Blackjack

The present-day blackjack is a version of the original French 21 or vingt-et-un played in the 1700s. As the game was not an instant hit in the U. S. , players were lured with generous payouts for a two-card win-a Jack and an ace of spades or clubs. That was how the name blackjack came to be. This is not to be confused with Black Jack or the British card game, crazy eights.

Blackjack is the most popular card game online and all over the world, that uses a deck of cards. It is simpler to play than poker yet it offers the same thrill, excitement and substantial payouts. The Internet has made it accessible to more players who want to play free or real money blackjack.

The game can be played with one or multiple decks, and the cards are continuously shuffled and dealt by the dealer. In online games, the player's cards are dealt face up while the dealer exposes only one of his cards. In handheld blackjack, all cards are dealt face down and players are allowed to pick up their cards. In casinos, they have the shoe game where cards are dealt face up and no player is permitted to touch their cards or pick a card.

Win at Blackjack

The agenda of the card game is to whip the dealer with higher points. You win if your cards do not bust or go over 21 and the dealer has a lower hand. If you have a good hand like 17 or 18, act first before the dealer does or you lose the chance for the wager whether he busts or not. There are game variations though that allow for a winning hand of five cards as long it does not bust.

Blackjack Hands

The suit of cards does not affect the game. Cards 2 to 10 are counted at their value, face cards have 10 points. The ace can have the value of 11 or 1. A hand with an ace is called a soft hand because it can switch from 11 to 1 for the advantage of the player. But this becomes a hard hand when you go over the value of 21.

For example, if you have a 5 and an Ace (11), this gives you 16 points. When you decide to go for another card and get a king, you can no longer switch the value of the ace; hence, it becomes a hard hand. The term is generally applied to a hand without an ace.

You have a stiff hand if you have a hard hand if your cards total 12 to 16. An additional card is likely to bust your hand.

When you get a winning combination of a Jack and an ace, this is called the natural. This beats other 3 card hands with the same total value of 21 points.

Basic Blackjack Rules to Live By

There are rules to be followed in the game. Casinos deal four decks of cards, and these are reshuffled after each hand. Split aces receive just one card but aces cannot be split again. For a surrender, only the first of two cards are considered. For a double-down or calling to double a bet, a player gets just one card. This is done during the first two cards before additional cards are dealt.

Unlike the 'unbeatable' game such as slots, knowing the rules, jargon, and the different strategies are essential to playing and winning the game. To get on a good start, look up free blackjack glossary websites, practice playing free blackjack games, and know all the rules. That's blackjack for you.