Blackjack is now a common game played in virtual casinos. The game is very popular and is also appearing on mobile applications. This means that you can play or practice blackjack with your smartphone, wherever and whenever you want.
What is blackjack ?
Blackjack is a card game that appeared at the end of the 18th century under the name “21”. It is based on two games including “railway” and “French farm”. Played in Parisian casinos, it was exported to America without being very popular. In order to encourage more players to play, the casinos set up a bonus system. Those with an ace of spades and a black jack get a payout of 10 to 1. The term blackjack finds its birth with this bonus, which literally translates as “black jack” in French.
Blackjack is gradually disappearing from the radar of American and European land-based casinos. Indeed, the appearance of slot machines in casinos has contributed to this decline. At the end of the 1990s, with the Internet, virtual casinos came into being. This allowed blackjack to regain a rise in popularity. Online games allow players to enjoy the blackjack tables in a more relaxed manner. The applications are easy to use and some even advise players on game strategies.
Today many variations of the game are present on different platforms and online applications. Apart from traditional blackjack, there are other variations of this game, such as free bet blackjack, pontoon blackjack or switch blackjack. It is important to know that depending on the type of blackjack, the rules of the game can be different.
How to play Blackjack ?
To win at blackjack, perfect mastery of the rules of the game is necessary. This strategy game is a battle between the dealer and the players. It is important to know that usually the number of the latter is 7. With the different existing variants, the objective of blackjack remains the same: to beat the bank. To do so, the player must not exceed 21 points. However, the rules of this game can change depending on the variant of blackjack.
Classic blackjack can be played in one up to eight decks of 52 cards. In this game, an ace is worth 1 or 11 points depending on the player. Faces consisting of the King, Queen and Jack are worth 10 points. Other cards from 2 to 10 retain their value. The sum of the card values is the value of a hand. The most powerful hand, blackjack, is worth 21, consisting of two cards, an ace and a face card.
All players at the table lose when the dealer has blackjack. The player wins a round by holding a hand of higher value than the dealer’s hand. A tie occurs when a player and the dealer have 21 points. In this case, the player does not win anything, but gets his bet back.
After the cards have been dealt, the dealer will reveal one of his two cards, called the “open card”. The dealer turns over his closed card once all players have finished their turn. If the value of his hand is 16 or less, he will draw an additional card. If he has a hand between 17 and 21, players with lower totals lose. On the other hand, if he has a hand greater than 21, the players win the round. Players with a hand of higher value than the dealers win the round.