The best blackjack players combine skill and strategy, and, of course, they need a little luck to walk away from the table with prizes. Learning how to play blackjack like a pro is a process, but it doesn’t have to be a complicated one. To begin with, you only need to understand the basic concepts of the game. With this guide, we’re going to walk you through those concepts.
Blackjack: The Objective
Firstly, let’s touch on your primary objective. Contrary to popular belief, you’re not tasked with landing “twenty-one”. In fact, blackjack is considerably simpler than that. You merely need to beat the dealer’s hand, irrespective of what your hand is worth. Of course, the closer to twenty-one points you get, the more likely you are to win.
As we’re sure you’re aware, going over twenty-one results in an instant loss, known as a bust. Blackjack is, then, a game where you must carefully calculate the probability of busting while trying to beat the dealer’s hand.
How to Play Blackjack for Beginners: The Guide
We’ll look at more advanced strategies for seasoned blackjack veterans in other Go Spin guides. For now, if you’re new to the game, let’s touch on blackjack rules for beginners.
Before anything else, you need to place a bet. In online blackjack, you’ll find an array of chips displayed on the screen. Just drag chips to the ante betting circle on the screen to construct your bet. Once you’re happy with your stake, hit “deal” to get things moving.
The Value of the Cards
Blackjack uses full decks of cards (minus the jokers). The number of decks featured can vary from game to game. Each blackjack card is worth its own numerical value, with face cards worth ten points and aces worth either one or eleven points, depending on what you need them to be. For instance, if an eleven would see you bust, an ace would be worth one point instead. In some online blackjack games, you may be given a choice concerning the ace’s value. Choose wisely.
Basic Gameplay
After a bet has been placed, you’ll receive two cards. The dealer will also receive two, but only one of those will be visible in most games. You’ll see the value of your cards straight away. At this point, you’ll get to make one of several decisions, as detailed below.
Progressing the Game
- Hit: Take another card. The higher your total, the more likely you will bust if you hit. If you have a total worth ten or less, it’s impossible for you to bust if you hit once.
- Stand: Stick with what you’ve got. Of course, if this figure is too low, you’ll likely lose. In some games, you’ll win instantly if you have twenty-one.
- Double Down: With this option, you’ll double your original stake but only be entitled to take one more card. Some games allow you to double down on anything at all, while others are stricter in those rules.
- Split: Splitting allows you to separate your cards into two hands. You’ll then receive new cards to complete each hand but at the cost of another bet. Again, some games have specific rules for when you can split and when you cannot.
- Take Insurance: If the dealer has an ace on show, you will be invited to take Insurance. This comes at a cost. If you take Insurance and the dealer has twenty-one, you’ll win an insurance payout. If they don’t, you’ll lose your bet. Insurance isn’t recommended in most cases.
Some blackjack variants will give you additional options, including side bets and surrendering. Side bets aren’t essential to beginners (and risky to boot). Games with surrender will allow you to fold if you don’t like your hand. This will see you keep half your original stake and lose the rest. Rules surrounding when and how you can surrender vary from game to game.
Blackjack Payouts Explained
The blackjack dealer can choose to hit or stand in any blackjack game, too. The dealer will normally follow specific rules in each blackjack game, and some of those may appear on the table. For instance, the dealer may hit on a soft 17 or stand on one. Soft hands involve an ace, while hard hands do not have an ace.
Assuming neither you nor the dealer has busted or has twenty-one outright, then the hands are compared. The outcome is simple – the highest hand wins. In the event of a tie, the hands will push, and bets are returned. There are a few variants where the dealer may win ties, but that’s not common.
The amount you will receive in winnings will vary based on the outcome of the blackjack game. In most cases, payouts work like so:
| Hand | Payout |
| Blackjack (21) | 3:2 |
| The Player Wins (with any hand other than 21) | 1:1 |
| The Dealer Wins | Lose |
| Insurance (the dealer has 21, and the player has taken Insurance) | 2:1 |
| Push (Tie) | Bets Returned |
Top Blackjack Variants for Beginners
When learning how to play blackjack, the rules we’ve already covered will serve you well. They are applicable to most versions of the game. However, there are also a few variants which introduce rule changes. While there are many you can consider, we’ve chosen to focus on the five most common ones below. Here is how they differ from the rules we’ve already covered.
European Blackjack
European Blackjack prevents players from splitting 4s, 5s or 10s, and the dealer won’t check for blackjack if a 10 or ace is on show. Dealers stand on soft 17s but draw on 16s. You are entitled to double down after you’ve split. Six decks are used.
Classic Blackjack
In Classic Blackjack, splitting is only possible with pairs, and if you split aces, you’re only entitled to one more card on each hand. Up to eight 52-card decks are used, the dealer stands on soft 17s, and insurance is offered. The game may also be called American Blackjack.
Blackjack Switch
Between six and eight decks are used in this variant. Blackjack Switch is so-called because it allows you to swap cards between multiple hands. You need to place two bets. You can double on any two cards and double after a split, but there are consequences for having the ability to switch cards between hands. This is offset by the dealer being able to push (tie) with 22 (unless the player has blackjack), and winning with blackjack pays 1:1 instead of 3:2.
Vegas Strip Blackjack
A popular variant with online casino players, in Vegas Strip Blackjack, the dealer hits on soft 17; players can double down before or after splitting, with splitting up to three hands possible (for a total of four hands). Aces can only be split once. The dealer will peak for blackjack on 10s and aces if they appear in their hand, and generally, at least four decks are used.
Double Exposure
In Double Exposure, both of the dealer’s cards are visible from the start. This is quite an advantage, one that naturally gives you an edge and removes insurance from the game. However, to offset that, the dealer wins all ties save for blackjack. Blackjack wins pay even money (1:1), and you’re limited to a single split.
Go Spin’s 10 Blackjack Tips for Beginners
If you’ve followed our Go Spin blackjack beginners guide up to now, you’ll have a great understanding of the basics. Before you dive into gameplay, though, allow our experts to provide you with a few more handy hints and ten top blackjack tips. Bear in mind the following before hitting the blackjack tables at your favourite online casino:
- #1 Basic Strategy charts exist for most games. Find one for the variant you’re playing. They will tell you the best move to make based on what’s on the table.
- #2 Basic Strategy generally involves standing on 12s through 16s if the dealer has 2 to 6 and hitting if you have 12 to 16 against the dealer’s 7 to ace (11).
- #3 Avoid using positive, progression betting systems such as the Martingale. They see you double your stake when you lose, and if you go on a losing streak, you’ll go bankrupt easily.
- #4 Never split two face cards. You’ve got twenty, which is a great position to be in whatever blackjack game you’re playing.
- #5 If you want to double down, it’s only really worth doing so on 10s or 11s, as your chance of landing a high-ranking hand is good, especially in multi-deck games.
- #6 Always split aces and 8s if you’ve got the option. You’re increasing your chances of success.
- #7 If you have aces through sixes, then it is definitely worth hitting and may even be worth doubling down, as it’s impossible for you to bust.
- #8 As you might expect, never bet money you can’t afford. That’s gambling 101.
- #9 Go Spin recommends avoiding Insurance bets. It’s a mug’s game. The probability of success likely won’t be with you, even if an ace is peeking out.
- #10 Always play online (RNG) blackjack games for free as demos before risking your own cash. These give you the opportunity to learn and practice ahead of time. This is particularly handy if you fancy playing some of the blackjack variants discussed above.
