Online Blackjack Variations

Overview

Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games available today and playing online blackjack gives you access to a wide range of game variants. Some online casinos offer a whole suite of blackjack variations with a range of options for players to choose from. Make sure to understand the variations of the different games before you try a new one as slight variations can alter how you should play the game.

Classic Blackjack

Classic blackjack is the most common type of online blackjack game and it is played in the same way as land-based blackjack. Players are dealt two cards and are required to make a hand that is closer to 21 than the dealer’s without going bust. Players have the option to double down, split, hit or stand. There may also be options to place an insurance bet and surrender, depending on the casino’s house rules.

Blackjack Surrender

Blackjack surrender is an interesting variation that allows you to surrender for the cost of half your bet. This action can be performed at the beginning of the game.

Blackjack Switch

Blackjack switch offers a unique option for players who sometimes see their first two cards and wish they could just swap one of them. In this game, players are dealt two hands and can choose to switch the top cards between the two hands in order to create better hands.

Atlantic City Blackjack

Atlantic City Blackjack is a popular variation of the classic game. The dealer checks for blackjack before players can place bets. Players are allowed to re-split to form three hands and doubling down after a split is allowed.

Lucky Blackjack

Lucky blackjack is an unusual variation of the game. Players do not bet on the outcome of their hand, but rather on the hand total that the dealer will achieve. It pays out different odds for different hand totals that you bet on correctly.

Bonus Blackjack

Bonus blackjack gives players the opportunity to place a bonus bet for the chance to win a huge payout. The bonus bet is on the player getting Blackjack (an Ace and ten) and it pays out 50:1.

21 Duel Blackjack

21 duel blackjack makes use of community cards. Players must make up their hand using their dealt face-up card and one of the two community cards. If you then choose to hit, you will turn over your face-down card. If you choose to stand you will discard your face-down card.

Progressive Blackjack

In progressive blackjack, players place a side bet on the progressive jackpot. The entire pot is paid out for four Aces, but players can win part of the pot depending on the number and suits of the Aces in their hands.

How to Play Online Blackjack

Overview

Blackjack can be traced back hundreds of years and is one of the most popular card games at an online casino. It is a game with simple rules, but which requires skill to reduce the house edge. This makes it a popular choice among amateur and professional gamblers.

Aim of the Game

The aim of the game of blackjack is to achieve a hand total of closer to 21 than the dealer without going over. You play only against the dealer; not against the other players. Each card in a game of blackjack has a value and these are added together to form the player’s total hand value. Cards two through ten have their face value; face cards are valued at ten and Ace is valued as one or eleven depending on the total value of the other cards in your hand.

How to Play Online Blackjack

To begin a game of classic online blackjack, you must place your bet. You will then be dealt two cards face up and the dealer will be dealt two cards face down. You will then need to play your hand. Once your turn is finished, the dealer will play his hand according to the house rules of the casino. If you win, you will be paid out according to the casino’s pay table. The highest payout is for Blackjack – a hand of an Ace and a ten. Make sure to understand the rules of the variation of the game you are playing as slight variation can change the way you play. Playing the game with optimal strategy can significantly reduce the house edge.

Player Actions

There are a number of actions a player can take in a game of online blackjack. If the casino allows it, you may be able to place an insurance bet. This will insure you against the dealer having Blackjack if his up-card is an Ace. Some casinos also allow a surrender option. This may be allowed early in which case you will be able to surrender your cards for the cost of half your bet before the dealer has checked for blackjack. More commonly, a late surrender is allowed if the dealer has checked his cards and does not have Blackjack. On the first two cards of you hand, you are able to split if the two cards are the same. You then place a second bet and play the two cards as separate hands. You may also be able to double down on your first two cards which allows you to double your bet and receive one more card. Most commonly, players either hit (receive another card, which can be done until you stand or go bust) or stand (receive no more cards and end your turn).

History of Online Blackjack

Overview

Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games available today. It dates back hundreds of years and while there is some debate of the exact origins of the game, it is typically agreed that it can be traced back to France. It is one of the oldest card games still played today and if anything, it is even more popular than it used to be.

The Origins of Blackjack

It is commonly believed that blackjack originated from a game known as “Vingt-en-Un”. The game was played in France in the 17^th century and the meaning of the game, “21”, gives you a hint as to its relationship with the game we know as blackjack. A special payout was awarded for a hand made up of an Ace and Jack of Spades – a black Jack and it is thought that this is where the name of Blackjack came from. There are differences between how Vingt-en-Un was played and blackjack such as when betting was done. In Vingt-en-Un, there is betting after each round, as opposed to blackjack when betting only occurs at the beginning of the game, and only the dealer is given an option to double down in Vingt-en-Un.

It is possible that certain concepts, such as going bust, were taken from another game that was played around the same time period – “Seven and Half”. In the game of Seven and Half, players added together the values of their cards to create a total hand value that was as close to 7 1/2 as possible. Going over was referred to as going bust.

Blackjack Moves to America

Blackjack was brought to the US after the French Revolution and became an instant hit. Gambling was outlawed in the US in the early 19^th century; however it is known that blackjack continued to be played underground. In 1931, gambling became legal in Nevada and blackjack began to be played in the open once more. Roger Baldwin launched a study of the game of blackjack in 1953. The aim of the study was to reduce the house edge in the game through statistical analysis. The game continued to grow in popularity and in 1956 the first blackjack strategy guide was published.

Online Blackjack is Born

With the first online casinos launched in the mid-1990s, blackjack began to be played online. It quickly became a standard offering at online casinos and online blackjack games grew to be among the most popular online casino games available. Players from all over the world were now able to enjoy the game. Online blackjack offers a range of variations of the game including some that are specific to online casinos. Players are able to practice their game and perfect their skill, increasing their chances of winning.