3 Blackjack

The crux of blackjack, whether it is played online or in land-based casinos, is to beat the dealer by getting as close to the number 21 as possible. The values of each card with Blackjack are specific to the game but once understood are relatively easy to remember. If you are looking to try your hand at blackjack and need a basic understanding of the fundamentals then read on as these are outline below.

Perhaps the most important card within the game of Blackjack is the Ace. The Ace is unlike any other card in that is has two values, either 1 or 11. The player who has an Ace in their hand can choose which value to assign it, depending on the hand overall. In blackjack, hands can be categorized into being either a hard or soft hand. A hard hand refers to a hand where the Ace is forced to be valued at 1 otherwise the hand would exceed the number 21. A soft hand on the other hand, allows a player to choose whether the Ace is better off as a 1 or an 11. A soft hand is the more preferred and safer option as the name itself does imply.

The cards 2 to 9 are valued according to their face value while 10, Jack, Queen and King are all valued at ten. A player’s overall score is then simply calculated by adding up the values in the player’s hand. A player can decide to ‘hit’ in order to receive another card or ‘stand’ if the player decides to not draw another card.

This summarizes the basics of online blackjack rules, which in itself is very simple. The complexity comes in however, when it comes to implementing more than luck into the game. There is a certain amount of skill required by the player in order to win. While the dealer is in essence a robot – simply following the rules of the game, as the player, there is a lot of calculating that can be done to increase one’s chances of winning.