Yes, understanding the basics of blackjack is relatively easy. But, before you can walk away a winner, you need a deeper understanding of the nuances of the game and casino protocol.
- How To Pick A Good Blackjack Table Games
- How To Choose A Blackjack Table
- How To Pick A Blackjack Table
Oct 23, 2011 For hours. Lots of them. But not all casinos offer the best odds, as shown in this blackjack survey. It’s a good source to find the best odds and which tables to avoid, not only at blackjack but at any other casino game. I’m a good blackjack player, if there’s such a thing. I know the odds and follow the rules, strategies, and tips. Blackjack is by far the most popular casino table game in the United States, with more players than craps, roulette, and baccarat combined. A lot of people don't have either the patience, persistence, and concentration necessary for card counting or the bankroll to make it effective. Pick Leaders By League. I focus on blackjack which is the most popular table game to play in Las Vegas. I'm researching for the masses. The few good low-limit tables are almost always. Blackjack Rules. Under normal circumstances, the house has a very thin advantage. With the right blackjack strategy and bonuses in place, that advantage flips to the player’s side. You don’t even need to count cards to make this work - find the right table, get the right offers in place, and win real money playing blackjack online! Pick Leaders By League. I focus on blackjack which is the most popular table game to play in Las Vegas. I'm researching for the masses. The few good low-limit tables are almost always. Nothing will get you reprimanded faster than messing with your cards or chips when you shouldn’t. Most blackjack games won’t allow you to touch the cards at all. They are dealt face up, and if you want to split your hand, the dealer will take care of it. At those tables that do let you hold the cards, only do so one hand at a time. To begin with, Blackjack is one of the simplest table games and hence its popularity. The objective in Blackjack is to draw a hand with a higher value than that of the dealer without going beyond 21. If you go over, you lose or as in blackjack terms, go ‘bust’. However, you first need to know how to determine your hand’s value.
Finding a table: Strategic seating
Blackjack begins by selecting a seat at the table. Typically, a blackjack table allows for five to seven players. Whenever you see an empty seat at a blackjack table, you may assume it’s for your taking (unless chips or a coat are holding the spot for a player who just stepped away for a moment or unless some player is playing two hands). In most cases, joining a game in progress is okay, although some tables have a No-Midshoe Entry policy (usually marked by a sign at the table), which means you have to wait until the shuffle before playing.
For your first trip to the tables, you’re better off finding a nearly full table. Although the number of players at the table hardly affects the odds on your hands, the game is much quicker with fewer players. A fuller table gives you more time to think about each hand without being rushed or pressured.
Seeking single-deck tables
Without getting into a lot of math, here’s a good rule to follow: The fewer decks the casino uses, the better for you. Your chances for success increase if you can find a single-deck game. Most casinos worldwide have gone to six or more decks in an attempt to thwart card counters (skilled players who keep track of cards). But some places still deal blackjack the old-fashioned way — with one deck of 52 cards. Most of the casinos in northern Nevada (Reno, Lake Tahoe, and Wendover) still use one deck of cards at many of their blackjack tables. If you aren’t sure how many decks the casino is using, just ask.
Eyeing table bet levels
Before you actually sit down, look for the table’s minimum and maximum betting limits. Every table has these fixed limits, which the casino usually posts on a small sign located on the table to the right of the dealer.
You may sit down at a table where the placard says $5–$500, which means you have to bet at least $5 on every hand and can never bet more than $500 on any one spot. Typically, the higher the minimum starting bet, the higher the maximum bet for that table.
When you’re starting out, find the lowest minimum table in the casino and begin there. Making smaller bets keeps you out of trouble until you understand the game better — and you’re less likely to end up sitting next to a high roller (who may not appreciate a novice at his table).
Purchasing chips
After you select your seat, you need to buy chips from the dealer. Select the amount of money you want to start with and lay your cash on the felt in front of you. The dealer changes your cash into chips and slides them across the felt to you.
Don’t hand your money directly to the dealer; doing so is a breach of etiquette and brands you as a greenhorn.
After you receive your chips, leave them on the table in front of you. Chips come in several denominations and are color-coded. Although every casino uses distinctive chips, most colors are standard.
Start off with a small amount of chips. A good approach is to cash in no more than 25 percent of your daily bankroll for chips. For example, if you budget $400 for the day, buy in for no more than $100 to start. This way, when you’re losing, you minimize the temptation to bet more than you planned. You can always buy more chips later if necessary.
Homing in on house rules
Blackjack rules are fairly similar worldwide — with a few variations. Sometimes a small placard sitting on the table indicates where the casino stands in regard to certain scenarios. If you don’t see a placard, you may ask the dealer what the house rules are, even when you’re in the middle of a hand.
Does the dealer hit on a soft 17?
A soft hand is any hand that counts an ace as 11 rather than 1. The hand is soft because it can’t bust on the next card. For example, if you hit (take another card) a soft 18 (an ace and a 7) with a 6, the ace automatically reverts to 1 (rather than 11), and the hand total is now 14 (rather than 24, which would be a bust).
Whether a dealer hits on a soft 17 is usually spelled out in bold white letters right on the felt. Normally the dealer counts an ace as 11 anytime he has a hand of 17 or more. However, about half the casinos worldwide deviate from this rule on soft 17 (an ace and a 6). In those cases, the ace counts as 1, and the dealer hits his soft 17.
Is doubling down restricted to certain card combinations?
How To Pick A Good Blackjack Table Games
In Las Vegas, casinos typically allow doubling down, an option that allows you to double your bet, on any two cards, but other places may restrict this move to just 10s or 11s. The placard probably won’t list restrictions to doubling down. If you aren’t sure whether restrictions are in place, don’t be afraid to ask the dealer, even if you’re in the middle of a hand.
Can you surrender?
A playing option known as surrender is an extremely profitable option for you as a player, but not many casinos offer it. When you surrender, you lose half of your initial bet and give up your hand. For example, if you bet $10 and are dealt a 16, you can surrender and only lose $5 (half your bet) rather than risk the entire $10 on a bad hand. Once again, the placard may not readily advertise this rule variation, so always ask if surrender is available.
Dealing what’s in the cards
All right, you’re situated at the table, you’ve made your bet in the betting box, and your heart is pumping like a jackhammer. The dealer flashes you a warm smile, wishes you good luck, shuffles the deck, and asks you to cut the cards.
If you’re playing a one- or two-deck game, the dealer holds the cards in his hands and deals you two cards face-down. You can pick up these cards, but make sure you only hold them in one hand.
However, the majority of blackjack games today use six or eight decks. In these cases, the dealer deals your two cards face-up from a shoe (a boxlike device that houses the cards).
Whether your cards are dealt face-up or face-down really doesn’t matter — dealers follow strict rules, and seeing the values of your cards doesn’t influence them. Dealers’ hands always start off with one card exposed and one card hidden, regardless of the number of decks.
Table Of Contents
This is everything you ever wanted to know about how to play Blackjack like a pro but were too ashamed to ask.
Bryce Carlson, Edward O. Thorp, Arnold Snyder, Russ Hamilton, Don Johnson.
If these names don't ring any bells, then you're probably here to pick a trick or two before your next beer-and-Blackjack session with the guys.
Though gambling is not necessarily your passion in life, you certainly deserve to see their baffled faces as you beat them to the draw.
And who knows?
Maybe in time, you'll get to sit at the big shots' table and make some serious dough.
How To Choose A Blackjack Table
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Blackjack 101
Since this is a guide on demand – made especially for rookies without any real experience or proper Blackjack skills – I'll start by introducing the game.
Blackjack might not the easiest way to spend your free time, but it is the best one to have lots of fun and bring home the bacon when you play Casino games.
Personally, I think it's also the most exciting game on the Casino floor.
You can play Blackjack in that shiny new casino just around the corner or join millions of thrill-seekers who've replaced classic tables for online simulations.
NEW to the Game?Check out the best free sites to play live Blackjack games online!
Play NowOf course, you can always host a Blackjack party at your home - if your friends share your passion. Some Casinos chips and a few decks of French playing cards are all you need to get the fun going.
Whatever your choice is, you'll need a solid knowledge the basics of Blackjack, of the rules, and of the best winning strategy to play and to increase your winning odds.
Which One Is the Spade Again?
Like you can not learn a language before you studied its alphabet, you need to start from the basics if you really want to learn how to play Blackjack.
That's why this Blackjack guide starts from the A-B-C of the game.
I'm going to call this 'first lesson' How to Play Blackjack and What the Cards Mean.
This may be the last chance for you to clear any confusion surrounding card symbols and to finally learn to read them right.
Don't miss it.
Let's start from a classic deck of French cards because that's what you need to play Blackjack.
Yes, these are the same cards your grandfather use to play Slapjack, Crazy Eights, and Three-Card Poker.
In total, the deck features 52 cards divided into four different suits:
- Clubs (♧)
- Diamonds (♢)
- Hearts (♥)
- Spades (♤)
Spades and clubs are coloured in black while diamonds and hearts are coloured in red.
But since we are on PokerNews, I'm assuming you knew that already.
A traditional deck has 13 ranks and each suite has one card per each rank.
The first card is the ace (A), but it's not exactly the equivalent of a 1. In fact, this card can be the highest-ranking card of the deck.
The following ten cards form a string from two (2) to ten (10/T), while the last three are the Jack (J), Queen (Q), and King (K).
These last three cards are called the face cards.
Oh Wait, How Much Did I Just Score?
But 'I just want to learn how to play Blackjack', you say?
'I don't need you to remind me of my grandpa and his dusty old cards!'
I hear you, but be patient.
I'll get to that in less than a minute.
The reason I needed to dust off your grandfather's old deck of cards is that Blackjack has some restrictions when it comes to using suits.
In fact, suits are of value only in some variants of this game.
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Since this is a Blackjack for dummies guide, you are free to ignore them now.
What's Really Important Here Is Getting to Know Your Ranks.
Since there are four suits, and each suit has one card of each rank, the math says that there are only four cards of each rank in the deck, right?
Scoring in Blackjack depends on the ranks a player holds in his or her hand, and his or her ability to count them according to the rules:
How To Pick A Blackjack Table
- Each ace is worth either 1 or 11 points.
- For all cards that belong to the two-to-ten string, the rule is the same – their rank equals their point value. If you hold a 5, for example, you hold exactly 5 points.
- Every face card, be it a Jack, a Queen, or a King, is worth 10 points.
So - let's see now how much did you just score.
Translate the ranks of cards you hold to their point value and add it all up.
That's really as easy as that. Your score in Blackjack is the sum of the value of your cards - not one point less than that.
And Now for the Easy Blackjack Rules (Finally).
When you play a game of Blackjack, you always play against the dealer.
Don't think about the other players at the table. Regardless of how many of you sit to play at the same time, there are always only two hands in play – the player's hand versus the dealer's hand.
And the winning hand in Blackjack is, you guessed it, the higher hand. Which, if you are lucky enough to get it, is also the one that gives its name to the game: a Blackjack.
A Blackjack is a hand 2-card hand that totals 21 points.
This is not an easy one to get, be sure of that. But it is also the one you'll be always hoping to receive. Every. Single. Time. You play.
But What about the Losing Hand?
The losing hand, the dead hand, or the bust, is every hand with a total sum of 22 or higher.
That's because as soon as you geo over the 21-point limit, you are out of the game. Regardless of the dealer's score.
Unfortunately, that's not the only losing hand in Blackjack. Because each hand that is one point short compared to the dealer's score…it's a losing one.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how to play Blackjack for dummies.
Blackjack 102
Your typical casino Blackjack table has enough space for seven players plus a dealer and includes the following phrases and/or signs:
- Blackjack plays x to y
- Dealer must draw to 16 and stand on all 17s
- Pays 2 to 1
- The table limits (min / max bet allowed)
What's That Nonsense on the Table?
Remember how a Blackjack – which is a hand with 2 cards that total 21, and is higher than the dealer's – automatically wins the game?
Well, that's almost true.
If the dealer also holds a 21, then the result is a so-called Push, meaning that your initial bet is returned to you and you neither win nor lose.
Blackjack pays 3 to 2, or in some Casinos, Blackjack pays 6 to 5, refers to payoffs and odds.
If you win against the dealer's hand, your initial bet is paid off 3 to 2, or in some casinos, 6 to 5.
With Insurances pays 2 to 1, you're offered to put an additional bet on whether or not your dealer will get a Blackjack.
Your hand can lose against the dealer's hand, but then you might cover your lost bet with a win on an insurance bet. Word to the wise, you can drop them both.
$5 minimum, $500 maximum is simply a reminder of the smallest and the largest amount of money you can put on the table.
A good guide on how to play Blackjack online should always direct you to play your first games on websites where the minimum bet is small enough to be beginner-friendly.
That's why I want to give you two choices:
- You can use these demo games to practice Blackjack online
- Or you can play cheap Blackjack games here
Should I Hit or Should I Stand?
Blackjack begins after all players have exchanged their money for chips and placed them on the designated spot on the table as their bets.
The dealer then deals the cards – two of them for each player, including himself.
The cards can be dealt either face down or face up, apart from the dealer's own two cards, of which one is always dealt face up and another face down.
The dealer then peaks to check if he's been dealt a Blackjack.
If not, the players are invited to hit or stand, though there are three more options to choose from – splitting, doubling down, or surrendering.
How you play your hand depends on the cards both you and the dealer have.
When you go for hitting, you're dealt one additional card.
If you choose to stand instead, you're keeping the cards you have.
To qualify for splitting, you need to have two cards of the same rank.
You'll receive two cards more, one for each of the cards you've originally been dealt, pay a side bet, and then start playing with two independent hands.
Both their bets and their payoffs are independent too.
When you double down, you need to place an additional bet, after which you'll receive one card more to add to your original hand.
The rules for surrendering vary from one casino to another, in a sense that some offer an early surrender option – to drop out of the hand before the dealer checks his cards for a Blackjack – and others a later surrender option, in which you must wait until after he's done that.
Either way, you agree to give up a half of the bet and are free to walk away with the rest.
How Do I Choose to Play a Hand?
The basic Blackjack strategy for beginners relies on knowing how to discern a hard hand from a soft one. The simplest way? Look for the aces!
If there's no an ace in it, or if that ace counts not as 11, but as 1, then you've got yourself a hard one, and you don't have much wiggle room.
Hard hands cannot count on aces to lower the total down and can be dangerously close to surpassing the limit of 22, which automatically makes them bust. Hitting is here quite a risk.
In a soft hand, however, you can count an ace either as a 1 or 11. It means that if another card is, say, a 9, you have either a total of 10, which makes you eligible for hitting or a total of 20, which could make your hand a bust if you choose to hit and receive anything but another ace.
But wait, there's more.
All this would be of little value if you were to leave without these Blackjack tips for beginners:
Always check the dealer's face up card before you take action.
If it's anything between 2 and 6, there's a good chance the dealer's hand will go bust, so don't take unnecessary risks. If it's 7 through ace, take your chances and play the hand aggressively.
Skip placing the side bet for insurance pays 2 to 1.
Experts calculate that this bet gives the house the advantage of almost 6% over the player. It's dumb because even if you score a Blackjack, your hand will pay off only the original bet.
Be smart enough to take your time and don't get burned.
The dealer might be rushing, so avoid the first base chair. Also, start small and give yourself a moment to assess the situation. Blackjack is only fun if you know how and when to move on.
Oh, and take a primer from a Blackjack expert.
When asked how to play Blackjack for beginners, gambling expert John Marchell spilt the following pearls of wisdom:
'When your hand is 12-16 and the dealer shows 2-6, stand. In the same situation, hit only if the dealer has 7-ace. Always split aces and 8s and double 11 versus the dealer's 2-10, and hit or double aces-6.
Also, blow off the guy who claims to be a Blackjack expert.'
That's how Bryce Carlson, Edward O. Thorp, Arnold Snyder, Russ Hamilton, and Don Johnson began counting their cards, after all.
Blackjack for beginners is much easier than you think.
Just memorize this, try it on your friends, and stop if you're losing.
And though it won't save you if you're bad at math, we wish you good luck.
Where Can I Practice Blackjack Online?
Now, to the million dollar question:
what's the best online Blackjack site for a beginner?
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