Blackjack Strategies and Blackjack Tips to play Online Blackjack

The game of Online Blackjack is a huge favourite and legendary for massive wins and tales of hitting the big time in Vegas. While the rules of Online Blackjack are relatively simple and straightforward, there are some basic Blackjack Strategies you can learn that will reduce the casino's advantage.

The most basic of Blackjack Strategies is to have a hand greater than the dealer's without exceeding the number 21. You achieve Blackjack if you are dealt the combination of an Ace and any card worth 10 (King, Queen, Jack and, of course, 10) and rather predictably, Blackjack is the strongest hand in Online Blackjack. The only way a player cannot win with Blackjack is if the dealer also produces Blackjack.

ACES - It is important to know that an ace counts as 1 or 11 in Blackjack, you decide which amount best suits your hand of cards.

BUST - If you or the dealer continue to "hit", ie receive more cards, and the sum of your cards exceeds 21 then you or the dealer are "bust" and lose that round of online blackjack.

DEALER RULES - In many variants of online blackjack, the dealer must "stand" on soft 17, which means the dealer cannot draw any more cards to try and beat you.

DOUBLE DOWN - In some blackjack games you can "double down" after you've received your cards, allowing you to double your stake. You automatically "hit" only one more card when "doubling", so it's important to only do this when you can take another card without going "bust" and improve your hand to beat the dealer.

HIT - To play Blackjack you must "hit" to receive a card.

INSURANCE - A side bet can be made against the dealer having a natural 21 hand. Normally this bet can be a maximum of half the initial bet and the dealer must be showing an ace.

PUSH - If both you and the dealer have the same valued blackjack hand then the game will be a tie, otherwise known as a "push", and you'll get your bet back.

SPLIT - If you receive two cards of the same value, e.g. 2 fours, the hand could be "split". To "split" means you make another bet equal to your first and means you now play with two hands.

STAND - You add up the value of the cards and then call "stand" when you are happy with the sum of your cards. When you are happy with your hand and call "stand", the dealer will then play their hand and try to outscore yours.

SURRENDER - After the cards have been dealt the you can give up on this particular hand by "surrendering". If you "surrender" you'll receive half of your bet back.

Below you'll find basic Blackjack Strategies and a guide to what decisions should be made in certain situations, however, as always, we have to say that this is not a guaranteed winning strategy. What it is however, is a very useful tool to help you start playing Online Blackjack and to help you get comfortable with the rules. As you get more experienced you will find that your natural instinct will guide your decision making in each different situation.

There are many types of Online Blackjack games, too many to list here, all with different odds, rules, payouts and differing number of cards involved. They all vary according to the focus of the game, for example, some emphasise the blackjack hand and subsequent blackjack wins are boosted, others change the score limit on which the dealer must "stand" - all affect the game odds, win frequency and how much can be won. In addition to the classic single and multi-player versions, there are also Progressive Jackpot games with big pay outs for consecutive aces.

It is important to understand that while all types of Online Blackjack will have the same fundamental rules, if you are going to be successful you will need to learn and understand the subtle differences before playing each variation. These variations will have an impact on the Blackjack Strategies used and so you will need to improvise and alter your tactics accordingly. Make sure you pick the right Online Blackjack game and maximise your Online Blackjack fun whether you're a beginner or a skillful Blackjack player, you'll never have a dull moment with all these variations.