What is Blackjack and how is it played?
Blackjack is a very popular game both in land-based and online casinos. Part of the reason why people like to play Blackjack is that it requires a combination of luck and skills. Besides, the game offers a solid payout of 3-to-2, which means you get to win 1.5 times your bet.
Blackjack is played with a single or multiple decks. Each deck contains 52 standard cards. The goal of the game is to beat the Dealer’s hand without exceeding a card total of 21.
The numbered cards from 2 to 10 carry their face value. The Jacks, Queens, and Kings are always counted as 10. An Ace can either be counted as 1 or 11, depending upon the quality of the hand.
After you place a bet, you and the Dealer are dealt two cards each. Your cards are dealt face up, whereas the Dealer is dealt one card face up and the other card face down. If your hand beats the Dealer’s, you win; otherwise you lose. In case of a tie, your bet is returned to you.
You can choose to double your bet if you see a potentially winning hand. For example, if you get a hard total of 11, it is pretty possible that your next card will be a 10, which would lead to a hand of 21. In this case, you can double your bet in order to get better returns.
You may want to draw more cards to improve your hand. It’s called hitting. Be careful when you hit more cards, as hitting too many cards may go beyond a total of 21.
When you’re dealt a pair, you can split it in two hands. It gives you the opportunity to play two hands with strong cards. One thing to remember is, when you split any pair except the Aces, you can hit more cards to improve your hand. However, if you split a pair of Aces, you get only one card per hand.
The term Blackjack refers to a set of an Ace and any card ranked at 10. For example, an Ace and a 10, Jack, Queen, or King, regardless of the suit, can make a Blackjack.
You also have the option to insure your bet against Dealer’s Blackjack. Insurance pays 2-to-1, which is double the amount of your insurance bet. The insurance option is usually thrown up when the Dealer’s up card is an Ace. To buy insurance, you need to place a bet which is equal to half your bet. This bet is called a side bet. Let’s say your initial bet was $100. To buy insurance, you need to place a side bet of $50. Now, if the Dealer comes up with a Blackjack, you are paid $100. But if the Dealer does not come up with a Blackjack, you lose your $50. The hand still continues. You may beat Dealer’s hand. At land-based casinos, you are given a time limit to decide if you want to buy insurance. Online, it’s not a problem. You can take your own time to decide if you want to go for insurance or not.