How to Win on Blackjack
Even if everybody assumes Aussies like nothing best but to play pokies, we know many will rather get dealt at an online or live blackjack table and use their skills to influence the game’s outcome rather than fully rely on luck. This guide was created to help both newbies and intermediate blackjack players get the most out of this popular and exciting casino game.
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Crucial Blackjack Rules
The basic rules of the game are the same no matter which variant one chooses to play. You’ll be testing your luck and skills against a live dealer or one built out of microprocessors, trying to get as close as possible to 21 without going over. The party with a higher hand total wins. The best one can hope for is Blackjack, a hand consisting of an Ace and a 10-value card, and the next in line any card combination which totals 21. The standard payout for Blackjack is 3 to 2, though one can find variants paying only 6:5. Any other winning game outcome (your total is higher than the dealer’s or dealer has busted) pays even money. If the two hands tie, it’s a “push” and the casino will refund your bet.
The game starts with both the player and the dealer receiving two cards. Yours will be dealt face up while one of the dealer’s cards remains hidden. At this point, you can decide to Stand (if happy with your score), Hit (ask for another card) once or multiple times, Double Down (double your initial bet) or Split two cards of the same value into two separate hands. Having done the latter, you can Hit both hands as many times as you wish, though usually split Aces can receive only one card each.
More often than not, the dealer has to keep drawing as long as their card total is 16 points or lower. Some game variants will offer “insurance” if the dealer’s upcard turns out to be an Ace. You’ll be given an option to place a side bet worth half of your original wager, and should your opponent indeed get Blackjack, you’ll lose the original stake but win 2:1 on the insurance bet. A few developers have also included a “surrender” option as a way to minimize your losses when dealt a particularly poor hand. Instead of losing the entire stake, surrendering will save 50% of it.
There are two basic blackjack variants and they differ in the manner in which the dealer receives their initial two cards. In American blackjack, the other party gets them both before asking you to make Hit/Stand/Double/Split decision. In the case their up card is an Ace, they’ll peek at the face-down card and end the game if that card happens to be a 10, Jack, Queen or a King. In European blackjack, the dealer receives their second card only after players have decided on what to do next. This minor difference can cost you money if an additional investment was made via doubling or splitting.
Many of the available game variants offer optional side bets with a larger win potential. The two most commonly featured are Perfect Pairs and 21+3. The latter is based on the player’s initial two cards and the dealer’s up card and wins if these three forms a straight, a flush, a straight flush, or three of a kind. Perfect Pairs side bet wins if your first two cards are a pair and, depending on the developer, you may be paid different amounts for a pair of identical cards, a pair of the same color and a non-colored pair.
How to Play Blackjack
Blackjack players are advised to apply the Basic Strategy which tells them when to hit or stand, double down and split pairs. Strategy charts can be easily found via the internet and one should have them handy when placing blackjack bets online. Eventually, rules will be memorized and correct decisions made within seconds and with a minimum of effort. It must be mentioned that this approach, same as any other, doesn’t guarantee a win, but it’s still the best available tool for increasing your chances. You should also know that there are some deviations in the Basic Strategy depending on whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17, as well as the number of decks in play.
If playing a game where the dealer has to hit soft 17, the Basic Strategy will tell you to the following. Soft 20 (an Ace and a 9) should always stand, soft 19 should double against the dealer’s 6, while soft 18 doubles against 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 and hits against 9 through Ace. Hard totals of 17 and over always stand. Soft 17 doubles vs 3 through 6 and hits otherwise. You should double on soft 16 against 4 through 6 and stand with hard 16 against the dealer’s 2 through 6; otherwise hit. Soft 15 should be doubled when the dealer has 4, 5 or 6, and hard 15 should stand vs 2 through 6. Soft 14 and soft 13 doubles against 5 or 6, and hard 14/hard 13 stands when the opponent holds 2 through 6. You should stand with a hard total of 12 vs 4, 5 or 6, double on hard 11 always and do the same with hard 10 against 2-9 and on hard 9 vs 3-6. If you’ve got 8, hit no matter what the dealer’s up card.
According to the Basic Strategy, you should always split Aces and 8’s and never split tens. A pair of 8’s creates a hand worth 16 and that’s one of the worst blackjack hands you can get. Two tens create a strong hand and you will not want to risk it. A pair of 9’s should be split against the dealer’s total of 2 through 9 (with the exception of 7), and in any other case, the player should stand. Split a pair of 7’s if your opponent holds 2 through 7, and hit if they don’t. Split a pair of 6’s if playing against 2 through 6 and hit otherwise. Double a pair of 5’s against the dealer’s 2-9, otherwise hit. A pair of 4’s should be split if the dealer has 5 or 6 and hit if they have any other card. A pair of 3’s and a pair of 2’s should be split against the dealer’s 2 through 7 and hit in every other case scenario. The above may sound complicated but via the internet, you can find the same instructions in charts which are fairly easy to follow.
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Do’s and Don’ts
- Choose Blackjack games with a lower house edge. You’re basically looking for those using fewer decks, with the dealer standing on soft 17, players able to double on any first two cards and allowed do so even after a split, and Blackjack paying 3:2.
- Use the Basic Strategy in a consistent manner. Everybody is, of course, free to do as they like and test different moves, but the Strategy is a proven tool for making the most out of funds the player has got available. Advanced gamblers do occasionally diverge from the Basic Strategy but you should avoid doing so if you’re a beginner or even an intermediate player.
- Avoid Insurance. The odds for this optional wager are not corresponding to 2:1 payout and you’re more or less guaranteed to lose money over time.
- Don’t copy what the dealer does. Some players assume that, as the dealer has better odds, it’s best to follow their lead – hit until 17 and then stand. What they forget is that the player has to make a decision first, and if they bust, they lose regardless of their opponent’s hand.
- Don’t rely on card counting to win: in most RNG games, cards are shuffled after each hand and that makes card counting impossible.
Best Online Casinos to play Card Games
Australians used to have a big choice of blackjack online casinos until 2016. This is when the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill made it illegal for companies to offer online gambling services without a license issued by the country’s regulatory bodies, and consequently, a lot of great gambling sites stopped admitting Australian players. However, that doesn’t mean one can no longer find licensed and trustworthy online casinos willing to let you register and play.
Online Blackjack FAQ
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