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Blackjack Online
Introduction to Blackjack Online
Blackjack, also known in many parts of the world as ‘twenty one’, is without a doubt the most popular casino banking game in the world. First introduced in the 17th century, Blackjack pits you and other contenders against the house with the blackjack for beginners to get your hand as close as possible to 21 without going over.
Featuring a game dynamic that manages to combine both skill and luck, Blackjack’s great popularity comes not only from its highly entertaining and fast paced gameplay, but also the great deal of control it allows players over the results of their play – much larger than most other casino games. With a general understanding of the game and some basic strategy, Blackjack offers some of the best odds you will find in any table game.
If you are new to the game, you’ll be happy to learn that Live Casino Blackjack– despite its seemingly complex gameplay – is actually a very simple game to learn, making it a perfect pastime for both newcomers and veteran card game aficionados.
Here at Viking Slots we are huge fans of all things Blackjack, offering players plenty of different Blackjack options they can chose from, including our fantastic Live Blackjack which allows you and other real players to compete against a real life dealer. Viking Slots also offers Free Blackjack tables, allowing players to practice their game before they head over to the real money tables.
If you are looking to try your hand at Blackjack Online, your friends at Viking Slots have put together a Blackjack guide that will walk you through everything you need to feel like a seasoned pro by the time you hit our Online Blackjack tables!
Playing Online Blackjack at Viking Slotsetting Started
Playing Blackjack Online tables with Viking Slots is easy! Sign up today and start playing within minutes by following these 3 simple steps:
- Create an account with Viking Slots
- Click on the ‘Casino Games’ option on our menu, and find the Online Blackjack or Live Blackjack variant that you want to try out first.
- Click on the game and start playing!
Viking Slots’s Online Blackjack games are available to play for free without the need to make a deposit. Playing Blackjack for free will allow you to get familiarized with the basic concepts of the game without any pressure, and get as much practice as you want.
Once you are ready to begin your full gaming experience, make a deposit using any of our simple deposit methods and give yourself a chance to beat the dealer to 21 for real money prizes!
Viking Slots also offers players the chance to play Live Blackjack at our Live Dealer Casino, where real live dealers are broadcasting from our studios. Available for real money, our Live Blackjack allows you to join other live players at the Blackjack table in your quest to beat the house and score some big wins.
The main objective of Online Blackjack is to draw a hand consisting of 2 or more cards whose added value is as close as possible to 21 without going over. Your hand will compete against the dealer’s hand, and whoever is closest to 21 without going over will be the winner. If your hand beats the dealer’s hand or the dealer goes over, you will get back double your initial bet amount.
At the beginning of each hand each player will receive two cards, with the added value of both cards resulting in each player’s hand total. Once the action is on you, you can choose to try and improve your hand by requesting an additional card – called Hitting – or you can choose to Stand with your current hand total and end your turn.
You are allowed to hit as many times as you wish, however if your hand total goes over 21 your hand will Bust, and you will lose your bet.
When your initial two card hand value equals 21 from the start, you have what is called a Blackjack. Blackjacks are automatic wins and will pay out your bet at 3 to 2 odds – unless the dealer also hits a Blackjack as well, in which case your hand will Push and your bet will be returned to you.
In most variations of Blackjack, the dealer must stand on 17 or over and hit on 16 or under.
If your initial two cards are of the same value you will be given the option to place a second bet and Split the pair into two separate hands, with each one receiving an additional card. Each of these hands will now be played completely separately from each other.
If your initial two card value is less than 11 and you want to be bold with your play, you can chose to Double Down. To do this, you will double the size of your original wager and be given one single additional card (often times face down), and concluding your turn. This move is best used when you feel like you have a good chance of getting a good hand with just one additional card, or feel like the dealer is going to bust.
Card Values
The game of Blackjack is usually played using between one and eight 52 card decks. Every card in the deck consists has a value that will be added with that of other cards in the attempt to reach 21 without going over.
- All cards from 2-10 represent their face value.
- All Jacks, Queens and Kings have a value of 10.
- Aces can be valued at either 1 or 11.
The value of an ace will be whichever is most helpful for the player that receives it. The ace’s ability to be valued at two different numbers creates two different types of hands you can have:
Hard Hands –Hard hands consist of any two cards that are not ace. When hard hands have a value of 12 or more and you hit, you are in danger of going over 21 and busting.
Soft Hands – Soft hands consist of two cards in which at least one of them in an ace. Even if your initial hand value is 12 or over, it is impossible for you to bust with your first hit on soft hands. If your hand was to exceed 21 on the first hit, the Ace would simply go from being valued at 11 to being valued at 1, giving you the chance to improve a weak hand without risk.
How To Play Blackjack
The main objective of Online Blackjack is to draw a hand consisting of 2 or more cards whose added value is as close as possible to 21 without going over. Your hand will compete against the dealer’s hand, and whoever is closest to 21 without going over will be the winner. If your hand beats the dealer’s hand or the dealer goes over, you will get back double your initial bet amount.
At the beginning of each hand each player will receive two cards, with the added value of both cards resulting in each player’s hand total. Once the action is on you, you can choose to try and improve your hand by requesting an additional card – called Hitting – or you can choose to Stand with your current hand total and end your turn.
You are allowed to hit as many times as you wish, however if your hand total goes over 21 your hand will Bust, and you will lose your bet.
When your initial two card hand value equals 21 from the start, you have what is called a Blackjack. Blackjacks are automatic wins and will pay out your bet at 3 to 2 odds – unless the dealer also hits a Blackjack as well, in which case your hand will Push and your bet will be returned to you.
In most variations of Blackjack, the dealer must stand on 17 or over and hit on 16 or under.
If your initial two cards are of the same value you will be given the option to place a second bet and Split the pair into two separate hands, with each one receiving an additional card. Each of these hands will now be played completely separately from each other.
If your initial two card value is less than 11 and you want to be bold with your play, you can chose to Double Down. To do this, you will double the size of your original wager and be given one single additional card (often times face down), and concluding your turn. This move is best used when you feel like you have a good chance of getting a good hand with just one additional card, or feel like the dealer is going to bust.
Card Values
The game of Blackjack is usually played using between one and eight 52 card decks. Every card in the deck consists has a value that will be added with that of other cards in the attempt to reach 21 without going over.
- All cards from 2-10 represent their face value.
- All Jacks, Queens and Kings have a value of 10.
- Aces can be valued at either 1 or 11.
The value of an ace will be whichever is most helpful for the player that receives it. The ace’s ability to be valued at two different numbers creates two different types of hands you can have:
Hard Hands
Hard hands consist of any two cards that are not ace. When hard hands have a value of 12 or more and you hit, you are in danger of going over 21 and busting.
Soft Hands
Soft hands consist of two cards in which at least one of them in an ace. Even if your initial hand value is 12 or over, it is impossible for you to bust with your first hit on soft hands. If your hand was to exceed 21 on the first hit, the Ace would simply go from being valued at 11 to being valued at 1, giving you the chance to improve a weak hand without risk.
Blackjack Terms
While Blackjack is a simple game to play, newcomers to the game might feel somewhat intimidated by the huge variety of terms associated with the game. With that in mind, lets take a look at some of the terminology you will need to know before playing the game.
Blackjack Table features
Chip Tray – Otherwise known as the bank, this is where the dealer/banker stores its chips that it collects from/pays out to players.
Shoe – An open box used to store and deal the cards during the game.
Discard Tray – The discarded cards from each hand will be placed in the discard tray until the next shuffle.
Betting Squares – The spot where a player can place his bet and receive a hand to play with.
First Base – The first betting square to act in each hand.
Third Base –The last betting square to act before the dealer.
Types of Actions
Hit
Requests an additional card whose value will be added to your hand total.
Stand
Ends your turn, locking your hand value and passing the action to the player on your left.
Double
Doubling down allows you to double the size of your original bet and ask for a single additional card.
Split
If you receive two cards of identical value you can choose to split them into two individual hands, with each one being paired with a new card. To do this you will place an additional bet on the side for the second hand. Both hands will be played completely separately from each other after the split.
Surrender
If you are stuck in a hand where you believe you will lose no matter how you act, you can always choose the option to surrender. Surrendering will fold your hand, but return you half of your bet back.
Bust
If a player’s hand value surpasses 21 his hand will bust, ending his turn and losing his wager.
Insurance
When the dealer is showing an ace as his face up card, players will have the chance to purchase insurance for their bet for up to half of the original bet amount. If the dealer then shows a blackjack, the insurance bet will pay out at odds of 2:1 – thereby allowing the player to keep his original bet amount despite the dealer’s blackjack.
Before you start to play Blackjack
Now that you know the basic Blackjack gameplay and its terminology, you are ready to start testing the waters. However, before you jump in to play for real money, here are some tips that will help you make the best of your blackjack gaming, and improve your chances of winning.
Start out with Free Blackjack
While you might be eager to start putting some money on the line and trying your luck, if this is the first time you play blackjack, you will want to consider choosing the play for fun option. Playing free blackjack will not only allow you to get better acquainted with the game dynamics, but it will also allow you to try out different strategies until you find one you are comfortable with.
Learn Basic Strategy
Basic Blackjack Strategy was created using computer simulations that played millions of hands in order to determine the best decision to make in every single situation.
Basic strategy not only takes into consideration your starting hand, but also the dealer’s face up card. While the strategy will vary slightly depending on the rules of the Blackjack variant your are playing, learning Basic Strategy will already give you a much better understanding of the game and hugely improve your odds. To learn more about Basic Strategy and other Blackjack strategies you can also read our Introduction to Blackjack Strategy.
The most important thing when playing Blackjack online, or any other casino game, for real money is that you make sure you only bet as much as you can afford to lose.
