Ready to hit the virtual blackjack tables? Good for you. Whether you’ve been resisting because you didn’t think online blackjack could compare to the real thing or you’re discovering blackjack online for the first time, there’s no better time to get started.

Starting to Play Blackjack Online

When starting to play blackjack online, the first thing you’ll need is an online casino account. There are a wide variety of online casino sites out there, so take some time, look at some reviews and choose your favorite. Some of the options you will consider are the reputation of the site, the quality of the features and graphics that the site offers, and the size of any bonuses you may receive for signing up.

Once you’ve found your site, downloaded the online casino software and set up your online casino account, you’re ready to play some online blackjack. If you’ve never played blackjack before there should be a tutorial on the site, or you can find a basic tutorial elsewhere online.

Playing Blackjack Online

To be successful at online blackjack, you’re going to want to use what is known as basic strategy. Basic strategy is a chart of moves that tells you what the highest value action is for any situation. Playing according to basic strategy can reduce the House edge to one or two percentage points, while playing according to hunches can give the house a massive advantage.
Since you’re just starting out, you’ll want to find an online basic strategy chart and keep it open at all times. You may want to do this even after you become experienced just to be sure not to make any mistakes. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t rack up massive wins right away. Although most players lose over the long term, things should come pretty close to evening out over time if you play correctly.

Online Blackjack Warning

Remember to protect your bankroll and only risk an amount you can comfortably afford to lose in each session. This will enhance your enjoyment of the game and make sure it does not cause you any undue stress.

I got into an email fight with Ray because he said the only way to win at online blackjack was by becoming a slave to the best bonus and continually chasing down the bonus, then moving onto the next casino site.  Actually slave is a politer term compared to what he used.

I disagree, you can use your skill to lower the house edge against you.  Take on the house and beat that dealer!  A good bonus always helps and it helps to shop around, keeping the online casinos on their toes.  But that doesn’t mean that you have to ruin your online gambling experience by continually site hopping.

You can develop and master your blackjack strategy until you become a pro.  Them nasty casinos that take all our money, gonna be shaking in there boots!  You show’em.

One of the newer online gambling platforms starting to gain some traction, is live casino gambling.  And as a perennial casino favorite, blackjack was one of the first games to be rolled out in the live online format.

The difference between live blackjack and RNG blackjack, is that rather than playing against a machine with game outcomes determined by random number generators, you are being dealt by a real dealer.  You sit at home on your PC and watch a live video feed of a real dealer, dealing real cards via a betting interface that allows you to place bets and chat to the dealer as you play.

It’s a novel solution to the skepticism surrounding fairness or true randomness of traditional RNG games, but one that is not without its own shortcomings.  Chief among these are the quality of the vision and deal speed.  Despite all the leaps in webcasting technology, the quality of the feed provided, will be severely hampered if your connection isn’t fast enough.  And, its probably not a great format for impatient players.

Unlike RNG blackjack, when you can call the deal when you want it, live blackjack deals are set to a fixed timer to allow all participating players ample time to place their bets.  This can be anywhere from 40 to 15 seconds depending on the provider.

I’m going to play in an online blackjack tourney this weekend.  Can’t wait!!

Where can you play online blackjack tourneys?  Well most online casino sites will offer you options to play blackjack, but to find a tourney you should do a search for one and find a recognised gambling site to play at.  There are loads of blackjack tourneys available 24/7 you just have to find them.

Why do you like playing in a tournament?  I enjoy the thrill of trying to beat other gamblers and not just the dealer or the casino.  For me its a true test of my blackjack skills, am I good enough? 

How to win at blackjack tourneys – Its all about out-lasting and out-smarting the other players and I think I’m good enough to do that.  Some like the quick thrill, I like to apply my strategies and use my stamina and patience to win at blackjack tourneys.  Its steady consistent play that will get you there in the end.

Have you ever played in an online blackjack tournament?

Its all very well sitting in the comfort of your home and playing blackjack against the computer, when you’ve had enough you log out and go and do something different… like maybe putting your feet up, cracking open a beer and catching up on your favorite game.

But when you play an online blackjack tournament you have to have a good strategy and most importantly stamina.  You can’t just cruise in and out of the game when you want to, or when you are tired  and have had enough.

To give an example to put it into context… an online blackjack tournament is like running a marathon.  Sprint off in the beginning and you won’t finish the race – you have to pace yourself.  Do enough in the beginning to keep up with your opponents, examine their play and strategy, test them and then out sprint them at the end. 

Pacing yourself is key to winning.  Take the betting steady in the beginning and then up the pace at the right time to get ahead and drop the other runners behind.  Knowing when to do this will come with time and experience.

For those of you that have played blackjack tournaments what would you say is important for success?

Want to play online blackjack? What are you waiting for? Online blackjack can provide hours of casino gaming entertainment and with a little luck you can win big.

Don’t know how to play online blackjack? Don’t worry, it’s easy to learn. Don’t know where to play? We will guide you.

Let’s start with the second question

Find a Blackjack Casino and a Good Sign-up Bonus

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Now over to the actual game…

The Deal in Online Blackjack

To start, you and the dealer will both receive two cards. Your two are exposed — one of his is concealed. Your cards represent a point total in which each card is its face value, face cards are worth 10 and aces can be one or 11. If you can get your point total closer to 21 than the dealer’s without going over, you win.

Options in Online Blackjack

To get close to 21, you may “hit,” adding an additional card to your first two. You may hit as much as you want until you are satisfied or until you exceed 21, at which point you bust and lose automatically regardless of the dealer’s total.

When you are satisfied, you “stand.” For an additional bet, you may double, adding a single card to your initial two card hand. Or, if your two cards are the same, you can split them, receiving a new card on each for two new hands.

Winning Online Blackjack

Once you are satisfied with your total, the dealer turns over his second card. If he has 16 or less he must hit, 17 or more he must stand. If he has a soft 17, meaning an ace and a six, so he can safely hit without busting, the House rules determine whether he must hit or stand.

If the dealer busts and you have not busted already, you win. If he finishes with a lower point total than you, you win. Otherwise, the dealer wins.

Getting Blackjack

All bets pay even money except blackjack. Blackjack occurs when you get 21 on your first two cards. This pays 3-to-2 unless the dealer also has blackjack, in which case it is a tie.

If the dealer has an ace showing, you have the option to take insurance, a bet that the dealer has blackjack. If you also have blackjack, you will be offered “even money,” meaning you win 1-to-1 rather than 3-to-2 whether the dealer has blackjack or not. If you do not have blackjack and take insurance, you lose half a bet in addition to whatever happens in the hand if the dealer does not have blackjack and break even on the hand if he does.

Online blackjack distinguishes from other online casino games in that employing correct strategy can significantly control the outcome. While there are correct approaches to many online casino games, few games allow you the ability to control the outcome that online blackjack does.

To be successful in blackjack, you will foremost have to follow basic strategy. You can get a basic strategy chart that will tell you the correct plays to make in any situation that should arise. Beyond basic strategy, however, keep the following blackjack strategies in mind to help you keep the House edge down.

Never Take Insurance

When the dealer is showing an ace, you will receive an opportunity to take insurance. Insurance is a 2-to-1 wager that the dealer has blackjack. You take insurance by betting an amount equal to half your original wager.

If you take insurance and the dealer’s bottom card is a ten point card, you win 2-to-1 on the insurance bet and lose your regular bet. Essentially, you break even for the hand.

If the dealer does not have a blackjack, you lose the insurance bet and play the hand as normal. The ratio of non-ten point cards to ten point cards is 36-16, or 2.25-to-1. In other words, you get 2-to-1 on at best a 2.25-to-1 shot no matter the circumstances.

This is always a bad bet. If you have blackjack, you can take “even money.” This means that when you take insurance, you will either win the insurance bet and tie on the regular bet or lose the insurance bet and win 3-to-2 on the regular bet. Both have a net gain of one unit.

Although guaranteed money sounds tempting, insurance is still a bad bet that you should avoid. Remember that you are playing for the long haul, not to win one individual hand.

Don’t Count on It

Blackjack is notorious for card counting. Card counting involves calculating how rich the deck is in ten point cards, something that is advantageous to the player.

In online blackjack, a random number generator determines the cards. It can represent eight or even more decks of cards, making counting difficult if not impossible. You should not expect to gain an advantage card counting in online blackjack.

Aces and Eights

You should always split aces or eights. Splitting two aces makes it likely that you will get two very powerful hands, possibly even two twenty-ones if two ten point cards should hit. Two eights is 16, the worst hand in blackjack. You have nothing to lose by splitting it up to try to make two stronger hands.