Internet Blackjack

The exact origins of blackjack are unknown but it's probably safe to say the game evolved from several other games over a course of hundreds of years. Blackjack's direct ancestor was most likely the French game vingt-et-un (21), which first appeared in casinos in the 1700s. Other names for black jack are 21 and pontoon.

Blackjack has been around for a very long time and continues to be a huge hit amongst players. Perhaps this is one reason Internet Blackjack is one of the favorite tables games at Internet Casinos. Playing blackjack on the Internet is a great way to practice the correct strategy, which many people don't use.

The object of Internet Blackjack is fairly simple: using your cards, come as close as you can to making a 21 without going over. Number cards 2 - 10 are worth their face value, face cards jack through king are worth 10 and aces can be worth either 11 or 1.

To start the game, the dealer and each player are dealt two cards. The players may then draw as many cards as they'd like with the goal of getting as close to 21 as possible without going over.

Black Jack Scoring Rules

If a player gets a higher score than the dealer while still staying under 21, then the player wins his bet.

If the dealer gets a higher score, the player loses his bet to the dealer.

If a player busts (goes over 21) that player loses the hand and his bet.

If a player and the dealer tie, the hand is a "push" and the player may keep his bet.

If the player and dealer both bust, the dealer wins the player's bet. This is where the house gets its advantage.

Play Blackjack For Free at Bodog Casino

If a player is dealt an ace and a face card on the first deal, it's an automatic 21 and that player is paid his bet back at 3:2 odds. So if the player bet $5 on the hand, he is paid $7.50. This is called a blackjack or a natural 21.

Counting Cards in Blackjack

A big part of blackjack's popularity comes from the old saying that Blackjack is the only game at which you can beat the house. Before the card counting method became public in the early 60s, Internet blackjack wasn't a very popular casino game. Even after the card counting method became publicized few people ever actually learned how to count cards. Even so, that age old "strike it big in Vegas" mystique clung to the game. Today, blackjack is by far the most popular casino table game and is growing its popularity on the Internet.

It is true that the house edge can be the smallest in Internet Blackjack, but that's only the case if it is played according to a perfect blackjack strategy. The farther away from a perfect strategy a player deviates, the larger the house edge grows. At one point card counters were able to swing the odds to their favor but most of that has been done away with by now.

The basic idea behind card counting is to keep a running total of how many tens and aces have been played and then increase the bet sizes when the deck is rich in tens or aces. One of the methods for doing this is actually quite simple.

The Basics of Card Counting

To gain an advantage over the house, the blackjack player keeps a running score total that starts at zero. Every time he sees a card 2-6, he adds 1 to the score. Any time he sees a card between ten and ace he subtracts 1. All the other cards are given a value of zero.

The card counter then alters his bet sizes according to the current count. Whenever the current count is zero or negative, he bets just one unit (let's use $5 as an example). When the count is +1, the card counter bets two units ($10). When the count is +2 he bets four units ($20), and when +3 he bets six units ($30) and so on.

The use of multiple decks, card cutting, differing odds payouts and casino blacklists has made it hard for card counters to make a living these days. Even without the anti-card counting measures casinos have taken over the years, card counting was never an easy way to make lots of money. The player's edge is so small that the short term swings are huge. It requires a massive bankroll to sustain the short term variance card counters face. Some people do make good money at it, but it's not a get rich quick scheme.

Most people now just see Internet blackjack as an entertaining casino game. Since the odds only slightly favor the house, just about anything can happen in only a single night at the blackjack tables. Sometimes the gambling losses are counted as the cost of a night of entertainment and other times the players can leave with a nice win. It's all a part of the game that we call blackjack.

Play Blackjack at Bodog Casino

Ready to Play Internet Blackjack?

Blackjack is a very popular game in both live casinos and Internet Casinos. Black Jack on the Internet is one of the most popular games when playing online, and some casinos certain offer a better experience than others. Our number one rated Internet Blackjack site is Bodog Casino.