Blackjack , we love it :-)
Written by User1 Tuesday, 30 June 2009 14:38
BlackjackBlackjack is by far the most popular game offered in casinos today, we agree...
The game’s main premise is to have a hand closer to 21 then that of the dealer without going over. The card’s suits have no value, as the hand’s value pertains to the sum total of the cards.The card values are as follows: the ace is either one or 11, as the player will not need to specify the value during the course of the game. Some players call a hand containing the “Ace” card as being “soft” because of the unknown quantity of the hand’s value. Two through 10 are their numerical card values, and all face cards (Jack, Queen, and King) are valued at 10.
Try to play at a blackjack table that has a betting limit to your liking. Look for the minimum and maximum bet limits on the table that fit your budget before sitting down and playing. Beginning players should look for a table that uses 6-8 decks of cards and that also deals them face-up. This will allow you to ask questions on strategic moves, as casinos considered this table to be less competitive than others.
Once you become more experience at playing blackjack, you may want to switch to a table that plays with fewer decks. This enhances your chance of winning.
Before each hand, place your bet in front of you. Place the larger value chips at the bottom of your stack. Never touch the chips after folding your hand, as the dealer will move around the table to pay the winning players and collect the chips from losing ones.
In the initial deal, everyone at the table will have two cards in front of them. After looking at their cards, the dealer will then turn them over and show the value to everyone at the table. The first seat to the dealer’s left will begin play.
Casinos have mandated rules on how a dealer will play their hand; this includes standing on all hands adding up to 17. This is a common rule for all casinos, as the dealer will continue to take cards until their total hits 17 or greater. Some casinos will authorized their dealers to hit on a “soft” 17, as this includes a hand of (ace, six), (ace, five, ace), (ace, two, four) but the dealer must stand on a “soft” 18 or higher.
If you hear your winning hand being referred to as a “natural” blackjack, this means hitting 21 on the first two cards that were dealt to you. Some casinos will pay immediately after the cards are turned over. A “natural” blackjack often pays off 3:2 odds to the winner.
The term “surrender” offers a player a chance to fold their hand for a return of half their bet, as this provides insurance prior to the dealer checking their hand for blackjack.
“Double down” allows a player to double their bet by adding only one card to their original hand. Most players will use this strategy when holding an eleven and the dealer is showing only a five. The percentages would be in your favor to win the hand.
Blackjack players, who are dealt identical cards, will split the cards into two separate hands. Most players believe this is a great opportunity to improve on a bad hand. And most casinos will let you to split aces, but you are allowed only to add one card to the aces your holding.
