Blackjack card games have been played for many years, and with the convenience of online gaming, Blackjack is now available in online casinos. But before you start playing online, there are a few rules that you have to follow to be on the safe side.
The Rules Of The Online Blackjack Card Game
Blackjack is one of the most played card games in both online and land-based casinos. However, when the game was adopted for online casinos, a few adjustments were necessary to allow compatibility with the live dealer features. If you want to know the basic rules about playing Blackjack online, this article covers the most essential ones.
Card values: In online Blackjack, number cards from 2 to 10 have face values. The value of J, Q, and K is 10, and Aces are valued at 1 or 11. The value of the Ace is always 11, and anything else would lead to the hand going beyond 21, specifically when the value is 1. All hands with an 11 value Ace are called ‘soft’ hands, and the others will be ‘hard’ hands.
Dealing the cards: Once players have placed their bets, the dealer hands each of them a card facing up starting from the player to the dealer’s left, and the dealer keeps one card facing up. The dealer issues cards again facing up clockwise to each player, this time keeping one card facing down. Most online casino deal cards face up so that players do not touch any cards, unlike before where cards were dealt facing down, and players were allowed to hold them.
Naturals: If the first two cards dealt with a player are the Ace and “10-card”, giving a value of 2021, this will be counted as a natural or “Blackjack.” If a player gets a natural and the dealer lacks any, the dealer will have to pay the player one and a half times their wager amount on the bet.
If a dealer has a natural, they gather all players’ bets without naturals, with no additional amount. If a player and the dealer both have naturals, the chance is declared a stand-off (a tie). The player will have to take back his chips if this happens.
If the dealer’s card with the face-up is an ace or a ten, they check the card facing down to confirm if the two cards will make a natural. If the card facing up is neither a ten nor an ace, the dealer does not look at the card facing down until their turn to play comes.
Gameplay: The player on the dealer’s left side plays first and decides to “stand” or “hit.” If a player “stands,” they will hold onto the two cards initially dealt with them. If they choose to “hit,” they will ask for an additional card until when they get a total of 21 or under or get a “bust” (over 21).
If the score is 21 and below, the player loses their bet, and the dealer collects their money. The dealer will move to the next player in the sequence and repeat the same process.
Dealer’s play: After serving every player, the dealer at the online casino will turn the card facing down to face up. If the total of both cards is 17 and above, the dealer stands. A total of 16 and below means the dealer has to take one card after the other until the score reaches 17 or beyond where they need to stand.
If a dealer has an ace card valued at 11 that would bring the total to 17 or more without reaching 21, the dealer must stand and count the Ace as 11. Whatever the dealer decides will automatically apply to all plays, and the player can take more cards.
Bet settlement: Once an online casino collects bets made by a player, they cannot be returned. The dealer has an advantage if the player goes first. If a player goes bust on the first play or the dealer goes bust, the player loses their Blackjack bet.
If the dealer has a total going over 21, then they must pay each player with the same bet amount as the player. If the dealer’s total is 21 or below, the dealer pays out all players with higher totals not exceeding 21 and collects wagers from players with less than 21.
If you have ever played on-site Blackjack at a casino, you will likely find it easy to transition to online card games. Following these basic rules will improve your user experience in online casinos, thus allowing you to win more money.