Blackjack

Blackjack is a classic table game of comparing cards where one or more players try to beat the house by getting a better hand than the dealer’s hand. It is the most widely played and popular casino banking* game in the world, found in both land based, as well as online casinos.

Blackjack’s played with two or more decks of cards, each counting 52 cards. The goal? To beat the dealer in one of the three following ways:

  1. Player gets a Blackjack and dealer doesn’t
  2. Get more points than dealer without exceeding 21 points
  3. The dealer bust his / her hand.

*Banking game is when one or more players gamble vs. a banker. Usually in relation to card games. The banker is the person who runs and controls the game.

Odds and Probabilities

Learning the odds and probabilities of Blackjack is no easy feat, and is best learned by applying basic, or perfect play strategy which you’ll find more info on further down in this article.

The house edge is less than 1% (0.5%) when using basic strategy. Most players don’t though, and this increases their disadvantage to anywhere between 2-8%.

The odds of the game also depends on what variation you’re playing, and the rules of that blackjack game. We will explain more in our strategy articles, as well as the articles covering the more popular blackjack variations.

Blackjack Charts: Basic, Optimal and Perfect Play Strategies

The basic strategy of this card game is to make use of a Blackjack chart that tells you how to play optimal, close to perfect play.

Although there’s different types of charts available, depending on the variation of the game your playing, rules and how many decks there are in play, they all have the basic strategy in common.

By using a Blackjack chart, you know exactly what to do in any given hand, which in turn considerably lowers the house advantage, and allows you to win more money over time.

Read more: Blackjack Chart: Basic Strategy and Perfect Play Charts

For land based casinos: You’re allowed to bring blackjack charts to the table and make use of them as long as you do not slow down the pace of the game. These charts can be downloaded and printed, or are often available for purchase in the casino’s gift shop.