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How To Play Blackjack? Easy guide with Pictures.

           

Here is a complete guide to help you with how to play Blackjack and some important tips to make your gameplay session better. In this blog post, you can read information about how to play Blackjack in both land-based and online casinos. In terms of rules and behavior, everything is quite the same no matter whether you are playing at online casinos, Las Vegas casinos or live Blackjack at online casinos.

I've been writing a lot about Blackjack here at casinobillionaire.com and this complete guide will help you to improve your game and also help newbies to start playing in the correct way. To help you even more, you can play free Blackjack games here at casinobillionaire.com including different versions like Blackjack Switch, Blackjack Surrender, Blackjack Virtual Dealer, and many more. Free versions will help you to practice and learn how to play Blackjack correctly. Enjoy!

Blackjack Basic Rules are the Same

Below you can check an easy step-by-step lesson to learn how to play Blackjack (with pictures). This short tutorial will help you to better understand the gameplay before starting to play live Blackjack at online casinos. I placed some pictures to help you with the progress of the game. Scroll down to find the free games to practice and also a video that you can watch as part of this tutorial.

1. Players must place the bets in their area before getting the cards;


Select the amount you want to bet and then click in the highlighted area in the table to place the bet


2. The dealer will deal 2 cards to the players;


3. Two cards will be dealt to the dealer (1 face up and 1 face down);


After have your cards, the dealer will wait for your action: Deal more card (Hit) or keep the cards (Stand) and wait for the dealers result



4. The cards value is their face value / picture cards count as 10 / Ace count as 1 or 11;


5. You have, then, the following options: Hit, Surrender, Double Down, or Split;


If you click on Hit, the dealer will deal you one more card. Click STAND when you are done.



6. The dealer proceed with the game after all players;


7. To win, your hand must have a higher card's sum than the dealer's hand;


In this hand, I had 19 and the dealer 17. I bet $100 and won $200.

What Blackjack Games can be played for free to Practice?

There are different versions of the game you can play online on demo mode to practice your strategies. You can use any mobile device (phone, tablet) or computer to play instantly with no download required. I will list the most played BJ games available for fun. Simply click and start playing - no download, no registration, no ads. So, if you want to play free blackjack online and have fun with the best games on demo mode, check my selection below:

Traditional Blackjack

Blackjack Switch

Blackjack Surrender

VR Blackjack - Virtual Dealer

How To Start playing Blackjack?

I'm very on the practice side of everything. If you want to learn how to play Blackjack or if you want to improve and master the game, you will need to practice. There are a lot of strategies and tips you can follow and try some hands using my free Blackjack games listed here in this post. Although my focus is more on the practice side, I must write here some important differences in how to play Blackjack and other casino games.

Check here a live Blackjack game at online casino:

You can watch the video here

This video can be used as an important step in this short tutorial. Analyze the hands played by the players and their decisions. Compare the result of their decisions (Hit, Stand) with the dealer's cards. Sometimes an extra hit can bust your hand. Pay attention on how the players are asking for more cards or are standing with their current hands. How is the sum of their hands when they hit (get more cards)? What is the sum of their hands when they stand? Play this video multiple times to study this live Blackjack action.

With this short video, you will have an idea of how Blackjack is played with live dealers. This was recorded during a real money gameplay session at one of my favorite online casinos. With this video, you can have an idea of how the basic rules and some protocols work when you are playing in a multiplayer game.

As you can see, the basic Blackjack rule is having a higher hand than the dealer, and not bust (over 21), especially when the dealer busts. Your mission is to beat the dealer.

Now, let's take a look in some details of the Blackjack table:

Card Values

It is very easy to memorize the card values on Blackjack.



The buttons available on both online and live Blackjack games at online casinos are:

Bust

This happens when your cards combined exceed 21. Bust is the most undesired thing on Blackjack as it takes you off the game completely. If you have two cards of 10 and 5, then you HIT to get one more card, and the new card is a Queen (10), you will have 25 which exceeds 21. This is bust in

Hit

You must click the HIT button if you want one more card. If you have a Queen (10) and a 5, you may want to get one more card to try to get a higher hand.

Dealer Hit

There are different rules depending on the casino you are playing. Some Blackjack games allow the dealer to hit if their hand is less than 17 while if their hand is 17, 18, 19, and 20, the dealer will stand. To a better advantage for the players, select Blackjack tables that the dealer stand on soft 17.

Stand

If you are satisfied with your hand, you can STAY. If you have a Queen (10) and a 9 with a total of 19 it is recommended to hit STAND and wait for the current round to end.

Split

When you get a pair, you can split the cards and play 2 separate hands simultaneously allowing you to draw additional cards for both hands. The Split rules are varying depending on the casino you are playing. Usually, at online casinos, the split rules are always the same.

Double Down

You can hit the Double Down button after you get your first two cards. When you hit the Double Down button you will double your bet and get only one more card.

Surrender

Some Blackjack versions allow you to "Surrender". This means you give up your current Blackjack hand and quit the game for half your bet. If you feel you have a really bad hand you can hit Surrender button.

Insurance

When the dealer has an ACE face up you can place an insurance bet which means you bet the other dealer's card will be a 10 and the dealer will have 21. The insurance bet is placed in a separate area near your regular bet. You win the insurance bet if the dealer makes 21.

How is a Blackjack Table?

The Blackjack table is semi-circular with 7 seats with a betting area in front of it. Some Las Vegas casinos allow you to play multi-hand Blackjack in case there are empty seats.

In this case, you can place bets on two or more different seats and play several Blackjack hands simultaneously.

In both Las Vegas and online casinos, you must have credits/chips available to play Blackjack. You must first buy chips and then start playing. At online casinos, you must fund your casino account by depositing using Paypal, Bitcoin, Credit Card, Debit Card or use any e-wallet.

In a Blackjack table, you will have chips from different values. You must click on the chip to select the value and click on the betting area to place your bet. If you click on the chip of $25, you can click 3 times in the betting area to bet $75 on your next hand.

Just like at Las Vegas casinos, you can bet on high-limit Blackjack tables at live online casinos. You can play live Blackjack with high stakes and have the same benefits as the Las Vegas high rollers.

Your casino manager can adjust your betting limits as high as you want, and you will be playing a real live Blackjack game streamed in HD on your mobile, tablet or computer.

What are the Blackjack versions?

There are a lot of different versions of Blackjack and maybe you can adapt better with some variants of the game. Now I will list some of the most played Blackjack versions.

You can play some of them for free (check the free Blackjack games listed on top of this blog post) to test your strategy and see which one is the best for you. Also, some of the versions are not allowed in the live dealer version. For example, if you want to play live Blackjack, you probably won't find a live version of Blackjack Switch. My favorite Blackjack versions:


Now, let's take a look at each one of these options. You can play a free Blackjack game on our free games page - simply click the FREE GAMES option in the top menu.

Blackjack Switch

This version is absolutely great. You play two hands Blackjack and it allows you to switch the latest cards dealt between your hands. Blackjack Switch can give you more chances to win because of this extra functionality.

Maybe the card you have on one hand will be better if combined with the other hand. Blackjack Switch is very interesting and adds you new possibilities. Check the free Blackjack Switch game listed here at casinobillionaire.com on top of this post.

Progressive Blackjack

Not only the slots can pay you progressive prizes. Blackjack can pay you huge progressive jackpots! This is what Progressive Blackjack offers you: you can choose to play the regular game and also place a side bet to play for the progressive jackpot.

You can win the Progressive Blackjack based on the number of Ace cards you have. This version gives the player the opportunity to win a progressive pot that is growing on each hand played and only players placing the jackpot side bet can play for the big prize. Check here what is Progressive Blackjack?

Virtual Dealer Blackjack

Today, to be honest with you, online Blackjack became very boring and just a few players are willing to play these static versions of the game. You can play live Blackjack at online casinos in the same way you can play at Las Vegas casinos. Online casinos are running their own live casino studios and in some cases, the game can be streamed live from a real brick and mortar casino.

You can have the real thrill of playing live Blackjack from a real casino using your mobile, tablet, or PC, so, why to play an online blackjack video game? Thinking this way, some casino games developers released a version of a virtual dealer Blackjack game. It is just like those virtual dealer Blackjack stations you can find at Las Vegas casinos. This version at least can make your gameplay session more dynamic. You can check more about a free-play version of virtual dealer Blackjack here.

What are the Best Casinos to play Blackjack?

Here at casinobillionaire.com you can find the best online casinos to play Blackjack. Why? Simply because I don't list ALL new online casinos to recommend you in exchange for a few bucks. No way! I only list reputable online casinos that I have good experiences and can recommend you with no fears.

Check my top 5 casino ranking: all casinos listed are online for many years, with a solid background, an excellent reputation, well established and well funded. Some casinos listed here are online since 1998. So, the answer for the question what are the best casinos to play Blackjack can be like this: any long-running online casino, online since 1998, well funded (to pay you on time), well established (to not vanish with your money), with an excellent reputation.

With so many problems with these new online casinos, I refuse to list any of them here. Most of them already ceased its operation leaving its players with no cash. So, check my top 5 casino ranking to have a high-quality gaming site for your entertainment.

Blackjack Tips

Check below three tips to improve your gameplay:

TIP #1

SCOUT THE TABLES - In the good old days, all blackjack games in a casino had the same rules. You didn't have to walk around and scout the tables to find the best game. Not so any more. Nowadays, when you walk into most casinos, you'll find single-, double-, six- and sometimes eight-deck games. The rules aren't always the same on every table, meaning you have to scout the tables to locate the best game. Here's what to look for:

Single-Deck Game - Avoid playing any single-deck games where a blackjack hand pays only 6:5 (or worse, even money). Look at the cloth layout or read the placard located somewhere on the table that states whether the game pays 6:5 or 3:2 for a blackjack. If you are not sure, simply ask the dealer before you play.

Double-Deck Game - Avoid any double-deck game that pays only 6:5 for a blackjack. Watch out for fake double-deck games, where six decks of cards are shuffled, but only two of the six decks are put into play. The best double-deck games have these rules: dealer stands on soft 17, double down after splitting pairs (das), and resplitting of aces is allowed (rsa). If the game offers only s17 and das, that's fine, too.The next best game is dealer hits 17 (h17) and das (with or without rsa). You should avoid all double-deck games that offer only hit on 17.

Six-Deck Game - The best six-deck games offer s17, das, resplit aces (ras), and surrender (Is). If a game offers only s17, das, and either rsa or IS, that's acceptable. The least desirable six-deck game has only h17 with das and either rsa or Is. Many casinos have the h17 rule on some tables and s17 on others. Scout the tables and play the s17 games. The unacceptable six-deck games have only h17 and das, or worse, only h17.

Eight-Deck Game - You definitely want the s17 rule to be in effect. If the game offers only h17, pass it up.

TIP #2

USE A STRATEGY CARD - You'll never improve your bottom line if you use intuition to play your hands, or, worse, follow the advice of a fellow player. (Dealers can't be relied upon to give the correct strategies, either).

The easiest way to play every hand perfectly is to bring along a strategy card when you play. These inexpensive cards use a color-coded table to illustrate the correct strategy for every hand. They are handy to carry, easy to use, and legal.

Here's another tip to keep in mind when you use a strategy card. Try to take a seat near the middle to the dealer's right-hand side of the table, rather than taking the first-base seat (first seat to the dealer's left). This will allow you a little bit of extra time to glance at your strategy card before you have to signal your playing decision to the dealer.

TIP #3

PLAY SLOWLY - When the house has the edge over a player, the more decisions and wagers the player makes per hour, the more the player stands to lose. Therefore, recreational blackjack players should try to minimize the number of hands they play per hour. How can you do that? For starters, play at crowded tables rather than heads-up against the dealer.

When the table contains six or seven players, the number of hands each player will be dealt per hour is a lot less than if the player plays alone against a dealer (about 60-80 hands per hour as opposed to up to 200 hands per hour). A game in which the dealer hand-shuffles the cards also adds up to fewer hands per hour. And there is a big difference in automatic shufflers. The one to avoid is the Continuous Shuffling Machine (CSM).

With a CSM, the dealer will remove the discards from each round and place them into the CSM where they are randomly mixed with the rest of the cards (usually four to six decks). The cards are continuously dealt by the dealer with a CSM. There is no pause in the action, and the casino can get about 20 percent more hands dealt per hand when using a CSM. This results in more profits for the casino and more losses for players. Don't play on any blackjack table that uses a CSM!

Source: www.smartgaming.com

Conclusion

My valuable reader, we made it to the end of this blog post to explain to you how to play Blackjack and also listing some different versions of the game. I believe this is a kind of blog post that will be updated regularly due to the high amount of information about Blackjack I have including previous blog posts, books, articles, reviews, and sure... a lot of experience playing on tables (both at online and Las Vegas casinos).

I started with the basic rules to help newbies practice the game. I also included some free-play versions of Blackjack games on demo-mode allowing you to play for fun, with no deposit required.

Then I listed the most common commands and buttons used in an online Blackjack game. I believe you have enough information to play free Blackjack games listed on this page and slowly move to the real money games. Use the video to learn more about the game and compare your strategy with how the other players are doing. The 21 game is pure excitement. Now, it's time to explore the games and practice a lot to take your gameplay to the next level. Have fun!