History of Blackjack
You’re well on your way to becoming a successful Blackjack player. But what’s the history of blackjack? How did this game come to be?
Blackjack has a long and storied history. It is thought to have originated in the French casinos during the 1700s. The game was called “vingt-et-un,” which translates to “twenty-one.” It quickly became popular in the United States, where it was known as “pontoon.” The game is thought to have originated in France, although there is some evidence that it may have originated in Italy. The game is played with a standard deck of 52 cards, with the Ace counting as 1, the 2 through 9 counting as their face value, and the 10, Jack, Queen, and King each counting as 10.
How to Play Blackjack
Blackjack’s allure lies in the fact that it’s a simple game to grasp as all a player needs to do to beat the dealer is getting as close to 21 as possible. Players can play blackjack for as little as C$1 or as high as C$2,000 and generally, players are awarded some power for that commitment. For one, players can decide amongst themselves whether or not the value of the Ace card is 1 or 11 though face cards are 10 while the pip value of other cards are used.
Blackjack is a game of chance, but there are some basic strategies that can be followed in order to improve your chances of winning. One of the most important things to remember is to always try to get as close to 21 as possible without going over. If you have a hand that is close to 21, you want to try and get as close to 21 as possible without going over. This is called ‘busting’ and means you automatically lose the hand.
If you are dealt an Ace and a 10-value card (known as a “blackjack”), you automatically win unless the dealer also has a blackjack, in which case it’s a push (a tie). If you’re dealt a blackjack, you have the option to surrender, in which case you give up half your bet and the hand is over. If you choose to stay in the hand, you will need to match the dealer’s bet in order to continue. If you don’t have enough money to match the dealer’s bet, you will need to fold and give up your hand. If you choose to stay in the hand, you are essentially saying that you believe you have a good chance of winning.
The Facets of Blackjack
These are the terminologies used in blackjack so make sure to read them all because they’re the ones that’ll give you an insight into how blackjack works. Sounds good? Learn more further down.
The Card Deck
The standard 52-card pack is used to play blackjack but usually, multiple card decks are shuffled and used together to play blackjack. The most popular is the six-deck game because it’s played with 312 cards.
The Shoe
This is a box where four or more decks of cards are kept and dealt from a shoe. The shoe allows the dealer to remove one card at a time and definitely, the cards are face-down.
The Shuffle and the Cut
The dealer starts shuffling the decks of cards and after they’ve been properly mixed, a player starts the game by cutting. Cutting basically refers to using the plastic card to signify when you’ll need to re-shuffle the cards.
The Deal
The deal refers to the dealer giving each player and themselves one face-up card after players have made their wagers. This process is repeated once more though this time around, the dealer gives themselves a face-down card instead.
The Naturals
The natural is the Ace and ten cards which combined, is equal to 21 or blackjack. Funny thing about a natural is that it can come in three ways. The first scenario is getting a natural and the dealer getting none, in which case the dealer pays the player one and a half times their bet. For the second scenario, the dealer has a natural so they collect the bets of all players who don’t have a natural. Finally, if both the dealer and a player have a natural, this is called a stand-off so your chips will be returned.
The Play
The player to the left goes first and must decide whether to stand or hit. To stand means to hold your ground by not requesting for another card while a hit means being dealt another card by the dealer. So, depending on how close you’re to 21, you can stand or hit though, if it goes bust (cards‘ are more than 21), you would have forfeited your wins.
The Soft Hand
A soft hand refers to a two-card combo of an ace and a card other than ten. Because players can count the ace as an 11 or one, they can decide to draw or hold. A soft 18 is an ace and a seven and the total can be an 18 or 8 though players can still draw more cards for a better hand. This is because players can still count the ace as a one so an additional card may lead to a better hand.
The Dealer’s Role
Once every player has been served, the dealer’s face-down card is turned up and if their total is 17 or more, they stand while they take a card if the total is under 16. Also, dealers must count aces as 11’s. These rules are rigid and the dealer can’t, let’s say, take another card if their hand totals 18. On the other hand, players aren’t restricted by such rules.
Splitting Pairs
If your first two cards have the same denomination such as two Queens or two sixes, you can consider each as a separate hand. So, the rules state that you must bet an equal amount of cash on both hands. You always start by playing the left hand whereby you’ll stand or hit once or twice and following that, you play the cards by your right. With a pair of aces, you’ll be given a card for each ace and won’t be able to draw again.
Doubling Down
When your first two cards total 9, 10, or 11, the blackjack player is allowed to double their bets. When it’s your turn, you have to place a bet equal to your original wager amount after which you’re handed a face-down card which is only turned up at the end of the hand. Remember that dealers aren’t allowed to double down.
Insurance
If the dealer’s face-up card is an ace, players can make a side bet called the insurance that the dealer’s face-down card is a ten-card making the dealer’s cards a blackjack. This side bet is only up to half of your original bet. If the face-down card turns out to be a ten-card, players who made the side bet will be given double their side bet amount. If there are not multiple ten-cards mixed in with the deck of cards, then the insurance side bet isnt a good bet.
Settlement
A bet can’t be collected back so if a player goes bust, their entire bets are lost and this fact doesn’t change even if the dealer goes bust as well. So, the dealer pays the players that stood the player’s bet if the dealer’s hands pass the 21 mark. If the dealer’s hands are 21 or less, the dealer pays the bets of the player with the highest hand and collects the bets of any player with a lower hand total.
Wondering about the types of blackjack you can look forward to playing at a casino? Take a look at some popular versions of the game further down.
