Blackjack has been at the heart of every land-based casino around the world, and now it has become the heart of every online casino through online blackjack. There are many variations of blackjack online casinos, including European and Vegas strip, meaning everyone can enjoy all the blackjack they want without having to leave their home.
The explosion of the Internet has also allowed gambling fans plenty of new options when it comes to blackjack. Every online casino is packed with resources to help players. There are resources that will assist in just about everything, from learning the fundamentals of the game to tips and tricks on how to win. Here are some useful online blackjack tips and tricks to keep in mind the next time you hit the virtual tables.
Top Five Online Blackjack Tips
Know Whether You Should Stand or Hit
The reality of blackjack is that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to whether you should hit or stand. Even so, you should understand what to do when you have been dealt certain cards, especially when compared to the cards the dealer has.
If you were to be dealt if you were to be dealt a total of between four and eight for example, and the dealer has any card showing, then you must always hit. If you were to be dealt between 12 and 16 however, and the dealer also has a low card, then you should consider standing. Keep in mind that the dealer must make decisions that you don’t have to so let them go bust when they are forced to. The worst cards for a dealer to have our two through six; dealers are most likely to go bust when they have these cards showing.
The card that the dealer is showing will often shape your decisions more than you might think. If you had to be dealt between 12 and 16 for example and the dealer had high cards – between seven and Ace – then you should aim to get as close to 21 as you possibly can. There’s a chance you may go bust, but the deal also has higher chances of beating you anyway. Find a handy chart showing when you should hit or stick and have it close by when playing online blackjack.
Don’t Take Insurance
In general, you want to ignore the option to take out insurance if you are dealt a blackjack and the dealer has an ace. It’s much better to win 3/2 on your own blackjack rather than betting extra money and whether or not the dealer also has a blackjack.
Always Doubled Down On a 10 or 11
Doubling down is when you are presented with the chance to double your bet after getting your first two cards. After doubling down, you will receive just one more card and will be made to stand. Most casinos, both off-line and online, allow you to double down your bet on any two cards.
Doubling down is an advisable move, particularly when the dealer is showing two, three, four, five, or six. These cards mean they are more likely to go bust. It does mean you’ll have to double your bet but it also means you have twice the chance of winning.
Don’t Bother Trying to Count the Cards
Most people hear about the idea of card counting before even hearing about blackjack, and while there have been several historic cases of card counting – in some cases being highly profitable such as with the MIT teams of the 90s – it is very difficult to do, especially in blackjack games with seven or eight decks of cards. Card counting – which is working out when dealers are likely to hand out tens and low card so you can adjust your bet – only works with land-based casinos because online casinos have tougher RNGs. If you think that counting cards is the way to go, then you need to stick with off-line casinos.
Understand House Edge
One of the great things about blackjack is that it offers better chances for the player to win compared to other games such as roulette. Players must still pay attention to how many decks are being used in the game. Blackjack games can use between one and eight decks again and the house edge improve significantly for every extra deck used.
In a blackjack game using just one deck for example, the house would have 0.17% advantage, which jumps up to 0.46% when the second deck is added. With seven decks, the house as a 0.64% advantage and it becomes 0.65% with eight decks. Do some research before playing online blackjack to fully understand what you’re getting yourself into.
