Online Blackjack Rules – How to Play
YourCasinoWorld.com provides our readers with all the necessary Blackjack Rules that you would need to know in order to play the game to its full potential. The objective of Blackjack is to obtain a card value of 21 without exceeding 21. If your hand goes above 21, your hand “busts” and you automatically lose. If your hand total is less than 21 you still have a chance of winning provided that the dealers hand total is either less than yours, or if he also goes bust. Keep our Online Blackjack Rules close by and you are sure to play a winning game.
Online Casino Blackjack Rules
The game kicks off with the player placing a bet by selecting the applicable button on the screen. Once bets have been placed the player needs to click on the “Deal” button. The player then receives two cars which will appear on the screen face up – meaning that the cards will be visible to the player – this is the players’ hand. Following this, the dealer will also receive two cards – one face up and one face down. Before we continue with How to Play Blackjack, you should educate yourself on the following important terminology and make sure that you understand what they mean;
Card Values: 2 – 10 count as their own exact value. Jack, Queen and King count as 10 and Ace can count either as 1 or 11.
Stand: To “Stand” is when you do not wish to receive any more cards. You can choose to stand if you are satisfied that your hand total is close enough to 21 to have a shot at winning – it is also wise to base this decision upon the Dealers’ “up card”. If the Dealers Up Card is a ten value card, there is a good possibility that he could hit another 10 value card or an Ace, which will give him a total of either 20 or 21. If your hand is quite high it is still wise to stand. If it is very low, you could choose to “Hit”, but this is a gamble in itself.
Hit: To hit is to request another card to be dealt to you. This can be done until you are satisfied with your hand total but remember that you do not want to exceed 21 in the process.
The following options can be found at most online casinos – some do not offer all of these options so check out the casinos Blackjack rules on these prior to playing the game;
Split: This is when you are dealt two cards of the same value, such as 2 of Spades & 2 of Hearts, or 8 of Cloves & 8 of Spades, etc. This is called a pair. When this happens players have the option to Split the hand and to play them as two individual hands. Remember, if you choose to split, you need to lay down another bet on that hand, of the same value as your initial bet.
Double Down: Players can only choose to Double Down on the first two cards that are dealt. The player then needs to increase the bet by 100% – double its original amount, in exchange for committing to stand after receiving only one more card. Doubling Down is a great option but it is advisable to Double Down when your first hand totals either 10 or 11. There is a good chance that you could receive a 10 value card or maybe even an Ace – bringing your total to 20 or 21.
Insurance: Taking out Insurance on your hand is only possible if the dealers’ up card is showing an Ace. An Ace is needed to achieve a Blackjack and so there is a higher possibility that the Dealer could be holding a Blackjack. Online casinos sometimes offer insurance that means that you only lose half of your bet if the Dealer is holding a Blackjack.
Surrender: If the dealer is showing an Ace there is the option to surrender your hand if you have a weak hand after being dealt the first two cards. It means that you as the player sacrifice half of your bet and surrendering the round as supposed to continuing when there is a strong possibility that the dealer could be holding a Blackjack. If the dealer is holding a Blackjack and you did not surrender, you will lose your entire bet.
Late Surrender: Some games and casinos offer the option of late surrendering which means that the dealer first checks to see if he is holding a natural Blackjack. If he is not holding a Blackjack but his up card is an Ace, then the player can choose to surrender. This is because there is still a strong possibility that the dealer could have a high ranking hand. You should also only do this if you really feel that your hand is bad.
NOTE: Not all Online Casinos or Blackjack variations offer the option to surrender or late surrender. First check the game rules.
A win is determined on the Player and Dealers hand totals and winnings are paid out accordingly. Once this is done the hand is complete and a new round can start. In addition to our Blackjack Rules guide, also check out our Blackjack Strategy Guide for more tips on how to play and win the game.