Blackjack – The Popular Table Game

If you say the word casino, many people picture immediately a game of Blackjack. This only proves how great the game is. Read more about the history and rules of Blackjack in our article.

Photo: Pixabay

Introduction to Blackjack

Blackjack is together with roulette one of the most popular table games in real as well as in online casinos. What makes this game stand the test of time? First of all, Blackjack has very simple rules. Secondly, you can have at least some degree of control over the game in comparison to other casino games or online slots. These two basic facts make Blackjack a very tempting game.

History of Blackjack

There are no precise records about the origins of Blackjack. A game similar to Blackjack appeared in French casinos in the beginning of the 18^th century. There are also further indications that a game similar to Blackjack appeared also in Spain, but with a three card minimum and the target number was thirty-one.

The French colonists of the United States brought the game with them and it started to gain popularity on the new continent. However, the rules were different at that time, because only the dealer was allowed to double and there was also a round to place bets before a card was dealt.

So, when did the name “Blackjack” start to gain popularity? In the 1930s, some casinos in Nevada started to offer a special promotion: if you had either of the black Jacks (Jack of Spades or Jack of Clubs) and an Ace of Spades, players would receive much higher odds on their bets. Even though the promotions were stopped, people got used to the term “Blackjack” and it has not changed since that.

The main target of the game is to get a card count of 21 or to get the value of your hand as close as possible to this number, without exceeding it. The game is played with one to eight decks consisting of 52 cards. Face cards count as 10 and 2 to 10 cards count according to pip value. Each player may decide whether an ace is worth 1 or 11.

Players place their bets before a game starts. The dealer deals afterwards two cards to each player and he deals also two cards for himself with one card facing up. If the dealer´s card facing up is an ace, he will offer an additional bet called “insurance”, which is optional. The players can bet that the other face down card of the dealer is a ten.

The players have several choices how to play after the cards have been dealt. Players can opt for the “stand” option, which means that they keep the current pair of cards they have or they can choose the “hit” possibility and they receive another card or cards, but if a player exceeds the card count of 21, he will go “bust”.

Players can also double their bet and draw only a single card. If someone´s first two cards consist of cards with the same denomination, he may double his bet and split the same two cards into two separate bets. If a player has two aces and he decides to split them, he will receive just one card per ace and no other cards can be drawn.

The rules of Blackjack are quite simple. You need to play just a few hands and you will get a perfect feeling for the game.

Counting Cards in Blackjack

Blackjack is a game of skill, because you have always the option to stand, hit or split, so you are able to influence to some degree the outcome of the game. Many people talk about the term “counting cards”, which is however considered to be cheating, so be really careful about it, because a casino may ban you immediately. It is however also quite a difficult task to perform. Let´s outline the basic principles how counting cards in Blackjack works.

To put it simple, you need to have a good memory. You have to play several hands and remember, what cards have been played, so you get a basic idea about the cards that are left in the card deck. There are also some other factors that have to be implemented into your strategy of counting cards in Blackjack.

The dealer has actually limited room to make decisions, because he needs to draw another card when the value of his hand is 16 or less. However, if his hand has a value of 17, then the dealer is not allowed to draw another card.

Bear in mind that these are just the basic principles. The counting of cards in Blackjack is quite a complex approach that takes many details into account and it requires a lot of practice and expertise. Furthermore, counting cards is not possible on online slots or online games, because each hand is played with a randomly shuffled deck. If you want to use this technique, you need to visit a real casino or start playing online in a Live Casino.

All in all, it is no wonder that Blackjack is considered to be one of the best games in casinos. It blends excitement and skill into a perfect gambling experience!

You can enjoy Blackjack in various casinos, for example in the 22bet Casino.

Sources: wopc.co.uk/