Blackjack: An Overview

The term blackjack originated from the play of an ace of spades and a black Jack, either spades or clubs that pay a 10 to 1 payoff. Thus, the term blackjack emerged. Blackjack is believed to have come from France and started in the 1700s. It was introduced to the United States in the 1800s. Blackjack gained fame and became renowned through the years.

The Blackjack Game

The objective of the blackjack game is to score as close to 21 as possible. The blackjack player only competes with the dealer and the one that gets closest to 21 wins. If any of them hit a blackjack or a natural 21 total value card then the other automatically loses. If both have the same total value then no one wins and the bet is returned. This is called a “push”. A blackjack game is a multi-player game but each player only plays against the house or the dealer. Different casinos and online blackjack games may opt to use a single deck of cards to up to eight decks of cards.

Playing Blackjack Games

At the start of each blackjack game, the player has to place his bet. A number of blackjack betting systems are available online and in different books to help players maximize earnings and minimize losses. This may be the Martingale System that recommends players double their bet after every win or a Progressive betting system that recommends that the players set a minimum and maximum value and bet the minimum after every loss and the maximum after every win among others.

The dealer then distributes one card to each player starting from the farthest left all the way to himself. He repeats this and the players have the option of standing, hitting, splitting, doubling down and even surrendering if need be. The dealer also offers insurance every time an ace appears in his hand. It is also important to mention that players automatically lose if he exceeds the 21 total values. This is called the bust.

Many tips have been offered to play blackjack well. One of them would be to stay calm amidst an obvious losing hand. Players must accept that blackjack is a game of chance. Blackjack players’ games definitely will lose and win at varying times. The key is to accept defeat and live to try another day. It is also highly recommended that players learn the basic blackjack strategy and card counting strategy to increase their chances of winning.

Also advisable to set a limit in betting so as not to splurge the money in any one sitting. Many other tips and recommendations exist for playing blackjack but as they say, one can never really know it until one tries it. Just bear in mind that blackjack is a game and in every game, there are winners and losers. Strategy and change is the key.

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