Blackjack

Blackjack has been popular with gamblers since it started being played in France in the 1600′s, and since then it has evolved and changed to become the enjoyable card game we know today.

As with most casino games, the is a certain degree of luck involved when playing Blackjack- but you need to learn the basics before you can begin playing properly. Knowing the rules and being confident in your game play will make the game run smoother and make it more enjoyable for everyone involved, and once you gain in skill you can start to be more competitive.

Unlike in poker, when playing Blackjack you are playing against the dealer- not the other players- and the basic aim is to get the total of your cards as close to 21 as possible without going over. The closer you get to 21, the better, and if you’re closer than the dealer then you win. You can also win automatically by scoring ‘Blackjack’ and hitting the total of 21 exactly.

All the numbered cards are worth their face value, whereas the picture cards carry a score of 10. Aces can be worth either 1 or 11 depending on the hand you have at the time- you can choose the value to reflect the score you want to have. For example, if you had a 5 and a 7 it would be wise to put Ace as 1 rather than 11- because if it was 11, you’d go ‘bust’ and loose.

Although the rules can seem a little daunting at first and a bit confusing, over time you pick up the basics more and more and can start to get into the main rules of the game and start playing competitively. Experience is the key, as well as luck, and the more you play the better you’ll become over time. Soon you can learn how to use strategy to work out how your game will go and plan it to your advantage.

There are many different variations of Blackjack depending on the game or the country you’re playing in- but the basic rules of play stay exactly the same, so you can easily switch to these rules without becoming a complete novice again.