Online blackjack is among the most played online casino games today. Many online casinos offer the game for real money, and players can play it with blackjack bonuses. There are even free blackjack games for those who want to practice. This guide will cover the basic online blackjack rules, types of blackjack, odds, bonuses, and strategies.
Blackjack Online – Rules, Bonuses and Strategies
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Online Blackjack Main Rules Explained
The best way to learn how to play an online blackjack game is to know the rules.
Since it is a skill-based game, you need to understand the steps to play perfectly. And the more you practice, the better your skills will get.The following are the basic rules of the game:
- Goal – The goal is to beat the dealer
- Win – The player wins with a hand total higher than the dealer's but not greater than 21, and the same applies to the dealer
- Bust – An automatic loss if the hand total surpasses 21
- Push – A tie when the player and dealer have the same hand total, and nobody wins or loses
- Natural blackjack – When the first two cards have a hand total of 21
How to Play Online Blackjack – Steps
- Place your bet and hit DEAL or wait for the dealer to deal the cards in live blackjack
- Look at the hand totals and decide the next move
- Decide whether to stand, hit, double down or split
- The dealer will then reveal the face-down card
- The dealer will decide the next step based on their hand total
- Whoever has blackjack (21) or a higher hand total without exceeding 21 wins
Card Value
Card values play a crucial role in any blackjack name. Cards 2 to 10 maintain their face value, while an ace can represent 1 or 11. All face cards (jack, queen and king) have a value of 10. Look at the following examples of blackjack card values and hand totals.
Example 1: 3 + 7 = 10
Example 2: J + 10 = 20
Example 3: K + A = 21 or Blackjack
Understanding Blackjack Main Features
Online blackjack players must understand the various moves they can take depending on the situation. Hand totals on the table will determine whether you want to hit, stand, double down, or split. Let's see how to use these and other moves to play a blackjack game online.
Also, read our post about 21 + 3 BlackJack Side Bet to become a pro at seizing those thrilling extra chances at winning!
Blackjack term | Definition |
---|---|
Hit | Ask for another card |
Stand | Accept the current card total |
Double Down | Double the current bet |
Split | Split pairs to play with two separate hands |
Surrender | Forfeit the game and get half of the initial bet back |
Insurance | Stake half your original bet against the dealer getting a natural blackjack |
Side Bets | Additional, optional bets that players can place for bigger wins |
Best Bonuses for Online Blackjack Players
The best online casinos offer a wide variety of bonuses to be used on blackjack games. These include welcome bonus offers with bonus funds for playing online blackjack. In most cases, players are required to deposit a certain amount of money to claim the bonuses. But some casinos are generous enough to reward players with blackjack no deposit bonus offers. And there could be more blackjack bonuses for existing customers, including daily and weekly promotions.
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Welcome bonus: $2,000 + 200 Free Spins
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Welcome bonus: up to NZ$4,500
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Welcome bonus: up to NZ$5,000 or 800 Free Spins
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Welcome bonus: 100% up to $500 + 100 free spins
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Welcome Bonus: NZ$500 + 200 Free Spins
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Welcome bonus: NZ$1,500 + 270 Free spins
Know Your Odds Against the Dealer
It helps to know your chances of winning when playing any casino game. In blackjack, the starting house edge is 8%, meaning you have 92% winning odds. However, it's possible to reduce the house edge to less than 1% using the basic blackjack strategy.
Probability to bust on an extra card
Busting simply means getting a hand total bigger than 21 and losing the game as a result. The odds of hitting and busting are estimated to be 28% of the time. There's no risk of busting if the hand total is 11 or below. As indicated in the table, higher hand totals are most likely to bust.
Hand Value | Probability |
---|---|
11 or lower | 0% |
12 | 31% |
13 | 39% |
14 | 56% |
15 | 58% |
16 | 62% |
17 | 69% |
18 | 77% |
19 | 85% |
20 | 92% |
21 | 100% |
The dealer's probability to bust
The dealer's probability of busting can be calculated by examining the first card. It's also essential to consider whether the dealer is standing or hitting on 17s. Look at the following table for the dealer's busting probabilities.
Dealer’s card | Probability when standing on 17s | Probability when hitting on 17s |
---|---|---|
Ace | 17% | 20% |
2 | 35% | 36% |
3 | 37% | 38% |
4 | 40% | 40% |
5 | 42% | 42% |
6 | 42% | 44% |
7 | 26% | 26% |
8 | 24% | 24% |
9 | 23% | 23% |
10 | 23% | 23% |
Best Blackjack Strategies
Online blackjack players ought to know which strategies work best. Some well-known strategies can improve the player's chances of beating the dealer. The best way to try them out is to play blackjack online free before playing for real money.
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Don't Split a Pair of 5s or Tens
Pairs of fives and tens can easily give you a high-range hand, so don't split. -
Double down on a hard 11
Double down on a hand total of 11 if it does not have an ace. -
Stand on hard 16 against a dealer's 10 upcard
Stand on hard 16 against a dealer's 10 upcard -
Double down on 8 against dealer's 5 or 6 upcard in single deck
When playing single-deck blackjack, double your bet if you have an 8 and the dealer's face-up card is five or six. -
Split a pair of 8s and aces
Always split pairs of 8s or aces to play with two separate hands. -
Hit a hard 12 against the dealer's 2 or 3 upcard
Ask for another card if you have a hand total of 12 without an ace, and the dealer's face-up card is 2 or 3. -
Hit ace-7 (soft 18) when the dealer's upcard is 9, 10, or ace
Request for another card if you have a soft 18 and the dealer's face-up card is 9, 10 or an ace.
Most Popular Types of Online Blackjack
Casino players can choose from different types of blackjack online. The basic rules are generally the same even though there are slight differences.
European Blackjack
- There's no face-down card (hole card)
- Played using 2 decks of cards
- The dealer receives the second card once the player's hand is complete
- Dealer cannot check for blackjack before the player's hand is complete
- Doubling down is only possible on a hard hand value of 9, 10, or 11
- Only one chance to split
Progressive Blackjack
- An online casino blackjack game with a progressive jackpot
- It features a side bet that players can place for a chance to win the jackpot
- A small percentage of each player's side bet contributes to the jackpot prize
- If somebody wins, the jackpot resets to a predetermined seed value
American Blackjack
- A classic version of blackjack played using 6 to 8 decks of cards
- The dealer receives both cards (face up and face down) straight away
- Dealer can check the hole card if the face-up card is an ace
- Better odds than European blackjack games
- Doubling down is possible on any hand total
- Players can split a hand three times
Live Dealer Blackjack
- A type of blackjack played in a live casino
- The player can interact with live dealers via real-time video streams
- It could take the form of American or European blackjack
- Live blackjack is a bit slower than online blackjack with no dealer
Online Blackjack: RTP & House Edge
Check the following table to see the house edge and RTP for online blackjack games.
Variant | House Edge % | Return to Player % |
---|---|---|
Classic Blackjack | 0.13 | 99.87 |
Blackjack Switch | 0.16 | 99.84 |
Vegas Strip Blackjack | 0.35 | 99.65 |
Atlantic City Blackjack | 0.36 | 99.64 |
Spanish Blackjack | 0.38 | 99.62 |
Bonus Blackjack | 0.39 | 99.61 |
Blackjack Surrender | 0.39 | 99.61 |
European Blackjack | 0.42 | 99.58 |
High Streak Blackjack | 0.42 | 99.58 |
Tips Which Might Help You to Save Money
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Learn the rules
Before playing blackjack online, be sure to learn the basic rules of the game.
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Know the basic strategy
With the basic blackjack strategy, the player can decide what's the best action to take.
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Bet money you can afford
Place bets based on how much risk you are willing to take.
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Manage your bankroll
Create a gambling budget and manage your finances.
FAQ
Yes, there are many real money blackjack games at online casinos.
Yes, you can play free online blackjack games in demo mode.
There are different types of casino blackjack bonuses, from welcome bonus offers to blackjack no deposit bonuses.