Blackjack is most commonly known as 21 and is considered the most popular table game among casino enthusiasts. The game is believed to be simple and quick to understand since it has no complicated strategies. But it features a combination of fun strategies and activities that can give you a fun betting experience. Irish players can opt for a blackjack game, either a virtual game against the computer system or a live dealer in the Irish casinos.
In this article, you will learn about the features of the online blackjack games, the steps for playing blackjack online and its ABCs to guide you throughout the blackjack online game.
Latest update 17 February 2023
Though online blackjack has no complex rules, some rules should be noted carefully. This section will give you an idea of the blackjack rules and best blackjack strategy for how you can win the game.
When you start playing online blackjack, the dealer shuffles the cards. Only then can the players place a bet on the blackjack table. After the stakes are placed, the dealer will deal two cards to himself and the players. After that, they will deal with the face-up cards in their first round.
In the second round, the dealer will deal another face-up card to himself and the players, which will be facedown this time. Again, the cards will be revealed when the players decide to check if the player’s hand beats the dealer’s hand and vice versa.
The blackjack aims to beat the dealer. So, the player has to score 21 or close to 21 without getting over.
The player will only win if the dealer’s hand is lower than the player’s or if he must have a value greater than 21.
Each blackjack card has its own card value. It helps each hand to score 21 or to get closer to this value. The face cards, such as Jack, King, and Queen, have a value of 10, while the aces have a value of 1 or 11, which depends on the situation of the cards when dealt with.
Other cards in the blackjack from 2 to 10 are worth their face value. That means card 2 has a face value of 2, while 3 has a face value of 3, 4 is worth four and so on. So, when you have a card worth seven and six, you have cards worth 13. But, the Ace card and any cards with ten as their value will be counted as 21, known as natural.
Thus, it is called “Blackjack”. You should aim for blackjack with a hand value of 21 and must be higher than the dealer, but it should stay under 21.
Naturally, when the player’s hand gets the blackjack, it wins, and the game instantly goes to the next round. However, if the same goes for the dealer’s hand or if the dealer’s hand reveals the blackjack, the player loses.
But, in some cases, the player and the dealer’s hand might score the same value or receive blackjack. In this case, it will be a tie commonly known as a push. If this occurs, the players will get their stake back.
But, if there is no blackjack or a tie after the first two rounds of the game are over, the player’s hand gets a chance to make some decisions to move forward in the game, such as it can hit, stand, double down, split or surrender.
Hit is the most common decision the player can make when they believe that their total score cannot beat the dealer. So, it can hit. That means the player wants the dealer to add one more to the player’s hand in order to score 21 or score closer to it. This can be done multiple times before you can stand or bust.
When you have a pair of two cards that have the same value, you can split them into two separate cards using the split feature. After that, you have the chance to play with each of the hands independently. That means you can place a new bet equal to the original bet on the new hand.
You can again split it into another hand when you receive another pair on any of the hands. It will result in three hands. Remember that many online casinos limit the splits that the player can make in a single blackjack round.
You should also note that a split hand cannot form a blackjack even though it has a card with the value of 10 and an Ace card. So though it will be counted as 21, it won’t be considered a natural blackjack.
When the dealer has a blackjack, the players can protect themselves by opting for the insurance option. When the dealer’s faceup card shows an ace, the players get an option to place an insurance bet. It is typically betting half the amount of the original bet. If the dealer has a blackjack, the player placing the insurance will receive a 2-to-1 payout on the stake.
Surrender is the decision the players can opt for when they think they have a small chance of winning the game.
“Stand” in blackjack means that the player is satisfied with the cards they have and does not want any more cards or does not want to make another decision. When the player stands, the dealer will show the facedown card to declare the winner based on the score of both hands.
We recommend you stand if you think your hand has enough score to beat the dealer’s hand. Another reason you can opt to stand is that you have a chance of busting if you draw another card.
Double down is another decision that can be made by the players while playing online blackjack. When the dealer deals the first two cards, you will find the option of “Double Down”. When you use the double-down option, your initial bet amount will double. At this time, the dealer will add an extra card to your hand. As soon as you double down, the hand will auto-stand, and it is when the dealer will reveal its hand. Unlike the 3-to-2 payoff, the double-down option brings about a 2-to1 payoff on the total amount of the doubled bet.
The dealer has to follow a set of rules known as the Soft 17 rule. It is the rule that changes the way the dealer plays. It also impacts the player’s strategy and house edge.
Generally, the Soft 17 is referred to the blackjack hand having 17 points with an Ace that counts either 1 or 11. This rule can appear in many ways. For example, the player can have the Ace-6 hand, Ace-Ace-5 hand, Ace-3-3 hand, Ace-2-2-2 hand etc. But the Ace should be counted as 1 or 11.
You will have a display on the table layout to know what the Soft17 of the blackjack is. When you see “Dealer Hits Soft17”, the dealer should hit Soft17 while it reads “Dealer must stand on 17 and draw to 16”. The dealer should stand on the Soft 17 rule.
You have seen the rules that you can play blackjack online, or it operates. So, in this section, we will highlight the steps that will guide you on how you can play blackjack like a pro:
In blackjack, you will come across many strategies; one strategy will try to offset losses during a losing streak. It is done by doubling down till the win materialises. Other strategies increase the wager amount after the player wins and go back to the original bet when the player loses.
In blackjack, you will find the enthusiast even going to the extent of counting the cards at land-based casinos.
So, in this section, we will discuss some of the popular strategies used while playing blackjack:
Oscar’s betting system gives the strategy to try and win one betting unit at a time when the player starts a gaming round with a specific unit (bet size). Then, when the player wins, it adds another unit. But, when the player loses, the next bet will be precisely the same as the betting, like the initial one.
For instance, if you start a blackjack round with a 20 EUR bet using the Oscar system when you win, you will keep increasing the bet size by 10 EUR. But, when you lose a hand, you will return to the 10 EUR and start it as the next bet. So it will continue till you have reached the goal you have set.
The Manhattan strategy, commonly known as 2-1-2, is another strategy used in the online blackjack game. With this strategy, you can take advantage of the winning streaks while playing blackjack online.
Using a 2-1-2 strategy, the players can start the blackjack first round with a 2-unit bet. This means the players can decide how much one betting unit can be. So, when you win, you can reduce the wager by one unit.
The players can increase the bet by one unit after they win the second time, which makes it two units. Then, you can increase your stake by another unit when you win the fourth time. This system will stop when you lose a hand. After that, you will go back to the same two-unit bet. Then you will have to continue with the same pattern.
The system is the most popular negative progression betting system. In this system, the players are allowed to avoid a loss, such as in even money bets; they can double their wagers after each loss.
Though in theory, this strategy seems the best, in practice, this strategy is difficult to use since blackjack is not an even money game. So, it makes it difficult for the players to see the return that the games like roulette offer.
In addition, losing streaks of ten hands or more in this game is common. That means advancing your game with this option may not be the best idea if you aren’t using your big bankroll. For example, if you are starting your bet with 10 EUR and lose the game eight times using this system, that means you are down 2,250 EUR while you have to wager 2,160 on the round to move forward into the game. Furthermore, if you have no bankroll left till that point, you will lose for sure.
In each playing position, the players are dealt two cards while playing the blackjack switch. They are allowed to switch the top of the two cards of each hand. The difference is that they pay 1:1 instead of the 3:2 natural blackjack. In addition, it does not allow busting but a hard 22 for the dealer that pushes all the player’s hands except a natural blackjack.
Atlantic City Blackjack offers its players one suitable feature since it reduces the house edge. For instance, in this version, the deal has to stand on a soft 17; they can also check if they have blackjack on ten-value cards and aces. If the dealer finds that it does not have blackjack, it helps players save money as they only lose their initial bet and do not push on by splitting or doubling down. They also get the opportunity to split throughout the game.
Progressive blackjack has the same rules guiding the conventional one. The major difference is that blackjack is a game with a network of players where the players are required to contribute the payout. The prize pool increases continuously till any player hits the jackpot.
Vegas Strip Blackjack follows the same rule as the other variations, where it has to beat the dealer to 21. It also allows some rules for the players and the dealer, such as the players can double down on the initial hands and split where they can split up to 4 hands while the dealer stands on soft 17 and peek for blackjack. This version combines the traditional blackjack ambience and a Vegas casino.
This variation of blackjack ensures to keep the players from losing badly. In fact, it is a side bet on the dealer getting a blackjack. The players get the insurance offer when the dealer has an Ace as an up-card. If taken, the dealer gets blackjack and pays out on 2/1; if not, the stake is lost.
Spanish 21 is also known as the Australian Pontoon. This blackjack is played without the 10s and has other dealer restrictions that reduce the house edge by 33%.
The gameplay and the rules of European blackjack are almost identical to the standard classic blackjack version. But some minor differences follow: They are
You might also find European blackjack different since it varies from casino to casino. However, all the European blackjack features some of the general standout features such as:
Note that pontoon and classic blackjack come from the same ancestor. While playing Pontoon, players should remember that two cards making 21 are the best hand; it is a move known as Pontoon which is followed by a Five Card Trick. This trick reveals that even if the player has five cards and does not count 21 in total, they win. Another feature that differentiates Pontoon and other blackjack versions are that two of the dealer’s cards are face down, not one. It makes it difficult to know what number the dealer has got.
Multihand allows the players to play up to four hands simultaneously. Thus it makes the best option for experienced players. Most online casinos offer multi-hand Blackjack with six decks of cards, while the rest use eight. Thus it allows the players to play safe, also giving you the flexibility to be more aggressive towards others.
In double exposure blackjack, the dealer faces up its two cards at the initial stage of the game, which is visible to the players making them more strategic. But, some rules favour the dealer as well. And the house edge of the double exposure blackjack is also higher than the classic blackjack.
Double attack blackjack combines the best features of the Pontoon and the Blackjack. When dealing with the dealer’s face-up card is over, the players are allowed to double their stake. However, you can still split or double afterwards. This variety comes with insurance, so it provides players with useful gaming options.
This option lets the players surrender their defeat even before the game ends. If the player loses the game, they have a loss of the entire bet. However, if they opt for blackjack surrender, they can still save their 50% stake while the other 50% will be forfeited.
Initially, the hardcore players saw this option as a “sucker bet” as they wondered why they would surrender if they had the chance to win the game. However, this option lets you lose half and walk blindly with a bad hand. If any player uses surrender wisely, it cuts the house edge by 0.1%. It might not be much, but it adds up anyway.
American blackjack play, also known as classic blackjack, is the most popular among blackjack enthusiasts. You will find some incredible features in this classic blackjack, such as:
When browsing online casinos, you may have noticed that most sites allow gamblers to play online blackjack for free. This may be called “Free Play”, “Demo Mode”, or some variation of the theme. So, does this mean you can play free blackjack games online? Well, the answer lies somewhere in a grey area of online casino regulation.
This practically means that you must first sign up to the blackjack casino and verify your account before playing free online blackjack games. So, the answer about whether you can play free blackjack games is you can, but with some obvious caveats. Of course, there are plenty of other things you should consider before choosing to play free blackjack:
Online casinos are designed to entertain players, but they are also supposed to make money for the casino operator. The way casinos make a profit is by giving themselves a slight advantage during casino games. This built-in statistical advantage that every casino game has is called the house edge.
The outcome of every casino game, including blackjack, comprises two components: the house edge and return-to-player (RTP). The RTP is the percentage of total wagers paid back to players in winnings, while the house edge is the portion of wagers that the casino keeps as profit. When looking at blackjack, the RTP and house edge differ depending on the variation you are playing:
These figures vary across different blackjack variations, including live blackjack tables, and can even differ depending on the software developer. Any reputable blackjack casino should make its house edge available to players, while all online blackjack games should display their RTP.
In online casinos, you will see a term called wagering requirement, which means you have to roll your funds for a specific time to cash out your winnings when you receive an online casino bonus. If you do not wager your bonus funds within the given period of time, you might end up forfeiting your funds. However, remember that blackjack has an exceptionally high RTP rate, so it only sometimes counts 100% towards completing wagering requirements.
For instance, if a casino offers a 200% match deposit welcome bonus of up to €500, you will have to deposit the funds and play through 20 times to cash out the bonus money. When you make a €250 deposit, you will receive €500 in bonus credit which you have to play through 50 times, completing in 21 days.
Blackjack counts 10%, while slots and scratch cards count 100% towards completing the requirement. Thus it is required to play through blackjack 500 times and to place €250,000 wagers on a €500 bonus on both live blackjack games and virtual blackjack games before you can cash out the funds.
To conclude, since it is exciting and fun, blackjack is one of the most popular casino games among casino enthusiasts. Moreover, it is considered simple since all the variants of the game use all the basic rules and gameplay that are easy to learn.
However, it might be an overwhelming experience for new blackjack players. We recommend you take some time to understand the rules of the games and then apply them while playing. You can also play free blackjack games before trying out real money games so that you can practice blackjack before you risk your money from the game.
Yes, players can play various blackjack variants for real money at any online casino. You can check out the casino sites such as Miami Dice Casino, SpinAway Casino, Casumo Casino, etc.
Blackjack, slots and roulette games are extremely popular in Irish casinos. So, these games are available in almost all the casino sites in Ireland.
If you wish to play blackjack for real money, you must create an account with the best Irish casino site. Creating an account is easy and quick, after which you can deposit to claim your blackjack bonus and start playing either the live blackjack or the virtual one.
Irish players can play live dealer games in Irish casinos since it is extremely safe. It is because of its latest encryption technology and other security measures that the reputed casinos use to make them extremely safe for Irish players.
Almost all Irish casinos use PayPal as the widely accepted method to transact money while playing blackjack. However, always check their terms and conditions to know if your casino site offers PayPal payments.
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