Guide to winning at Blackjack
If you’ve watched the classic blockbuster movie “21”, starring Kevin Spacey, you’ve probably heard of or come across the widely known game of Blackjack, which has been around for hundreds of years, to be a bit more vague, it was first seen somewhere in the early 18th century. It was first introduced in casinos across France and was initially called Vingt-et-Un, which translates to twenty-one in French.
The name very well portrays the way the game is played, as the goal to win is to add the values of bicycle cards together to reach or to get as close as possible to an accumulative of 21, without exceeding them. It might sound like a simple kids’ game at first glance, but that doesn’t start to explain the depths of the age-old casino game, and that’s why we’re writing this guide to help players learn the game of blackjack properly and to maximize their chances of winning.
If you want to play the game for real money, it is suggested to learn the ropes through free to play versions prior to actually wagering money on it, to see if you can at least beat the dealer in free blackjack. That skill won’t come out of nowhere however, as one needs to know the rules of the game to understand it. So without further ado, let’s head on to how to play the game of Blackjack.
The deck of cards
To start off from the very basics, the game starts with a deck of 52 cards, which are split into four differently suited sets of the numbers “2” to “10”, an Ace which has the value of a “1” or an “11”, and the Jack, Queen, and King, which all hold the value of “10”. The four suits are known as Hearts and Diamonds in red, and Clubs and Spades in black. The suits however, do not matter much in this game, as it’s all about the numbers, so make sure you know each card’s values!
Player vs Dealer
The game is generally played between two main protagonists, the player and the dealer. The player starts off by choosing the bet and the dealer deals out the cards. One card is dealt to both the dealer himself and the player, then the player gets the opportunity to choose between being dealt another card, or staying with what they have. Once the player is satisfied with the accumulative cards they have, it’s the dealer’s turn to pick up cards.
The dealer has to go by two main rules: they must always take a card if they’re at any point up to 16, and they can never take a card when they’re at 17 or above.
Remember, the goal is to get as close as possible to an accumulative of 21, and if you beat the dealer, you’ll get your bet back plus 100% to 150% winnings, meaning if you bet $20, you will take back $40 to $50.
The four possible outcomes
❌ If you go above 21, you’re a bust, and you lost the round and the bet.
❌ If you decide to stop at a number which you think is close enough to 21 and don’t want to risk going over, and the dealer plays his round and comes closer than you to 21, you also lose the round and the bet.
✅ If your final hand is under 21 but higher than the dealer’s hand, you win the round and get 100% winnings.
✅ If your accumulative hits an exact 21 on the first two cards (has to be an ace and a card with 10 value), it’s a blackjack, or as they call it, winner winner chicken dinner, you automatically win the round, and get 150% plus your initial bet in winnings.
So now that you know the basics and understand the game’s every possible outcome, it’s time to bring your inner James Bond out, and hit the tables in your own homemade version of Casino Royale!
