How to play online blackjack

How to Play Blackjack – The Ultimate Guide to Online Blackjack

Blackjack is the oldest casino game in the world and is a favorite among players. Blackjack became popular in France around 1700 because of its simplicity and entertainment value. The French name for the game at the time was vingt-et-un (21).

This article explains everything about the game. This ultimate how-to guide will help you get the most out of your gambling experience at Stake.com.

What is Blackjack?

Blackjack is a popular casino table game that is loved by blackjack players in both land-based and online casinos around the world.

The format of blackjack is very simple. Players need to get a score closer to 21 than the dealer in the game, or get 21, or have a lower score but the dealer busts.

Stake Casino offers a variety of blackjack games , from dealer tables to live dealer blackjack. In live dealer games , you can sit at the table with other players and play against a real dealer. This way of playing gives you an immersive experience.

How to Play Blackjack?

You will be dealt two cards and the dealer will also be dealt two cards, but the dealer will only have one card displayed face up. After adding the points of the two cards together, you can decide whether to stand or hit.

Once that is done, the dealer will turn over their other card (the face-down card, also known as the dark card) and the winner will be determined. If your total is closer to 21 or the dealer busts, you win. If you bust, you lose your bet.

Basic Rules of Blackjack

Like other casino table games , you must place a bet before the cards are dealt. 2 to 10 are equal to their face value; King, Queen and Jack are equal to 10, and Ace is equal to 1 or 11.

Each player at the table takes a turn. Players can choose to stand or to be dealt one or more cards. There are two betting options:

• Double – If you are dealt two good starting hands and the dealer has a weaker hand, you can double your initial bet (ante). You will get one more card and then have to stand. If you win, your reward is doubled. Of course, if you lose the hand, you lose your entire bet.

• Split – If you are dealt two cards, you can split the deck into two hands. The new hands need to match your initial bet. You get an extra card in each separate hand and play as normal. Tips for splitting: Don’t split two cards at once, as there’s a good chance you’ve already got a winning hand. If you have a pair of Aces, the first choice is to split.

The best hand is a natural blackjack, where you are dealt a 10 (face or 10) and an Ace, making a winning 21. On other winning hands, you get a 1:1 payout; with a natural blackjack, your payout is 3:2.

Read our Blackjack Strategy Guide to learn the best tips for when to hit, stand, double or split.

The goal of blackjack

Unlike other card games, where you need to beat the other players, the goal of blackjack is to beat the dealer.

The information available to you during the game is incomplete, and you can only see one of the dealer’s cards when making gaming decisions.

You need to get a hand that is closer to 21 than the dealer, without busting. Or you can stand and hope the dealer busts.

The goal of a single hand is as simple as that, the goal of a casino game is to make a profit. If you continue reading our tips guide, you will have the opportunity to achieve your profit goal in Stake Casino.

How to Beat the Dealer

Blackjack is a game of chance and no one can guarantee that they will be able to beat the dealer. However, certain play styles can significantly reduce the house edge, from 2% to as low as 0.5%.

Blackjack has one of the lowest house edges among our casino games . Over the long term, for every 100 you bet, you can expect a return of 99.50. With a good house edge, you can easily make a profit from playing Blackjack.

To learn more, you can head over to our guide to the casino house edge to make the most of your advantage.

Historically, the key to winning at blackjack is knowing that the next card most likely to come up is a 10. All 10s, Js, Qs, and Ks in a deck are worth 10.

Knowing this can help you decide whether to take another card, and it can also help you predict the total value of the dealer’s two starting cards.

How to Play Blackjack Online

Betting is done the same way as in a 2D table game or a live casino online blackjack game. You will see the casino chip sizes representing different values. Click on the bet amount of your choice and place your chips in the betting area at your seat.

By clicking on Repeat Bet, players can save time on future hands. Or you can change your betting strategy.

Hard or soft?

There are no Aces in hard hands in blackjack. A 10 and an 8 make a hard 18. There are Aces in soft hands. If you have an Ace and a 7, you get a soft 18 (or you can choose to add up to an 8 and take another card).

Why is this important? If the dealer is strong and the up card is a 9 or 10, you might decide that a soft 18 is not a win and go with a total of 8 in the hopes of getting 19, 20 or 21.

Types of Blackjack Games

We are constantly bringing new games to Stake.com. You can experience all types of blackjack games for more fun.

In addition to the different game types, there are two ways to enjoy Blackjack: Try our live dealer Blackjack tables with real number generators. These games deal cards fairly. Or try our live dealer Blackjack tables in a live casino. Baccarat and Roulette games are also available in the live casino .

Here are some other games you can try out at Stake Casino:

• Blackjack Original — The best table game.

• Blackjack Live with Evolution — a live game from Evolution Gaming blackjack studios . This is a top notch live blackjack game.

• Lightning Blackjack — an excellent super blackjack variant. If your hand plus a randomly selected number, a multiplier from 2x to 25x is applied.

Winning Strategies, Tips and Techniques for Blackjack

As mentioned above, the basic winning strategy in all games of blackjack is to remember that the next card in the deck is most likely to be a 10.

Look at the dealer’s upcard. If it’s not a very good card for them, like a 4, 5, or 6, you can guess that the downcard is a 10, which would make the total 14, 15, or 16. In this case, the dealer would have to take another card, and then there’s a good chance they’ll bust. This way you can stand on any hand with a total greater than 11. If you think the dealer will bust, why risk busting yourself?

In the above situation, you can choose to double up when you have a strong starting hand, such as 8, 9, 10 or 11. If the dealer’s card is greater than 21, then you will get more winning chips.

On the contrary, if the dealer’s up card is higher, such as 9 or 10, then you have to assume that the other two cards are 10. You need to be more bold and continue to take cards to make the total points closer to 21.

It might sound a bit complicated, but it isn’t. You can try out a lot of free blackjack games online to find out how to get the best starting hand combinations. You can also learn more in Stake’s online casino guide , table games guide or our casino card games guide .

If you haven’t joined the Stake VIP Club yet , read on our blog and FAQ page to learn how to join the exclusive club and find out how to win member-only rewards , such as getting your own dedicated VIP dealer and cashback and reload bonuses.

If you want to enhance your gameplay, check out our Casino Promotions page ! For example, join the Multiplier Contest to get the biggest multiplier and share $10,000, or enter the Stake weekly draw to win a ticket to the weekly $75,000 draw!

However you enjoy the game, remember to gamble responsibly and follow our Stake Smart betting guidelines . Take control and have fun at Stake.com!