Basic Blackjack Odds
Most believe that black jack, 'blackjack 21' is the most popular casino game in the world. Black Jack is also the world most studied casino game and it is also the only game where you have highly variable odds / probability. Winning probabilities are changing with the changes in the card deck(s).
The cards from two to nine are in their numerical values in accordance with number (2 = 2 , 5 = 5, etc). Ten has naturally the numerical value of 10, but also all the picture cards: jack, queen and king are equal to ten. Aces, however, can be count with two different card values as either 1 or 11.
Blackjack rules
The rules of blackjack are relatively easy to learn, here is a brief recap the game flow:
Dealer always plays against player or numerous players that can play on same time, depending on the situation from one player up to seven. Each player and the dealer receive initially two cards which dealer deals. Each player plays a game only against the dealer.
If the player hand makes a total of 21(blackjack)or nearer to 21 than dealers hand, but without going over 21 – the player wins! The best possible hand is Blackjack, or 21. You have blackjack if after the first two cards you have a combination of ten or picture card plus an Ace making it twentyone(10 +11 = 21). Blackjack pays 3:2, e.g the player gets paid 3 chips on top of his bet when the bet was two chips. The bet will be due back one and a half times. If the dealer also receives a Blackjack - the game is tied and the stake will be returned. In most of the online casinos you can make insurance (against the dealers possible blackjack) bet when you get Blackjack and Dealer is showing an Ace, but this is not worth doing, because insurance is a mathematically bad solution and you will lose money on the long run using that option, as well as in the other insurance situations that the dealer offers when the dealers ace comes up.
The player can choose several options when he has received the first two cards:
1) Hit or take: take one or more cards to improve your hand
2) Stay: do not take more cards
3) Double Down: double your initial bet (Doubling when you have a benefit comparing to dealer)
4) Pair-splitting: if the cards are the same value, you can distribute them as separate rescheduled hands.
Dealers chances are more limited. Dealer must take cards until the hand is 17 or better. The Dealer shall not stand below 17 and dealer may not take more cards after receiving 17 or more. The dealer's biggest advantage is that you have to play your game before the dealer and the dealer wins every time you go over 21(bust!).
When you are playing Blackjack on live casino it is important to know how a player gives instructions on the dealer:
- Hit or Take: tap with your fingertips of your card or the table close to cards.
- Stand: wave your hand from left to right just above the cards, stretched your fingers outstretched hand palm facing down, flat disk (as if would you say no thank with that hand wave).
- Splitting: place the second bet corresponding original wager alongside your first bet, leaving aside the first contribution, please do not tap your card - the dealer delivers the cards for you.
- Doubling: place the corresponding contribution near your first bet or tightly to beside it, then dealer deals you only one additional card across your original cards.
Both the dealer and player can go over 21 points. When going over or bust Player will lose his bet immediately. Dealer always plays his hand last and this creates the "house advantage”, which is the reason why running blackjack is profitable to Casino on long run. John Scarne was the first one who calculated that house advantage in blackjack is 5.9%. In blackjack player may of course be playing much worse, raising this way the house advantage up to 10-15%. For example, hitting one more card when he already has 19 or 20!
The house advantage may be even lower than one percent when the player follows certain conditions also known as blackjack strategy. Following a perfect strategy makes blackjack one of the most fair casino games. It actually makes Blackjack almost as fair as coin-toss!
I highly recommend that you dont start playing the Blackjack game with money, until you have learned the Blackjack basic strategy, which you will find at our blackjack strategy section.
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