Much has already been written about Blackjack, particularly the rules and strategies. A plethora of books have been written in order to reveal the secrets of some of the most complicated blackjack strategies. Video guides are being produced one after the other to assist those of us who are still afraid of even approaching the blackjack table for fear of not being able to count to 21 quickly enough. If this defines you, read on!
We’re here to assure you that there’s nothing to be concerned about. Blackjack is, in fact, a very simple game. To play this game, you do not need to be a mathematician. You don’t even need to know how to count to ten, though it helps. Even if you do, the dealer will still count faster than you, which is all you need. Blackjack is very easy to play once you get rid of your fear. Once you’ve overcome your fear of blackjack, you’ll find it very simple to play. Like any other game, including Monopoly, Scrabble, and Risk, you must understand when you win and when you lose. That’s all. As you play more, you will notice that there may be certain patterns and signs that you can learn to recognize to help you know when to stand, hit, double, or split. Already feeling perplexed? Don’t be concerned; as previously stated, it’s extremely simple. Continue reading to learn why.
Blackjack – many rules but a lot easier than you think
Unlike casino games like Roulette and slot games, where the gameplay is very simple and easy to understand, the blackjack game is one of those games one should never play without knowing a bit about the rules involved. And although the rules are not as simple as that of slots and roulettes, they aren’t overly complicated. Interestingly, although there are many different variants to this game, their game rules are all generally patterned around blackjack’s basic rules.
Quick summary to the basics of playing Blackjack
In many circles, the Blackjack is also known as “21.” It is a table card game where the main objective is to beat the dealers’ hands. To do this, you must obtain a hand greater than that of the dealer. However, the limit is 21, and your hand must not exceed this value or you will automatically lose the round.
- All cards in the deck are assigned a pip value that they will display. The values could potentially vary based on which variant you play, but generally, Ace is valued at either one or eleven, while the face cards that include the King, Queen, and Jack each carry a value of 10. The remaining number cards are assigned their face value.
- Before the round starts, the player will place bets before receiving the playing cards.
- The dealer will then deal two face-up cards to the player, and deal one face-up card and one facedown card to the dealer’s side.
- After this, the player can choose to stand, hit, double down, split, or surrender, depending on how close their hand is to 21.
- A Player wins if the value of the sum of their hand is higher than the dealers but less or equal to 21. Having a value that exceeds 21 is a bust (automatic loss).
You should also take note of the common terms used in the gameplay of blackjack, some of which include Hit, Stand, Double down, Splitting pairs, Insurance, and Surrender.
Most Popular Types of Blackjack
Like many other casino games, there are many different types or variants of the main Blackjack game. There are more than 20 different versions of blackjack but the most popular types of Blackjack played around the world are the Classic, Spanish 21 and multi-hand blackjack. Some versions are more popular in some countries than in others. The Indian Pure Casino is one of the most popular sites across India thanks to having more than 70 different live games in Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, and Kannada as well as in English. Live blackjack is also very popular in Thailand, Japan and the Middle East but less so in the Scandinavian countries. Live blackjack is usually available only for the versions mentioned below so let’s take a look at the basic rules of these Blackjack games:
Classic Blackjack
The most traditional version of blackjack is known as Blackjack or Classic Blackjack. Being the most popular variant, the game is generally made available in most online casinos. The game’s objective and rules are the same as what we have explained earlier.
What makes this variant different:
- It is generally played with a single deck, however, different casinos have their opinions about this and it could use more decks.
- Dealer hits on soft 16 and stands on soft 17
- You can double your wager and split your cards
- You can buy insurance at half the value of the initial bet
- You can surrender because of an unfavorable hand at the cost of half their bet.
Spanish 21
Spanish 21 variant is also commonly referred to as Spanish Blackjack. It is regarded as the most profitable form of blackjack game. This is because even though all the tens cards are removed, the game has many extra rules that favor the player.
What makes this variant different:
- It is played with either six or eight Spanish decks, i.e., a standard 52-card deck with four tens removed, resulting in 48 cards.
- You can surrender after doubling, keeping the double down bet, but forfeiting the original bet.
- A player’s hand worth 21 will always win, regardless of the dealer’s hand.
- Dealer stands on soft 17.
Multi-Hand Blackjack
This is a very popular variant of the blackjack game. It allows a player to play more than one hand at once, which adds more excitement to the gameplay and a chance for bigger payouts.
What makes this variant different:
- You can play with up to five hands at the same time.
- You can double down on all hands
- You can employ different strategies for each of your hand
- Splitting of hands is allowed
Some other online Blackjack types include;
- High Stakes Blackjack
- Vegas Strip Blackjack
- Single Deck Blackjack, and many more
Ultimately, the Blackjack game is a mix of luck and strategies. The luck factor of blackjack is being lucky enough to be dealt a favorable hand when you play. However, the skill aspect boils down to knowing what to do with the hand that you are dealt with. A skilled blackjack player, with the hand he/she is dealt, knows when to hold, ask for more cards, split, double down, or surrender.