Blackjack Online – An Introduction For Beginners
Blackjack is the world’s most popular casino card game. It is based on a short list of rules that are quick and easy to learn. The game is fast and a game round lasts under a minute. One’s bet is either lost or doubled (with one exception). Moreover, there are clearly right and wrong or good and bad moves, so it is relatively easy to find an optimal strategy.
Online Blackjack Gameplay
Unlike Blackjack in the casino, where up to six or seven players compete against the bank at the same time, online Blackjack is basically a game between you and the – virtual – dealer only.
At the beginning, you are dealt two cards face up, while the dealer shows one card face up and one card face down. After that, you draw as many more cards as you want to achieve the game objective.
The objective of the game of Blackjack is to reach or come as close as possible to 21 points with the sum of your card values. If you have more than 21 points, your hand is dead and you have lost even before the dealer has made his move.
Soft Hand – Hard Hand
The Ace in Blackjack can have two different values. This is referred to as a soft or hard hand. However, the principle is quite simple and works to the advantage of the player.
Generally, at the beginning of the game round, the ace counts for eleven points, and the hand you play is a soft hand. However, if the case arises that you overbought, the ace is automatically downgraded to one point, so you still have a chance to get a high score.
For example, the first two cards are an ace and a five. This equals a soft 16. Now let’s take a risk and draw another card. We get a ten. This brings our score to a soft 26, and we have overbought. But now the hard hand rule kicks in, and the ace only counts for one point. This brings us back to 16 points (1+5+10), which is now called a hard hand.
Card Counting In Blackjack – The Big Score?
Since the beginning of the casino era in the 19th century, the house has had an advantage over the players – the so-called house advantage. This exists so that the casino can cover its costs – and maybe a little more.
But since the house advantage exists, players try to neutralize it and, in the best case, even give themselves an advantage. There are several ways to do this, many of which fall under the heading of cheating. However, card counting in blackjack is the exception to the rule.
Although it is forbidden in casinos, it is not illegal, and those who master it can reliably win in the long run. With the invention of card counting, the game of blackjack was solved, that is, the house lost.