changing the rules completely, allowing players to exchange cards between multiple hands or to borrow from a set of community cards to create the best hand possible. The future is bright for this casino card game. For more information about the best online blackjack games, check out our hub.

Blackjack Etiquette

Traditional casinos were frequented by the bourgeoisie. Etiquette was, and to some extent remains today, very important for blackjack players. Social rules such as how you handle the cards, what you can and can’t touch, whether you can or can’t have drinks near the table and so on all should be considered. In blackjack, there are several signals players use to allow them to play the game without speaking to the dealer. Tapping the table indicates an intention to hit, whilst waving a hand parallel to the table tells the dealer you want to stand. Fortunately, all this stuffiness goes away when you play online. If you want to sit in your pants and play with a cold beer, nobody is going to stop you. You can also play at your own speed, pausing whenever you like – you’re the boss.

Popular Blackjack Strategies

Any game that has been around as long as this one is going to attract the chancers and schemers of this world. Many have tried to ‘beat’ the game of blackjack and, whilst it is true that hacking the game is impossible, you can still improve your chances of winning with a solid blackjack strategy. Popular blackjack schemes such as card counting have been depicted in movies such as Rain Man, but the truth is that counting cards is a bit of a Hollywood concept. Casinos these days employ several counter methods to stop players from counting cards, and even if you can keep up the count, the advantage gained is unlikely to be massive. Card counting is also impossible online as the virtual cards are shuffled before every single hand is dealt.

The best way get ahead in the online blackjack world is to develop a strong strategy based around the simple decisions players are required to make during each hand. Focus on what the dealer has as well as your own cards, and play to maximise your chances over several hands. Online blackjack’s house edge can be brought down to a little as 1% with good strategy. There are lots of resources out there for you to read up on, so do your homework. To get you started, here’s our guide to blackjack online in the UK today.

Top Blackjack Tips for New Players

• Pay close attention to what the dealer is holding – it’s as important as your own cards
• Always bet the same amount – don’t be fooled by doubling strategies
• Card counting is impossible online as cards are shuffled before every hand
• Never, ever split a pair of 5s – hitting or doubling down is always better
• The best dealer card (for you) is a 6 – you can stand on 15 or 16 in this situation