Playing online blackjack is hugely popular and it is no wonder the casino owners in Vegas are keen to stop the growth of online gambling in the USA because, fun as a trip to Vegas, Atlantic City or another great resort is, playing blackjack online from the comfort of your own home also offers great appeal. Here we offer up some tips, advice and strategy for playing blackjack – having fun is great on its own, but having fun AND making money is even better!
One of the first things to know about blackjack is that whilst the adage “easy to play, difficult to master” is true in some respects, in others it isn’t, because the mastery part has been done for you. “Basic strategy” is the name given to the mathematically proven method of playing blackjack – both online or in a physical casino – that will deliver the best results and reduce the house edge to its minimum, that is it gives you the best possible chance to win money.
Learning the full details of basic strategy is tough because different blackjack rule variants have slightly different optimum strategies. However, there is no need to learn all of these – you can find a general chart right here, whilst other variations are also available online. Whatever you do, always follow the course of action basic strategy dictates, even if it seems risky or wrong: this is mathematically the best option and, if you want to give yourself the best chance of winning, making any other call is throwing your dollars away.
The other most important thing to do when playing blackjack online is to play a version of the game with the lowest house edge. Playing hard-to-find liberal Vegas rules gets the casino’s advantage down to less than 0.3%. On the other hand, if you play a version of blackjack with eight or more decks, 6/5 odds for blackjack and all the other bad rule variants, that house edge can go up to 10% or even higher (on some bonus and progressive games).
The other key thing to consider is your staking plan – how much you will bet on each hand of blackjack? Dividing your bankroll by 30 and then staking the same amount on each hand is a good option for beginners but one major tip is to avoid doubling your stake after a loss. Although this can work in the short term, long term it is doomed to failure.