Blackjack Rules and Strategy at the Online Casino

Blackjack Rules

Blackjack is about getting a better hand than the dealer, ideally 21 ( which is called Blackjack if it is made of one face card and one ace).
First, you two cards and the dealer gets two, one of which is visible. While you can always decide whether to take another card (hit) or not, the dealer must stand at 17 and hit when he get less than 17. Sometimes the casino rule is the dealer may hit on a soft 17. If the dealer hits a card that takes him over 21, you have won - but you have to act first, and you can also lose by hitting over 21 - in which case the dealer does not have to hit any further.
An ace can be counted either as 1 or 11 points. After you have seen your two cards, you have several options:
Hit - take another card now
Stand - no more cards
Split - if you get two cards of same value, you cand split and separately play them (you will get only one more card after that mostly, and you have to make another bet of the same size)
Double - you can double the bet, but then you must buy at least one more card.

One of the best casinos for Blackjack is the Royal Vegas Casino - here you can even take part in online blackjack tournaments. Click here to go to Royal Vegas Casino, and you can start playing for free with 1200 credits without depositing!

Strategy for Blackjack at your Online Casino

Of course the right strategy for Blackjack depends not only on your own hand, it is equally important what card the dealer holds. There is a distinction between "soft" and "hard" hands: a hand containing an ace that is counted as 11 is called a soft hand, if the ace is counted as 1, it's called a hard hand.

The basis for the strategy are the following principles:

• Should the dealer show a card of 7 or higher, buy more, until you have a soft hand of at least 17 or a hard hand of at least 18.
• If the dealer has a card of 6 or lower, you should hit until you have at least 12.
• You should double if your cards are a total of 10 or 11 and the dealer has a 9 or lower.
• You should always split a pair of aces and a pair of 8s, for other pairs see below.

How to play the various cards

Hard Hands - do not contain aces:
You have 8 or lower - hit
You have 9 - Double if the dealer has 3 to 6, otherwise hit.
You have 10 - Double if the dealer has 2 to 9, otherwise hit.
You have 11 - Double if the dealer has 2 to 10, Hit if the dealer has an ace
You have 12 - Hit if the dealer has 2 or 3, Stand if the dealer has 4 through 6, otherwise hit
You have 13 - 16 - stand if the dealer has 2 to 6, otherwise hit.
You have17 - 21:  Always Stand

Soft Hands - contain an ace:
As 2 or As 3 - Double if the dealer has 5 or 6, otherwise hit.
As 4 or As 5 - Double if the dealer 4 to 6, otherwise hit.
As 6 - Double if the dealer has 3 to 6, otherwise hit.
As 7 - Stand if the dealer has 2, 7 or 8. Double for 3 to 6, otherwise hit.
As and 8 or 9 - Always Stand

How to Play Pairs:
A pair of aces or 8s - Always split.
A pair of 2s or 3s - Split if the dealer 2-7 has, otherwise hit.
A pair of 4s - Split if the dealer has 5 or 6, otherwise hit.
A pair of 5s - Double if the dealer has 2 to 9, otherwise hit.
A pair of 6s - Split if the dealer has 2 to 6, otherwise hit.
A pair of 7s - Split if the dealer has 2 to 7, otherwise hit.
A pair of 9s - Split if the dealer has 2 to 6, stand if the dealer has 7, 10 or ace.
A pair of 10s (including the face cards) - Always Stand