A Guide to Blackjack Online
Life is a lot like blackjack. Sometimes you get dealt good hands, and other times you don’t. It’s important to stand firm when the odds are not in your favor, and avoid taking any more hits. But when you have a good hand, that’s the time to try and double up!
How to Play Blackjack
Blackjack is a card game played with one or more decks of 52 cards. The objective of the game is to beat the dealer’s hand by having a higher total than the dealer without exceeding 21. Blackjack may be played with one or more decks of standard playing cards, with values ranging from two to ten, and jacks, queens, and kings worth ten points each. Aces are worth either 11 or one, depending on the player’s choice.
There are a few things to keep in mind while playing blackjack:
- The value of the ace card can be switched between one and 11.
- If the total value of your cards exceeds 21, you “bust” and automatically lose the hand.
- The dealer will “hit” (draw another card) if their total value is 16 or less. They will “stand” (keep their current hand) if their total value is 17 or more.
- Most online casinos use six or eight decks of cards instead of the traditional one or two. This makes it harder to count cards.
Play Blackjack at the Best Casinos
Blackjack Rules
The rules for players new to playing blackjack online are easy to remember. Which makes it a great game for amateurs. It is one of the very few classic casino table games that you can learn how to play quickly and easily, not to mention profitably! The main rule is that the value of your hand cannot exceed 21, or you “bust”. Similarly, the dealer must not go over 21 either. If they do you win the hand automatically. Besides that, there are also rules around splitting pairs and doubling down. Splitting pairs means that if you are dealt two cards of the same value, you can split them into two separate hands. This is only possible firsthand after being dealt your cards. And doubling down means that you can double your bet in exchange for one more card. You can only do this when you have a total value of nine, ten, or 11. Now that you know the basic rules of blackjack online, it’s time to turn our attention to what strategies can help you win!
Blackjack Strategies
When you play blackjack for real money, it’s possible to apply a bit of strategy to help increase your odds of winning. There are varying schools of thought on when it’s best to hit, stand and surrender. In fact, there are multiple different blackjack strategy resources online for you to pick and choose from that range from super simple to mathematically complex. However, for the purposes of this guide, we will now go over some of the more time-honored blackjack strategies to hopefully get you winning big at the tables. If you are dealt a hand with an ace, you have the option to switch the ace card between one and 11. This gives you more flexibility in terms of what hands you can make. For example, if you are dealt an ace and a six, you can either make it 17 or seven. Similarly, if the dealer is showing a six and you have an ace and a nine, you can either make it 15 or five. It’s important to remember that the goal is not to get 21 but to beat the dealer’s hand.
Here are some other basic blackjack plays:
- Seeing as the worst possible hand is 16, this means you should always split your cards if you’re dealt two 8s.
- Always split your aces, because 10 is the most common card value, this increases your chances of getting dealt blackjack (an ace and a ten-value card)
- Play as if the dealer’s down card is a 10.
When it comes to the subject of taking insurance, opinion remains divided amongst blackjack experts. At the end of the day, if you feel like you have a bad hand dealer’s exposed card is an ace, then you should definitely think about taking insurance. Remember, blackjack is a game of skill as well as luck. So make sure to brush up on your blackjack strategy before diving in and betting for real money!
Blackjack Chances of Winning
Assuming you’re playing blackjack with one deck of cards, the probability of being dealt a blackjack (an Ace and any ten-value card) is about four percent. That’s pretty good odds! However, blackjack remains a game of chance and there’s no guaranteed way to win. The best you can do is play smart and follow the blackjack strategy tips we’ve outlined in this guide. With a bit of luck, you might just be the next blackjack online champion!
Blackjack Variants
There are a few blackjack variants you might encounter when you play blackjack for real money online. One of the most common ones is probably Pontoon, which has slightly different rules to regular blackjack. For example, in Pontoon both of the dealer’s cards are dealt face down, unlike normal blackjack, where only one of their cards is face down. Winning a hand of Pontoon is also similar to normal blackjack – you need to form a hand that totals more than the dealers without going over 21. Another major difference is that in Pontoon you cannot stand if you have 14 or less. With regular blackjack, you can stand anytime, but with Pontoon, you must hit (take another card) until your hand is worth more than 14. Also, tieing with the dealer’s hand is considered a loss.
Another popular variant of blackjack online is Blackjack Surrender. This game works in largely the same way as regular blackjack, except for one key difference. If after you’ve been dealt your cards and the dealer is showing an ace, you have the option to surrender your hand. This means giving up half of your bet and ending the hand there and then. The logic behind this move is that it’s better to lose half of your bet than all of it! Of course, these are just two examples – blackjack comes in many different forms. You might encounter other variants like Spanish 21, Perfect Pairs Blackjack, or Atlantic City Blackjack. Certainly, there are many different versions to discover when you play blackjack online for real money. Just make sure you know the rules of each different version before you start playing!
Best Blackjack Casinos Australia
Now that you know the rules and even some strategies to increase your chances of winning when you play blackjack online, it’s time to find out what are the best blackjack casinos for Australian players. Here are our top 4 picks:
CasinoChan – Not only does this casino offer you a chance to test your skill and luck playing real money blackjack against a virtual dealer, but you can also experience the thrill and refinement of playing blackjack against a live dealer, all from the comfort of your own home!
FairGo – Another excellent choice for blackjack fans, this casino offers both online blackjack and live blackjack games. You can also find a good selection of other casino games to try your luck at. So, if you are interested in getting a fair go in the way of a good range of blackjack games, casino bonuses and promotions, this is the casino for you!
Rolling Slots – Rolling Slots Casino has you covered when it’s time to enjoy all of the sophistication and adventure of playing at a land-based casino from the comfort of your own home. Several versions of blackjack are available in live dealer format, so you can change your luck and skill against professional croupiers.
Casitsu – Blackjack players will be impressed to know that the Casitsu hosts over 20 different versions of their favourite online card game. You can also take advantage of the casino’s exciting welcome bonus and play blackjack with some extra cash in your pocket!
Play Blackjack Online at the Best Aussie Casino in November 2024
Blackjack may have been invented in France back in the 17th century, but it’s a game that has withstood the test of time. The popularity of blackjack continues to grow, especially now that you can play blackjack online for real money from the comfort of your own home. Certainly, it pays to know the rules of the game first and to have some strategy under your belt to give you a better chance of winning. Once you have those two things sorted, it’s then a matter of finding a great online casino for Australian players that offers the classic casino game of blackjack. However, it would be unwise to choose to play at an online casino simply based on the fact that it offers blackjack online, as there are heaps of casinos that do. Your best bet is to find one that offers incentivizing welcome bonuses and promotions, quick and easy deposits, hassle-free withdrawals, and great customer service.
You can skip the legwork required to find such a casino as we have found the perfect online casinos for Aussie blackjack players. The three casinos we’ve outlined above all offer blackjack online games as well as a whole host of other casino games, exciting bonuses, and promotions, and top-notch customer service. So what are you waiting for? Start playing blackjack online at one of our recommended casinos today! Good luck!