Blackjack, Live Dealer, Blackjack strategy, rules
Playtech and Microgaming powered online casinos offer Live Blackjack games with stakes starting at just £/$/€ 5 upto a maximum bet per hand of £/$/€ 500. They use a shoe which contains 6 full decks of playing cards (with 52 cards per deck).
You will be playing with upto 5 additional players, and unlike a standard online casinos Blackjack games these are real people from across the globe! You can fully interact with these players should you wish by sending messages via the chat box, you can disable this if you would prefer to play without any distractions.
blackjack rules
The Blackjack rules are fairly easy to understand and these state that the Dealer must stand on all 17's, and you may split any pair, but by splitting Aces you get dealt just one additional card, and should this card be a ten valued one then that hand will be classed as 21 and not a Blackjack. The game is basically a Vegas Strip variant of Blackjack so if you are looking to play the best strategy (which you should) then you need to grab a strategy card for this version of Blackjack. Additional rules include, no re-splitting of cards, and you may double down your had, should you wish, but only if it is worth 9, 10 or 11. Insurance will be offered when necessary and this will cost you half your stake if you wish to accept it, a successful insurance bet pays 2-1, although correct strategy dictates that you should never take insurance. The controls and navigation are very simple to understand and you simply need to click on the relevant command button that will be displayed on screen. Once all wagers have been placed by both yourself and your fellow players the dealer will then distribute the cards accordingly. Your position on the Blackjack table will determine when you a) receive your cards and b) give the Dealer your playing instructions. You can see every card dealt via the video stream window, and this allows you to be confident that everything is above board and honest, and this is what makes live dealer Blackjack so appealing, once you try it you won't want to play any other type of online Blackjack!
blackjack is the winning strategy
This page will give you all the information you need to improve your game and skills to play blackjack better than others. For a knowledgeable player, blackjack offers the best chance of leaving the casino as a winner. And, when you become an expert at the game, you can actually turn the tables on the casino, and you'll have the advantage. Let's get started! Learning how to play blackjack has never been easier than it is today. GoldenPalace is pleased to provide you with an introduction to the game, and a free version of our blackjack software to help you practice. Everything you need to learn to play like a pro is here, and it's free. To get started, we will discuss the process of how a blackjack session progresses from start to finish. The learning process will be made much simpler if you play along with our free-play blackjack game. To download this game, simply click on the "download now" button near the top of this page.
blackjack bet
A blackjack session begins when the player places his wager. To place your bet in our software, simply click once on the chip you wish to bet. You can click again and the software will stack another chip on top for you. At this point, all you have to do is hit the deal button and you will receive your first two cards. The dealer will also deal himself two cards, and expose one of them. The visible card is known as the dealer's up-card, while the other is known as the dealer's hole-card. One fundamental thing that many people do not learn when they first learn how to play blackjack is the true object of the game. Many people falsely believe that the object of the game is to have a hand that is as close to 21 as possible without going over. While this is part of the rules, it is almost, but not quite your true goal as a player. Your true goal is nothing more than to beat the dealer; it just happens to be easier to beat the dealer with a hand that is close to 21. But don't fall into that trap. You win just as much if you beat the dealer with a 14 as you do if you beat them with a 20.
blackjack hit or stand, double down
This is when studying your blackjack strategy comes in particularly handy. Now that you have your cards and the dealer has his, you can decide how you wish to proceed. You have a number of options, including the two most called for, 'hit', or 'stand'. To 'hit' your hand is to take another card, to 'stand' is to leave your hand 'as is' in hopes that it will beat the dealer. Other options include 'splitting' and 'doubling down'. You are allowed to split two cards if they are the same value. Doing so means you are literally taking each card and making it the first card of two new hands. Say you are dealt two 8's. Since two eights on their own only gives you 16 (not a very strong hand), splitting them to two hands with an 8 to start is the smart move. This way you have two decent chances at 18. When you split, you are required to place a second bet equal to your original bet for your second hand. This is done automatically by the software. If you have split your eights, the dealer will push your cards to two separate hands and give you a second card for the first hand. The dealer will then prompt you to make a decision on this hand, and continue to do so until the hand has busted or been asked to stand. The dealer will then proceed to your second hand, deal a second card, and ask for your decision once again. Your other option, in addition to hitting, standing, or spitting, is called doubling down. After you have been dealt your first two cards, if you have a hand with a total of 9, 10 or 11, you can choose to double your bet on the table. The reason you would want to do this is if you believe you have a good chance of having a strong hand after one more card is dealt to you. The catch is, even if you're dealt a two on a ten, you only get one more card, so you're stuck with a 12. The time to choose to double down is when your first two cards total 10 or 11, and you can expect a 20 or 21 if the next card dealt to you has a value of 10. It is important to take note of the dealer's up-card when deciding to double or not. If the dealer is showing busting cards (up-card of 4, 5, or 6 indicating that they are likely to have 14, 15, or 16 and will likely bust) you're making a smarter decision by choosing to double down. START PLAYING The player will place his/her wager in the center of the betting circle. The dealer will then deal two cards, face up, to each player and two to him/herself, one face up and one face down. Kings, Queens, Jacks, and 10's each count as 10. Aces count as 1 or 11, as a player wishes. All other cards 2-9, count at their face value. If the first two cards drawn are an Ace and a 10 value card, that player has Blackjack and will be paid one and one-half times the wager (3 to 2) unless the dealer also has Blackjack. The Player not having Blackjack may continue to draw cards attempting to total as close to 21 as possible without exceeding 21, in which case that player "breaks" and loses the wager. Dealer must hit on all totals of 16 or less. Dealer must stand on all total of 17 or more.
Blackjack terms
HIT : The taking of an additional card.
STAY : Take no additional cards.
SPLIT : The Player will match the original wager and split the first two cards into two separate hands. The two cards must be of the same point value (i.e. a pair of 8's, King and Queen, etc.) In splitted hands an Ace and ten equal to "21" and not blackjack.
DOUBLE DOWN : The player will match the original (or double down for less) on the first two cards dealt and receive only one additional card. Double down wagering is not permitted on a Blackjack.
INSURANCE : When the dealer's up card is an Ace, a Player may buy insurance, an additional amount equal to half of that Player's original wager. A Player may purchase insurance when he/she believes that the dealer's down card is a ten value card. If the Dealer has Blackjack, the insurance wager pays 2 to 1. If the dealer does not have Blackjack, the insurance wager loses and the game continues as usual. A Blackjack will beat a point total of "21".
