The Beginners Guide To Blackjack Basics By Shell Gellner.

The Object Of The Game.
The goal for the player in the game of online casino blackjack or 21 (twenty one), as it is sometimes called, is to beat the dealer. There are 2 ways to achieve this. The first is when the player has a higher total than the dealer without going over 21. The second is when the dealer's total exceeds 21 while the player is still alive or has not exceeded 21. When playing online casino blackjack, if both the player and the dealer have 21 or the same total less than 21, the hand is called a 'push' and nobody wins.

Cards And Their Values.
In the game of online casino blackjack, cards are counted at face value. In other words the 2 or deuce is worth 2 points, the 3 is worth 3 points and so on. The face cards, Jack, Queen, King are all counted as 10 points while the Ace can be counted as 1 or eleven, which ever benefits the players point total the most. Its the players choice as to how he wants to count the Ace. When the Ace is counted as 11 points the hand is called 'soft'. For example, Ace, 7 is called a soft 18. All other totals, including hands where the Ace is counted as 1, are considered 'hard', as in 10,6,Ace equals a hard 17. The dealer must count his Ace as 11 if his hand total falls between 17 and 21. Otherwise he must count the Ace as 1 point. In some casinos, the rules specify that the dealer must draw on soft 17. In these casinos the dealer's Ace will count as 1 point when combined with cards totalling 6 points, and the dealer will have to draw until he has a hand total of at least hard 17.

Busting or Breaking.
Initially, 2 cards are dealt to each player. If drawing additional cards by a particular player, results in a point total exceeding 21, then the hand is busted. Busted hands are turned up immediately as a breaking hand is considered 'lost'. Even if the dealer busts, all remaining players would beat the dealer and automatically win their bets.

Getting Blackjack.
When a player is dealt their original 2 cards and the hand includes an Ace and any 10 or face card such as a queen, jack or king, the hand is called 'blackjack' and is an automatic winner for that player and they are paid their bet at a 3 to 2 ratio. If the dealer gets blackjack, all players lose their bets. The dealer wins only the players bet, not the 3 to 2 payoff the player receives for the blackjack. If the dealer and the player both have blackjack, the hand becomes a 'push'. Blackjacks should be turned up immediatley.

Payoffs - Getting Paid.
When a player wins the hand they are paid off at even money. In other words if you were to bet $10 and you win the hand, the dealer or house would pay you $10. However, if the player has blackjack, which is a 3 to 2 payoff, you would then be paid $15. If a player chooses to double their bet the payoff would be equal to the new doubled bet. In this case, if the bet was doubled from $10 to $20, the win would be $20. Winning is just the beginning of the excitement in online casino blackjack.

Related Articles:
1. How To Play Blackjack Like A Pro And Win On The Long Run (21/06/2004)

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