Your Guide to Online Blackjack 2023

Historians and gambling experts are still debating Blackjack's exact origins. However, they can all agree that it developed into something close to its current form in the French casinos of the early 18th century. "Vingt-et-Un", literally "21," was derived from popular card games such as Chemin de Fer and French Ferme. As the story goes, French colonists brought the game to North America, which developed into what we now know as Blackjack.

Like French Fries (Belgian origin), Blackjack's beginnings were likely in a different place and a different century. The first written reference to the game is found in a book by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes (he of Don Quixote fame). His description of a game called "Ventiuna" (again, "21") being played by gamblers in Seville at the beginning of the 17th century suggests that the French and Spanish games have common origins.
So, where did it begin? We can't know for sure, but there are a few popular theories: one is that it began with the Romans, who bet on a game with wooden blocks of varying numerical values. Another is that it emerged from ancient China, India, and Egypt, where we know the original card games were played.

Whatever the origin, it was in the good old US of A that Blackjack (or Twenty-One as it was initially) known took off. When 21 was first played in the States, casinos offered bonus payouts such as 10 to 1 if a player's hand consisted of the ace of spades and a "blackjack" (either jack of clubs or jack of spades). The bonus eventually disappeared from the scene by the name "Blackjack" stuck, although its meaning changed to refer to any hand of an ace plus ten or face card.

Blackjack's big opportunity came in 1931 when Nevada (who else!) became the first state in the union to legalize gambling. As casinos popped up in Las Vegas and all around the state, Blackjack's modern rules were drawn up, and it became one of the most popular casino games - rivaled only by a couple of others, such as poker and roulette.
Today, the game is enjoying another resurgence thanks to the online gambling era. Since the mid-1990s, online gamblers worldwide have been enjoying this simple game formerly known as 21. Nevada is again leading the way in the US by legalizing intrastate online gambling - with Blackjack at the forefront.

Like most card games, Blackjack is rich with its glossary of terms. Below are the most important words you will need to know, including those representing the player's options after the cards are dealt.

Blackjack: There are two literal meanings: the first is that it is the name of the card game itself; the second is that this is what you call the best possible hand, consisting of an ace and a card valued at 10 (10, or face cards Jack, Queen and King).

Bust: Cards totaling over 21, which translates to an automatic loss.

Double Down: Players may increase their initial bet by up to 100% (double) in exchange for agreeing to stand down after receiving an extra card. Their double-down bet is placed with the original bet. Note that some Blackjack operators allow players to increase their bet by less than 100%, while others only allow 100% exactly. To request a "double-down", players place their extra chips beside their original bet and point to it with one finger to get the dealer's attention.

Hit: Refers to taking another card from the dealer. Players can request a "hit" by tapping the table, waving their hand toward their body or scraping the cards against the table.

Holecard: The dealer's second card, which is dealt facedown and not revealed until players have made decisions on their hands.

Insurance: If the dealer has an ace, the player may take "insurance" before the dealer reveals his hole card. Insurance pays the player 2:1, and covers for the loss of the original bet.

Push: A tie between player and dealer.

Soft: A hand that includes an ace valued at 11 (rather than being valued at 1).

Split: If a player's first two cards have the same value, they are permitted to split them into two separate hands by making a second bet equal to the value of the first. The dealer separates the two cards and draws an extra card for each. The player then plays out two separate hands simultaneously. Casino rules vary on how ten-value cards are treated following a "split", so make sure to check that you know the rules at your establishment of choice. The signal is universal though: place the additional chips next to the original bet (but outside the betting box, for land-based casinos) and point with two fingers spread apart to indicate they are "split".

Stand: Means the player will not take more cards. Also known as "stay" or "stick", the player indicates a "Stand" by waving their hand sideways (as you would to say "no") or by placing the cards under their chips.

Surrender: Some casinos offer this fifth option, which allows a player to stand down at a certain point and collect cashback on half their bet.

Upcard: The card the dealer has facing up.

The most basic principle of Blackjack is that the player and dealer compete to see which can achieve a hand value closer to 21 without actually exceeding 21. Players seated next to you at a Blackjack table - whether at a land-based or online casino - are of no concern to you. Your hand is playing only against the dealer's hand, and your only aim is to beat him.
Cards are valued: Numbered cards from 2-9 are all taken at face value. The 10, Jack, Queen, and King (face cards) are all valued at 10. An ace is valued at either 1 or 11 - you do not need to declare which of the two values you would like it to have, as it is always assumed to have the more favorable of the two.
At the beginning of each game, players place their bets in the "betting box." Each box is dealt an initial hand of two cards, both facing up. Next, the dealer deals himself two cards - the first card always faces up, but in "hole card" games, the second faces down.

The player wins money by building a card value higher than the dealer's but does not "bust" 21. After the cards have been dealt, players must elect to "hit," "stand," "double," or "split" their cards (see terminology above). Once all players have finished, the dealer draws cards until his hand busts or achieves a value of 17 or higher. The dealer can only hit or stand - they cannot double, split or surrender. If the dealer busts or stands with a lower total value than the player/s, the player/s win. In the event of a tie, the player's bet is returned.

The best possible scenario for a player is to hit "blackjack" on their initial hand. Blackjack is 21 on the first two cards, made up of an Ace (value 11) and any ten-valued card (10 or face cards). Casino rules vary, but usually, a Blackjack is paid out at higher odds of 3:2.

One of the reasons Blackjack is so popular is that it is so straightforward. There are many methods for those who study intermediate and advanced strategy, many of them made famous by movies such as "21" with Kevin Spacey.

New players should always get a grip on basic strategy before playing. Because of the finite nature of statistical probability, the following rules are universal (it can vary slightly depending on who you are talking to and their maths professor). They are based on a game played with a single deck, where the dealer has an upcard and a hole card, and the casino does not allow doubling down after pair splitting. The number on the left-hand side is the value of your first two cards, and the information on the right is the basic strategy you should choose depending on the dealer's upcard.

5-8: Hit.

9: Hit. Or double when dealer's upcard is 3-6.

10: Hit. Or double on 2-9.

11: Hit on Ace. Double on everything else.

12: Hit. Or stand on 4-6.

13-16: Hit. Or stand on 2-6.

17-21: Stand.

A, 2 to A, 5: Hit. Or double on 3-6.

A, 6: Hit. Or double on 2-6.

A, 7: Hit on 9-A. Stand on 2, 7 or 8. Double on 3-6.

A, 8: Stand. Or double on 6.

A, 9: Stand.

A, 10: Congratulations, Blackjack!

A, A: Split.

2,2 or 3,3: Hit. Or split on 2-7.

4,4: Hit. Or Split on 5-6.

5,5: Hit. Or double on 2-9.

6,6: Hit. Or split on 2-6.

7,7: Hit. Or split on 2-7.

8,8: Split.

9,9: Stand on 7, 10 or A. Split in all other cases.

10,10: Stand.