Blackjack For Noobs

You’ve probably heard that out of all the casino games out there, blackjack is the one you want to play if you’re intending to beat the house. While this may have been true when counting cards was a completely new science, but things have changed a lot since then. Although you may not be able to beat the dealer, blackjack is still fun and sometimes lucrative casino game. If you’re interested in trying your hand at it, here’s an introduction to get you started.

Image from Wikimedia

First of all, the set-up. Blackjack is played with one or more decks of playing cards, and each denomination is assigned a certain value. 2 to 10 are worth their numbers, jacks, kings and queens are all worth 10, and an ace can be used either as a 1 or an 11. The object of the game is to draw cards totalling 21, or at least getting closer than the dealer, without going over or going “bust”. The best hand possible is known as blackjack, and is achieved by hitting 21 with two cards. If you can hit a blackjack, you’ll win a 3-2 pay out. The game starts by all players placing a bet, and being dealt two cards. Different variations deal face-up or face-down, but you’ll always be able to see at least one of the dealer’s cards.

Image from Flickr

Like a lot of casino card games, the toughest part for a new blackjack player is often working through all the terminology. A “hit” is when a player draws another card, in the hopes of getting their hand total closer to 21. A “stand”, on the other hand, is choosing not to draw any cards, and hope that the total you have will beat the dealer. “doubling down” refers to choosing to double the bet you already have on the table, and receive one more card regardless of the denomination. Some casinos have a rule against doubling down unless your first two cards come to 10 or 11. A “split” is where your first two cards have the same value, and you choose to make a second bet equal to the first. You then split the hand, and use each card as separate hands. “Insurance” is basically a bet that the dealer has a card with the value of 10 to get themselves up to a blackjack. This basically assures that if you win the insurance bet but lose on your hand, you’ll break even. Before hitting the local casino, I recommend practicing on online gaming sites like www.mariacasino.co.uk .

While this is how you’d play if someone invited you to simply play “blackjack”, there are several variations of the game which you may also be interested in. Some games will permit double-downs after splits, which will help your chances marginally. Other tables will allow an “early surrender”, where you can take away half of your original bet before the dealer checks his cards. The rules can get pretty complex here, so I’d recommend getting up to speed with regular games. Most importantly of all, have fun and always gamble responsibly!