Key Takeaways
- The ultimate goal of blackjack is to have a hand value that is closer or more than the dealer’s but without exceeding
- Basic blackjack strategy is about correctly hitting, standing, doubling down or splitting your cards based on what the dealer is holding up.
- Set a budget on your target spending and observe it, do not try to regain the money you’ve lost, and know when to let go.
Learn how to play blackjack today in our guide below. This is a classic casino card game with dozens of variations. Its basics are easy to learn, but the game could be tricky to master.
Luckily, you can count on us to guide you on how to be a master in blackjack. We’ll take you through the gameplay and provide common moves, dealer rules, and winning conditions. Also, we discuss how to play a round with free online blackjack. Now, let’s get started.
The Goal of Online Blackjack
Blackjack has one objective—to beat the dealer’s hand but not exceed 21. You determine the value of your hand by tallying up the point values of your cards as follows:
- 2 through 10: Are worth the face value
- Jack, Queen, King: 10 points
- Ace: 1 or 11 points
- Blackjack: This is a combination of an Ace and a 10, Jack, Queen, or King, equaling 21 points.
How to Play a Round of Online Blackjack
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can play and complete one blackjack round:
1. Place a bet before the deal
In this first step, you make a bet by buying the chips and submitting. This is known as ‘buy-in’ or minimum bet.
2. The player and dealer each receive two cards
The dealer will then hand you two cards and themselves two, with yours face-up and one of theirs face-down.
3. The player decides to “Hit” ask for a next card) or “Stand” (maintained the cards in hand)
You start by looking at your two cards, determining how close your hand is to 21, and comparing it to the dealer’s hand.
If the total is high, say 17 or 18, you can choose to stand, meaning you leave your hand as it is. But if it’s low, like in the single digits, then the best choice is to hit or get another card.
4. The Dealer reveals their card
After a round of hits or stands, the dealer turns upside down their original blackjack card to show their hand total. If the total is 16 or lower, the dealer will hit or take another card. But if it’s 17 or higher, then the dealer ‘stays.’ Please note that this rule does not apply to all blackjack variations.
5. The hand closer to 21 wins
If you get a hand higher than the dealer’s but do not go over 21, then you win the round. Remember that all winnings get paid in a ratio of 1:1. In case you have a 21-point (Blackjack) hand, you typically get paid at a 3:2 ratio. This means that if you bet 2 chips for the round, you’ll be rewarded with 3, leaving you with 5 total chips. Note that the 3:2 payout ratio may not apply to all blackjack variations.
Common Moves in Online Blackjack
Knowing online blackjack moves is one thing, but understanding when to use them is vital for any successful strategy. It’s also important to note terms like hard and soft when playing. In blackjack, a “hard” hand has no ace, or if it does, it counts only as 1. A “soft” hand, on the flip side, includes an ace that can be counted as either 1 or 11. That said, here are the common moves in blackjack:
Hit
This simply means taking an additional card. It can only improve your hand, but it can also mean a bust. So you should always hit hard on 11 or less. When you are holding a 10, drawing an Ace will do. But when your hand is 11, getting a 10, Jack, Queen, or King will help you reach 21.
Stand
Standing means keeping your current hard. Under any blackjack strategy, you should always stand on hard 12 when the dealer’s up card is 4-6. We also encourage standing on hard 13-16 when the dealer’s up card is 2-6. While this may seem like a defensive play any 10 or face card would force the dealer to hit and most likely bust. Also, you should always stand on a hard 17 and soft 18 and 19, as doing otherwise means a bust.
Double Down
You can also place an additional bet and receive one more card. Remember that you will only receive one more card when you double down, meaning you cannot hit. We advise that you double an 11 unless the dealer is holding an 11. If the dealer is holding an Ace, then you have a higher chance of winning or pushing being declared.
Split
This means splitting a hand of two equal cards into separate hands. It is best to split Aces and 8s because it will improve the posibility of hitting Blackjack 21. Two Aces equals 12, while two 8s equals 16. This is pretty bad for you, so you should split.
Dealer Rules and Winning Conditions
While dealer rules change depending on the casino or live blackjack variation, some have become standard. These include:
- Dealer hits on 16 or less
- Dealer stands on a hard 17
- Dealer hits on soft 17 (varies)
- Dealer counts Ace as an 11
- Dealer is last to show the second card
- Dealer cannot make bets
- Dealer is in charge of shuffling properly
Regarding hitting, the dealer does not hit until you have a bust, stand, or receive a blackjack. At this point, they will hit until they have a sum of or higher than 17. However, it’s against the rules for a dealer to split.
Basic Strategy for Online Blackjack
To perfect your blackjack game and completely minimize the house advantage, memorize these basic blackjack strategies:
- If you have a 10, or 11, and the dealer is showing 9 or less, then you should double down. In case the dealer is showing 10, or an ace, just hit. Also, if you have 11 but the dealer is showing 10 or less, then double
- Always stand on hards, totaling 17-21. This is because they are strong enough to potentially win without further risk
- In case your hand is between 12 all through to 16, it is best to hit. Do this when the dealer’s hand has 7 or higher digits showing. This shows that the dealer is statistically likely to get a ten and win.