Online blackjack is one of the most popular and exciting card games in the world and has been for many years now. The game revolves around an interaction between a player and a dealer, with the former trying to get the better of the latter.
The goal of this game is to earn more points than the dealer, thus beating them and winning the money. However, to consistently win in blackjack it is important to follow a number of guidelines that can be used by both beginners and those who have been playing the game for a while. There are several variations of blackjack as well. These variations all follow similar rules, but there are a number of tweaks that ensure one variation is different from the next, helping to keep things interesting.
In this guide we'll take a closer look at the game of blackjack, looking at the ways you can beat the dealer like a hot-shot cardsharp. This guide includes a range of top tips, all of which are recommended and employed by professional players to gain an edge over the house and to win consistently.
Online Blackjack Tips
One of the best things you can do to improve your odds of winning, is to learn something known as Basic Blackjack Strategy. This is a strategy based on mathematical probability. It describes a series of moves that provide you with the best chance of winning for every outcome. It sounds complicated, but once you learn a few basic moves and understand how the game works, it's actually quite simple.
If you're new to blackjack and are not sure how these basic rules of probability work, let's use Insurance as an example. Insurance is taken when the dealer shows an Ace and it pays out at 2:1 if their next card is a 10 and they win with a Blackjack. It plays to our sense of security and we often take it because we want that security. However, if you do the math, you'll realise that it's not in your favour.
There are 13 different valued cards in a single deck. 4 of these are valued at 10 and if they land the Insurance will pay out. But 9 are not and if they land then Insurance will not pay out. If it was a pure coin flip, as many assume it is, then there would be 4 “yes” cards and 4 “no” cards, thus equalling the 2:1 payout. But the additional card means the payout is worse than the odds and this helps to keep the edge on the casino’s side. As a result, Insurance is not recommended with Basic Blackjack Strategy.
1. Set a Budget
First, it is important to have a strategy on how to play the online game and follow it through to the end. The best plan would be to calculate the money to be spent and how much will be bet on every hand in advance so as to know the boundaries that cannot be crossed. The bets can be placed on tables that have a minimum or higher limit depending on a player’s choice.
A gambling budget is often referred to as a bankroll. This is something that all gamblers should have, something that helps you to keep track of all incomings and outgoings and ensure that you don't lose more than you can afford to lose. It can help you to spot and stop problem gambling and it can also give you an idea of how well you're doing and if you need to make any changes to your strategy.
2. Get a Bonus
The rules that govern the bonuses offered by casinos to players of online blackjack should be taken advantage of to the maximum. These rules are sometimes given to a player as soon as they sign up while others require that the game be played for a while, which makes it important to be aware of them so as not to forfeit the bonuses. The idea behind Basic Blackjack Strategy is that it takes the minimal house edge and makes it even smaller, often just 0.5%. If you add a bonus into the mix, it means you are basically playing with free money, which tilts that edge in your favour.
After all, if you're not risking your own money then you can't lose it, and every penny that you earn is profit.
3. Practice
Practice online blackjack by playing regularly so as to gain the skills needed to always have higher points than the dealer. Although blackjack is a game that relies on luck, the skill level of a player is also important with the best way to do so being the use of free versions that are available on many online casinos. You can test your mettle against real dealers and real AI, gradually improving your skill and cementing the ideas of Basic Blackjack Strategy into your mind.
Practice really does make perfect and this applies as much to blackjack as it does to anything else. Of course, there is a limit to what that practice can do for you. Unlike games of poker, learnable skills like bluffing and noticing tells simply don't come into it. And unlike betting on big football leagues, no amount of knowledge will give you a guaranteed edge.
Still, learning Basic Blackjack Strategy and discovering the best times to use this strategy can be learned and once you get to grips with this side of the game then you'll be good to go and ready to start beating the casino every time you sit down at the table.
4. Choose Your Game
As mentioned at the outset of this article, there are many different variants of blackjack, each offering something a little different, something unique that helps to set them apart from the other games. Some of these games are geared towards increasing the house edge and they typically do this by introducing additional decks and side bets. Others actually introduce helpful features, such as Blackjack Switch and Double Exposure Blackjack.
Generally speaking, though, the best games are the ones with Classic Blackjack rules and formats, which means 1 deck only and no side bets or extras getting in the way.
