Archive for the Blackjack category.
October 27, 2007
Blackjack, also known as twenty-one or Pontoon, is one of the most popular casino card games in the world. Much of blackjack’s popularity is due to the mix of chance with elements of skill, and the publicity that surrounds card counting (keeping track of which cards have been played since the last shuffle).
In Blackjack your basic base stands on the fact that you have to make a hand value that is closer to 21 than that of the dealer withour going over 21. Your hand is strictly played against the hand of the dealer. In Blackjack the cards are valued as : An Ace can either be valued at 1 or 11 as decided in the beginning hand. An Ace can be counted as 1 only in the case to avoid your hand value going above 21.
If your hand value is not going above 21 on taking the value of Ace as either 11 or 1 than the value of Ace is taken as 11. If you hand value is easily lower than 21 on the value of Ace as 11 than is known as “Soft” (hand Value i.e. 17 or 18); but on the other hand if you are forced to take the value of Ace as 1 to limit the hand value below 21 than the hand is known as “hard” hand.
The player’s options for playing his or her hand are:
* Hit: Take another card.
* Stand: Take no more cards.
* Double down: Double the wager, take exactly one more card, and then stand.
* Surrender: Forfeit half the bet and give up the hand. Surrender was common during the early- and
mid-20th century, but is no longer offered at most casinos.
The player’s turn is over after deciding to stand, doubling down to take a single card, or busting. If the player busts, he or she loses the bet even if the dealer goes on to bust.
After all the players have finished making their decisions, the dealer then reveals his or her hidden hole card and plays the hand. House rules say that the dealer must hit until he or she has at least 17, regardless of what the players have. In most casinos a dealer must also hit a soft 17 (a combination of cards adding up to either 7 or 17, such as an ace and a 6). The felt of the table will indicate whether or not the house hits or stands on a soft 17.
October 26, 2007
Try to play online blackjack at a casino, functioning for over a year at the minimum. Normally, you can be sure to receive your payouts at your game of online blackjack just as you receive at land casinos.
Fundamental game rules of Blackjack are the same at every casino, although most casinos offer minor changes in these game rules. Nevertheless, a basic idea of the game rules can help you play blackjack at any casino. Casinos use around one to eight card decks for Blackjack games. Cards from two to 10 hold their face values while face cards-Jack, King, and Queen have a value of ten. Ace can have a value of 1 or 11 depending on the game circumstances.
Game begins by players placing their bet amounts and dealer dealing two cards each to every player. Both cards of the players are face up while one of dealer’s cards is face down. This is hole card. You have to score a higher card total than the dealer but without going over total of 21 to win the game.
If your card total exceeds 21, you bust and dealer wins irrespective of his card total. However, if your first two cards total 21 with a 10 and an Ace (11), you have a blackjack and therefore, you win one and half times your initial bet amount.
Blackjack Terminology
Hit means to ask for another card, stand is to end your turn by holding to your card total, doubling is twice your original bet but you receive only one more card, splitting is breaking a pair of cards into two hands and doubling your bet and surrender refers to forfeiting half of your bet after seeing your cards.
Fundamental Blackjack Rules
1. Dealer hits until the card total is 17 or higher.
2. You can double or split only on the first move. Similarly, it is possible on the first move of a hand formed by a split.
3. You cannot play on two aces after splitting them.
4. Every split hand is the same as a new hand and you can double on a hand from a split and increase your bet accordingly.
5. Three or more cards totaling 21 are not a blackjack.
6. House wins if both dealer and player bust.
7. Bets should return to players if both dealer and player have the same cards or hand. This is push.
8. Normal winning payout is 1:1 and winning blackjack payout is 3:2.
9. Doubling could bring double gains if you win and double your losses if you lose.
10. Ace can have the value of 1 or 11 depending on hard and soft hands. Hard hand has an Ace value of one and soft hand has an Ace value of 11. If you receive an Ace during the game and your card total could be higher than 21 if value of Ace is 11, then you assign the value of Ace as 11. Otherwise, it is one.
11. If the dealer receives a 10 or an Ace, he immediately checks his cards for a blackjack. If it is a blackjack, house wins all the bet amounts.
12. Normally, dealer stands on 17 and above.
13. Insurance is not very common in blackjack. However, if the dealer has an Ace, you can purchase insurance. This means you bet that the dealer has a blackjack and hence, you are safeguarding your interests or bet amounts. If the dealer has a blackjack, you receive payouts at 2:1 through insurance, and if the dealer does not have any blackjack, you lose your insurance money.
August 17, 2007
The procedure of playing blackjack online is the same as that for playing blackjack in a land casino. The main aim of the game is to defeat the dealer by having a hand of cards whose sum are more than the dealer’s sum or is less than twenty-one when the dealer’s sum of cards is greater than the player’s sum. In case the sum exceeds twenty-one, it is labeled busting and the players lose the game.
One must first know the value of cards before beginning play. Picture cards have a value of ten and the Ace has a value of one or eleven. There is no priority given to suits in blackjack. The sum of a hand is the total of card values. The Ace has a value of eleven when the sum is less than twenty-one. In case the sum exceeds twenty-one then the Ace assumes a value of one. Soft hands are those in which the Ace has a value of eleven and hard hands are those in which there is no Ace or the Ace has a value of one.
Before the game begins, all players must encash their money for chips. The dealer gives all players the chips and then they have to place bets on the table. All players get two cards and one of the dealer’s cards is visible to all players. The second card remains hidden. The players’ cards are either both shown, hidden or a combination of the two.
In games where one gets cards from a deck of four to six decks, the cards are visible. However, the player must not touch these cards. When the dealer distributes cards, by hand then the players’ cards remain hidden and the player can touch the cards. The player then looks at his cards and one of the dealer’s cards and then decides what to do.
The player can hit whereby the dealer gives another card to the player. The player has to make the proper action to convey this message to the dealer. In a handheld game, he must scrape the cards on the felt to indicate the same to the dealer.
In case a player is happy with his hand, he motions the same to the dealer by waving his hand over the cards. In a handheld game, he keeps the cards below the chips to indicate the same to the dealer. This action implies as standing.
If one has two similar cards then one can divide the pair and make another bet equal to the first bet. This gives a chance to play twice and one can draw cards again for each hand. One must place a chip next to the other to motion this to the dealer. In handheld games one has to throw the cards and then place a second bet to indicate pair splitting.
August 17, 2007
Online Blackjack helps you play the game of Blackjack from the comforts of your home. You need not travel long distances to the land casinos of Las Vegas or Atlantic City to enjoy your game of Blackjack. Playing Blackjack on the Internet means, you can play the game at your convenience.
There are numerous casinos on the Internet, which offer Blackjack. You can gamble and win at these casinos or play your Blackjack games for just enjoyment and entertainment. Many gamblers and players play online blackjack to sharpen their skills through practice games. Besides, there is no intimidation of other fellow players while playing online blackjack. Hence, you can try different tactics to understand their impact on your game.
Advantages of Playing Online
Online Blackjack offers many advantages over land-based casinos besides providing unlimited hours of play and games. You can play your online blackjack game as long as you want. You can play a game to kill the time too.
You can slow down the pace of online blackjack game and think over the implications before playing your next move. Normally, most gamblers play instinctively and play the same moves every time they see similar cards. However, there is no fixed rule in Blackjack and hence, you can understand the implications of game variations by playing differently at online blackjack.
Blackjack games are always very interesting and exciting and online blackjack does not prove to be any less. It also taxes your brains immensely and you can give vent to your feelings in case of a win or a loss. In land casinos, you cannot display your emotions openly, but online blackjack helps you be yourself.
You can either play for real money or use fun chips in your online blackjack. Game strategies and game odds of online blackjack are just the same as in a land casino. Hence, you can practice your skills for using them on high stake games at a blackjack game in a land casino.
However, most players do away with all game strategies or odds while playing online blackjack with fun chips. They do not stand to lose or win anything by playing such games. Therefore, playing online blackjack loosely cannot sharpen your game skills.
How to choose a Good Online Casino
Yes, there are many online casinos offering blackjack games, but choosing a good online casino needs some groundwork. There are numerous websites offering excellent casino reviews after conducting detailed research into such online casinos. You can locate a reputed casino after going through such reviews. Play online blackjack at such reputed casinos to be sure of a good and entertaining game.
Security concerns about the reliability of the online casinos are sure to be uppermost while playing with real money at game of online blackjack. Although most land casinos have their own online casino branches, you can check for the authenticity of the casino in question. Try to talk to the support personnel at the online casino through phone and check at other web sites for any reviews of the said casino.
August 17, 2007
Blackjack strategies are different for different blackjack game combinations. Normally, players develop their own game strategies depending on game techniques and applications. However, new players find it difficult to comprehend the game of blackjack. Hence, most online casinos provide a blackjack strategy table at their game sites.
The basic blackjack strategy chart is according to computer simulations and depends on standard mathematical principles. This provides maximum benefit to players by reducing house edge to just half a percent. Such blackjack strategy tables differ slightly from casino to casino according to game rule variations of each casino. Similarly, some casinos have separate basic strategy tables for single and double-deck blackjack games.
How to use the Basic Strategy Chart
The basic strategy chart of any online casino teaches you how to play your cards against the dealer’s cards. Normally, you hit first in blackjack and the house gains its edge through your first move. Thereafter, the dealer makes his move and deals cards accordingly. Hence, you need proper guidance at every round to understand and play the correct moves. Basic strategy may seem odd and incomprehensible to you initially, nevertheless, with practice; you can understand all game nuances and play the game of blackjack tactfully.
There are two types of hands in a game of blackjack-Hard hands when Ace has the value of one and soft hands when Ace has the value of 11. Hence, the strategy table differs for both the hands.
Strategy Table for Hard Hands
Always hit if your card total is eight or below.
Double if your card total is nine and dealer has between three and six, otherwise hit.
Double if your card total is ten and dealer has between two and nine, otherwise hit.
Double if your card total is 11 and dealer has between two to ten, otherwise hit if dealer has Ace.
Hit if your card total is eleven and the dealer has between two to ten, otherwise hit if dealer has an Ace.
Hit if your card total is twelve and dealer has two or three, stand if dealer has four to six, otherwise go for a hit.
Stand if your card total is from 13 to 16 and dealer has from 2 to 6, otherwise hit.
Always stand on your card total of 17 to 21.
Strategy Table for Soft Hands
Double if your Ace is 2 or 3, and dealer has five or six, otherwise go for a hit.
Double if your Ace is 4 or 5, and dealer has between four to six, otherwise hit.
Double if you have Ace 6, and dealer has between 3 to 6, otherwise hit.
Stand if you have Ace 7 and dealer has two, seven, or eight and double if dealer has between 3 to 6, otherwise hit.
Always stand if you have Ace 8 or nine.
Basic Strategy for Pair Cards
Always split pair of Aces and Eights.
Split your pairs of two’s and three’s if dealer has from 2 to 7, otherwise hit.
Split your pair of four’s if dealer has from 4 to 5, otherwise hit.
Double if you have a pair of fives and dealer has from 2 to 9, otherwise hit.
Split your pair of sixes if dealer has between two to six, otherwise hit.
Split your pair of sevens if dealer has from 2 to 7, otherwise hit.
Split your pair of nines if dealer has from 2 to 6 and 8, or 9. However, stand if dealer has 7, 10, or Ace.