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Free online blackjack strategy and tips.
Lucky8s.net welcomes you to our free online black jack strategy page where you can find black jack tips and information on how to play and win at blackjack.
Blackjack Tips And Strategy
Blackjack is probably the most popular card game around. The French again get credit for its creation. Of course, in their country, it is known as vingt-et-un.
In Blackjack strategy, you are playing against the dealer' hand. A regular card deck is used. The object is to aim for 21 and beat the dealer's hand. There are two possibilities to win the hand – either (1) the player draws cards until his hand is higher than the dealer's but does not over 21 or (2) the player does not draw any cards and waits for the dealer to have a hand higher than 21.
How to Play Online Blackjack
Although there can be a variety of variations on this game, Blackjack is relatively simple to learn. Here are some basics.
In Blackjack, an ace has a value of 11 points unless the hand exceeds twenty-one. If it is greater than twenty-one, the ace will have a value of one. A suit does not make any difference in this game. Cards with Jack Queen or King count for 10 points. All other cards are worth their face value. It is the total of the card values in the hand that counts. For example, a Jack and a six equal sixteen. In hands where the ace has a value of 11, it is called a "soft" hand. (Example: Ace + 8 = soft 19). In hands where the ace has a value of 1, it is called a "hard" hand. (Example: Ace, King + 8 = 19). A Blackjack hand is the ideal one. It will consist of the Ace + a card with a value of 10 (10, J, Q, K). The two cards including the Ace will always beat a hand with 3 or more cards totaling 21.
At the semicircular table, the dealer will be able to entertain 5 – 7 players. A wager must be placed with poker chips before any cards are dealt from the dealer. Every player will receive two cards, at first, starting with the player to the right of the dealer. One of the dealer's cards will be dealt face up and the other will be down.
The dealer's down or "hole" card remains as such until all of the players have completed their hand. Then the dealer turns over his card. If he has a total of between hard 17 to 21, he will have to stand. If he has a total of 16 or less, he must continue to take cards until he has more than 16 or "bust", which means more than 21.
When a player has a total card value of 21, the cards are normally turned over immediately. If both the player and the dealer have Blackjack, it is called a push or a tie, if the player did not have insurance. If nobody has Blackjack, play will continue until someone else decides to show a hand.
Initially, the dealer hands out two cards per person and for himself. After the player has looked at the hand, as well as that of the dealer's, a choice will have to be made about what to do next. Here are the options:
Hit. If you have cards that equal 10, you should request another card to see if you can make 21. You will motion the dealer to give you another card.
Stand. This means you will stay with the cards that you have. This is indicated to the dealer by waving one's hand over the cards in your hand.
Pair Splitting. When you have two cards of the same denomination in your hand (such as 8,8, or 10, K, that is, a pair), you are allowed to split the hand. In this instance, each card will then become part of a separate hand. The player can then draw whatever cards are needed for each of these hands. Of course, in the split, a bet equal to the first hand's bet must be made on the second one too. (The new chip must be placed beside the original one). It is also necessary to play out one of the hands before the other. A split hand will pay 1:1 and not 3:2.
Double Down. If you think that one more card will put you in a position to beat the dealer because your two cards total ten or eleven, you may double down. The wager is doubled, and you will be dealt one additional card. Double Down is only available after the dealer has dealt the first two cards of the hand. This is indicated to the dealer by placing a chip beside the original chip bet on that particular hand.
Surrender. Sometimes it is possible to decline playing out the hand in exchange for only losing half (50 %) of the original bet. This is only permissible if the player thinks that the dealer has an unbeatable hand. If the player has drawn an additional card, then it will not be possible to use the Surrender tactic. This is a verbal request. If the dealer already has a Blackjack hand, then surrender is not possible.
Insurance. One of the dealer's cards will be dealt face up and the other will be down. When the dealer happens to have an ace as the face-up card, he/she will ask the players if anyone wants insurance. This insurance means the player will bet that the dealer may have twenty-one when he/she turns over the other card. This insurance bet will add up to half of the player's original bet. If the dealer does have Blackjack, those with insurance will receive 2 to 1 on half of their original bet. If both the player and dealer have Blackjack, then there will be a push (tie) on the original bet. Of course, the insurance bet becomes null and void if the dealer does not have Blackjack.
Payoffs
If the player's hand is higher than the dealer's without going over 21 is, then there will be a payoff. The dealer will win the hand before turning over the hand if the player "busts" (has more than 21) The player also loses when his hand is of lesser value than the dealer's is. Hands of equal value are called a push (tie). If the player does get Blackjack, the payout will be 3:2 and not 1:1.
Blackjack Strategy
Experts state that the Blackjack player will win about 47 per cent of his hands and the dealer will win about 53 per cent of them. Their research suggests that winning hands most often result from when the player does a "double down" or has a hand that twins Blackjack and is paid 3:2.
Double down is an offensive move when a player is very confident that he will win the hand. This happens when the player feels that he can outdraw the dealer's card or when the dealer is showing a weak upcard.
If the dealer's upcard is a 2 through 6, he has a strong likelihood of a "bust." In order to double down, an equal number of chips must be placed beside the original bet. The dealer will give the player only one more card. No other draws are allowed in this case.
Doubling down is considered to be very profitable play, if done correctly.
Popular casino gambling writer Henry Tamburin recommends the following for multiple deck games, you should double down in the following hands:
Hard 9 against dealer 3 through 6 upcard. Hard 10 against dealer 2 through 9 upcard. Hard 11 against dealer 2 through 10 upcard. Soft 13 and 14 against dealer 5 & 6 upcard. Soft 15 & 16 against dealer 4,5 & 6 upcard. Soft 17 & 18 against dealer 3,4,5 & 6 upcard. For more information and insights, check out his book entitled Blackjack: Take the Money & Run.
At Online Gambling Casino, we offer the following Online Blackjack payouts:
Winning hand: Pays 1:1 Blackjack: Pays 3:2 Insurance: Pays 2:1
To make the chances of winning even greater, there are some situations and conditions to look out for.
These include:
· - A blackjack game that consists of a single deck only
· permissible to double down on two cards, except after splitting
· dealer stands on soft seventeen
· a surrender is permissible
· Blackjack is paid at 3:2.
· some experts feel that you will lose at Blackjack if you do not use the double down technique
Computer analysis has documented that there is a mathematically correct way to play your Blackjack hand against the dealer's upcard.
Initially, the casino has an edge of about 5.75 per cent. This includes the 3:2 payoff on player Blackjacks. Blackjack expert Henry Tamburin has deduced that by employing the correct blackjack strategies, it is possible to reduce the casino's advantage by to about 0.5 per cent.
Initial casinos edge 5.75% Correct hitting and standing -3.25 % Correct doubling -0.5% Correct pair splitting +0.5%
The professionals at casinospy.com also recommend the following tips to enhance the chances of winning your Online Blackjack game:
HIT/STAND
Hit until you get 12 – If dealer's card 4,5,6 Hit until you get 13 – If dealer's card 2 or 3
DOUBLE DOWN
Double on 8 – If dealer's card 5 or 6 Double on 9 – If dealer's card 2,3,4,5,6 Double on 10 – If dealer's card 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 Double on 11 – Always double on A2 to A5 – If dealer's card 4,5,6 Double on A6 – If dealer's card 2,3,4,5,6 Double on A7 – If dealer's card 3,4,5,6 Double on A8 – If dealer's card 6
SPLIT PAIRS
22 – If dealer's card 2,3,4,5,6,7 33- If dealer's card 4,5,6,7 66 – If dealer's card 2,3,4,5,6 77 – If dealer's card 2,3,4,5,6,7 99 – If dealer's card 2,3,4,5,6 AA, 88 – Always A2 TO A6 – If you can't double, always hit
YOU HAVE AN A7
Double – If dealer's hand 3,4,5 or 6 Stand – If dealer's hand A, 2,7,8 Hit – If dealer's hand 9 or 10 YOU HAVE AN A8 or A9
If you can't double, always stand.
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