Keep Your Emotions in Check When Playing Blackjack

Is blackjack a game of luck or skill? The answer is: it’s both. That’s why it’s one of the most popular card games in land-based and online casinos. You need to be lucky, but you also need to apply the appropriate strategy to maximize your success. However, even if you have the best possible approach, there’s one thing that many players overlook when playing blackjack — their emotions.

So, how can emotions affect your gameplay? Imagine being on a losing streak and getting frustrated by all of this. Your bankroll still has funds for several more rounds, but being so angry, you decide to bet all your funds and try to recoup your losses. Then, you lose once again, and you’re suddenly out of money which could have been put to better use.

This is a typical emotional reaction that’s common not only in blackjack but also in many other casino games. Professional poker players use inexperienced ones who cannot control their emotions and profit from them.

Therefore, whenever we review blackjack games, we make sure to mention that one needs to be very careful, and that means not letting emotions meddle with their actions.

Don’t get it wrong — feeling emotions when playing is a completely natural thing. Even the best blackjack players will feel exhilarated when they win or depressed when they lose. What makes them stand out from the crowd is that they can remain cool-headed even when they’re burning inside.

There are several ways that they manage to do that. However, it all starts by recognizing and addressing your emotional reaction. Many players who make impulsive moves find out too little too late that they didn’t make the best choice. Therefore, it’s important to recognize an emotion right away and not let it affect your gameplay. Think of it this way: you’ll win if you play by blackjack rules and not tilt at any moment.

Sure, this is easier said than done, but you can start with that — thinking about your emotional responses when playing games. Once you start exploring emotional intelligence, you’ll be able to improve your blackjack games.

Some players will go as far as to tell you to meditate on a daily basis if you want to be calm when playing the game and keep your emotions in check. This is a great approach if you’re a professional player and want to make a living out of this game. However, if you’re a casual player, understanding your emotions and how they affect your gameplay is enough for starters.

Top 3 Tips for Choosing a Casino for Online Blackjack

The majority of players who are not looking to play online video slots want to enjoy playing one of the card games, with blackjack and baccarat being the two most popular ones.

Even though the number of available blackjack games is much smaller compared to slots, casinos still include at least the most popular variations of this game, including the classic game of blackjack.

However, in this article, we are not going to review blackjack games. Instead, we’ll tell you the three essential tips that you should take into account when choosing the best possible online casino for playing blackjack. Read on.

Make Sure the Casino is Safe & Secure

Every casino that you join should have all the necessary security protocols to protect you from all kinds of cyberattacks. The best way to learn more about the sites’ security is to click on a small icon next to the site’s domain in your browser. Moreover, it’s always wise to read reviews about the casino at hand and see what others wrote about its security measures.

Another way to make sure that the site is safe is to check whether it has a license from a legitimate gambling regulator. Sites with no licenses aren’t necessarily bad, but there’s no way to determine whether they’re a scam.

Check Out Available Blackjack Games

As we previously stated, blackjack is not often the main game in online casinos as that position is occupied by slots. However, on many platforms, this game is the second most popular and comes in all shapes and sizes. If you like playing different types of blackjack, make sure to check which ones are available on the casino you’re checking out before joining it. That way, you can find the perfect online casino for you.

Pay Attention to Available Payment Methods

In order to play blackjack for real money, you need to make a real money deposit, and that’s only possible via one of the payment methods that are accepted by the platform. Therefore, your best bet is to find a site that offers the payment methods you already use.

To spare you the trouble of searching for platforms, we created the list of the best blackjack online casinos, so feel free to check them out. All of them are safe, secured, licensed, and offer a wide array of blackjack games you can play for free or for real money.

Is Blackjack a Game of Luck or Skill?

Blackjack is probably the most popular card game in land-based and online casinos. One of the reasons why it’s so popular is that you can learn how to play it and apply a certain strategy to increase your chances of winning. Does this make blackjack a game of skill or a game of luck?

When we review blackjack strategies, we always rely on the fact that you need the skill to beat blackjack. However, that’s not entirely true. Although you can increase your chances by learning the right approach, luck still plays an essential role. If blackjack were only a game of skill, it wouldn’t be available in casinos.

In other words, casinos would just lose money, as people would master the game and win every time. Therefore, it’s safe to say that the element of luck is still pretty big.

It’s safe to conclude that blackjack requires both skill and luck. Moreover, it’s a perfect combination of the two. How come?

If you play online video slots, the only thing you can do is to click on the Spin button and hope for the best possible result. That’s a game that’s only luck-based.

On the other hand, we have poker. It requires some social skills and a lot of learning. If you become a poker master, you’ll be able to play this game against the majority of players and win in most cases. That’s why the element of skill is more dominant in poker.

But we cannot say that either skill or luck is dominant in blackjack, as we can say that for slots or poker. It’s a perfect combo, and that’s one of the main reasons why people love it. In other words, you get to learn the game and increase your chances of winning, yet you still have that thrill of uncertainty that adds a special flavor to blackjack.

Therefore, when starting your blackjack session, don’t rely on the element of luck alone. Instead, try learning more about popular strategies that can help you improve.

We made a blackjack strategy chart, so feel free to check it out and start learning about the game by examining it. The chart tells you the best possible thing to do for every card combination that you can get in a round of blackjack. It’s up to you to apply that knowledge while playing the popular card game and see how it works in reality. It will definitely help you increase your chances of winning, but you should never take the element of chance out of the equation.

5 Tips for Playing Live Dealer Blackjack

Blackjack is widely regarded as the most popular casino game, and there’s a good reason for that. Namely, by applying the right strategy, players can decrease the house edge to less than 1%.

Online casinos feature plenty of blackjack games, and one of the most interesting ways to play it is with a live dealer. It features a human croupier who deals real cards, but players use special software to make bets and make decisions.

In this article, we’re going to review blackjack tips you should take into account when playing the popular card game with a live dealer. Read on.

Pick a Table with a Low Minimum Bet

The rule of thumb is to pick a roulette table where the minimum bet is no more than 5% of your bankroll. That way, you can play many hands and apply the right strategy to improve your chances of winning.

Generally speaking, limits should be the first thing to pay attention to in order to make sure that they suit your budget.

Find a Dealer You Like the Most

Live dealers are real people. Even though they are all professionals, you are definitely going to like some of them better than others. Therefore, don’t be afraid to explore the entire offer of live dealer blackjack games in an online casino of your choice to find the one that you like the most.

Use the Optimal Strategy to Increase Your Chances

Using strategy is a must when playing blackjack. Unlike slots or roulette, where the element of luck is the only thing deciding the outcome, blackjack actually allows you to have some control over the element of chance.

There are great blackjack strategies that show you what actions are the best for certain card combinations. That way, you’ll always make the optimal decision and increase your chances of winning.

Don’t Take Insurance Bets

Insurance bets, or any other kind of side bet, are there to increase the house edge in blackjack. They might be exciting to bet on, and the payout might be great, but you’ll have to rely on the element of chance to win.

Therefore, if you want to stay true to the optimal strategy and maximize your winnings when playing live dealer roulette, you should stay away from side bets.

Don’t Let Your Emotions Take Over

Emotions can sometimes take over and make you do things that aren’t part of the optimal strategy. If it comes to this, you’re bound to start losing big time. Therefore, keep your emotions and don’t let them take over your reasonable side.

Feel free to read more about live dealer blackjack on our dedicated page for this game.

Blackjack Side Bets — Listed & Explained

Blackjack is the most popular online casino card game, and many providers took the liberty of experimenting with its rules to make it more entertaining and immersive.

Although standard blackjack rules are pretty much the same in every game, developers added many different side bets.

Therefore, in this article, we’ll review blackjack side bets, which should help you understand them better and get the most out of them.

21 + 3 Side Bet

This is basically a poker bet. When you see your first two cards and the dealer’s face-up card, and the three make up one of the popular poker combinations, you’ll get paid.

For example, if all three are the same suit, you’ll get a flush, which has the payout of 5/1. If all three form a straight, you’ll get paid 10/1.

Three-of-a-kind will give you the payout of 30/1, and a blackjack straight flush comes with 40/1. The highest-paying is suited three-of-a-kind, which pays 100/1.

Perfect Pairs

This side bet lets you bet if you’ll get a pair when the dealer gives you the cards. However, if the pair is two cards of different colors, the payout is 5/1. If the payout is two cards of the same color, you’ll get paid 10/1.

A perfect pair is if you get two identical cards (since blackjack uses several decks). In that case, you’ll receive the payout of 30/1.

Insurance Bet

Perhaps one of the most popular side bets in blackjack is the so-called insurance bet. The idea is that you’ll insure yourself against the dealer by placing the bet, which is only available if the dealer’s face-up card is an ace.

An insurance bet seems like a good idea, but you should be careful, as the odds work against you in the long run.

Should you take any side bets? According to many blackjack specialists, these bets are there only to increase the house edge.

Therefore, players should avoid them and focus on learning blackjack rules instead. Then, they ought to learn some of the best blackjack strategies, which will help them lower the house edge below 1%.

Still, if you’re new and you don’t want to play blackjack in the long run, making side bets could turn out to be quite lucrative if Lady Luck is by your side. But don’t overdo it, as side bets can also result in big losses that you didn’t want in the first place.

BetOnline Offers 10% Weekly Casino Rebate

Rebate or “cashback” bonuses are many players’ favorite. Instead of rewarding you on top of your deposit, they actually give back some of your money once you lose it.

Cashback bonuses offer a great way to feel less blue after a losing session, and that’s why many online casinos offer this type of bonus.

If you like rebate bonuses, you should definitely check out the one offered on BetOnline.

BetOnline is a comprehensive online gambling site. It offers online casino games, sports betting, online poker, and much more. The rebate bonus is exclusively tailored for online casino players.

In this article, we won’t review blackjack games on BetOnline but rather focus on reviewing the lucrative rebate bonus. Let’s take a closer look at it.

10% Weekly Casino Rebate

The rebate bonus on BetOnline offers 10% back every week after a losing streak. It’s important to mention that this bonus is only available for the online casino section on the site and doesn’t apply to the poker room or the sportsbook.

Simply put, after you play any casino games from Monday through Thursday and end the week with a losing streak, you’ll receive 10% of your losses back to your account.

As previously stated, this is actually a weekly bonus, meaning you can receive 10% back every time you don’t win anything.

For example, if you invest $100 and you end up losing it, you’ll receive $10 back to your account by the end of the week.

This bonus is subject to terms and requirements, so make sure to read them carefully before redeeming it. Here are some things you need to take into account.

First of all, the bonus money will be added to your account within 48 hours after you become eligible. The issued bonus will be valid for one week (seven days).

Moreover, the minimum loss you have to make to qualify for the rebate bonus is $1,000, and the maximum rebate you can receive is $250. The rebate if paid out in tiers of $10, and the rollover requirement for the rebate bonus is 40x.

However, if you’re a blackjack player, you have to take into account that all blackjack games on the site only contribute 5% towards the requirements. Therefore, to meet them as soon as possible, you should focus on playing online video slots.

If you want to learn more about the game of blackjack and learn about the latest bonuses and promotions, make sure to check out our blackjack news page.

When to Switch to High Stake Blackjack?

Description: How to know that you’re ready for a high-stake blackjack session? How long should you play before you increase your wagers? Let’s find out.

Blackjack, like many other gambling games, allows players to set their bet size. Depending on the type of table you’re playing on, the minimum and maximum limits may differ. However, if you’re new to blackjack, you shouldn’t pay attention to the high-roller tables for a long time, even if you have a huge budget.

We’ll always advise against playing high stake games until you’ve mastered the most popular casino card game in the world.

When to Switch

Whenever we review blackjack strategies, we use small numbers as examples. That’s because you should start playing with a couple of dollars too, before switching to more money.

The thing is — many blackjack players don’t know when to switch, and that’s why we decided to resolve the dilemma in this article.

However, our answer to that question is rather harsh. Are you ready for it? Here it is.

The first time you should increase your bet in blackjack is when you master the game. It means you should switch when you played hundreds — if not thousands — of hands and learned all the strategies there are

You should start with the simplest ones, such as the one depicted in our blackjack strategy chart. Make sure to check it out and study it carefully before you start playing your first online blackjack session. This chart will tell you what to do in each given hand when playing standard online blackjack.

Mastering Blackjack

However, you need to know it by heart if you want to master the game. After learning the chart, you should focus on many other techniques and strategies that are part of blackjack. Only then will you be able to gradually increase your stakes when playing the game.

You should know that the stakes aren’t as black-and-white, and how much you’ll bet depends on many things, the first being your bankroll. If you master blackjack, but you cannot afford to switch to higher stakes, then you should continue playing with small bets.

The point is — you have to be objective when playing blackjack and thread forward each step at a time.

Also, please understand that the game allows a considerable gradient of bets, meaning it’s now just between choosing $1 and $10,000 per bet. You need to increase your bets carefully.

Therefore, if you’re new, please start with the lowest possible bet and study available blackjack material. Also, check out some of the online casinos available on this site to find great blackjack games.

 

How Are Pontoon and Blackjack Different from Each Other?

When you check out many online casinos, you may notice a game that is not called Blackjack that has found its way into the Blackjack section. This game is called “Pontoon,” and many new casino players are often confused by it. However, when you start playing it, you will find many similarities to standard Blackjack. Still, there are some differences that you need to be aware of while playing.

In this article, we are going to review the Blackjack game called Pontoon, highlighting some of those differences and getting you ready to play.

Different Words Are Used for Same Actions

One of the major obstacles preventing blackjack players from trying Pontoon is that the terminology is different. However, these terms in Pontoon have virtually the same you would do in Blackjack.

For example, in Pontoon, you will not instruct the dealer to “hit” but rather to “twist.” Similarly, you cannot “stand” in Pontoon, but you can definitely “stick.” Perhaps the most confusing word is “buy,” which is the equivalent of a “double down.”

Doubling Down & Other Rules

One of the most important differences is that Pontoon players can double down at any time, which is not the case in Blackjack, where doubling down is allowed only when you receive the original two cards.

Another very important rule of Pontoon is that players need to twist if their hand is 14 or less, which is not the case in Blackjack, where players can choose to stand at any time.

If there is one thing that people dislike about Pontoon, it is the “tie on the house” rule. In Blackjack, if both player and the dealer have the same number of points, that’s called a “push,” and everyone gets their money back. However, that’s not the case with Pontoon, where a tie means that the dealer has won.

Finally, there’s the so-called five-card trick. If a player has five cards and their total number of points is 21 or less, they will beat the dealer, even if they have a non-pontoon 21.

So, should you learn to play Pontoon? While it’s a great game to play and offers an alternative to Blackjack, we suggest you first master blackjack and then consider switching to Pontoon. Please remember, though, whether you are playing Blackjack or Pontoon before sitting down to play.

Make sure to check out the blackjack rules on our site, where you can find essential tips for playing the game. Moreover, you can also take a look at the blackjack strategy chart that we included on our platform, which can help you improve your success in the game and lower its house edge.