US players have long been wary of playing online blackjack or using online casinos, slots sites or poker sites but one German player has just fallen foul of the sometimes complex laws that can impact European players.

Many countries have laws clouded with grey areas and whilst US players are welcomed at all of the great casinos we feature here and can play with no trouble, luck ran out for a German blackjack player who saw himself hit with a huge fine.

A judge in Munich ruled that the UK site at which he played, which was licensed in Gibraltar, was illegal in Germany because playing games of chance that are not licensed in Germany is not permitted. The player, who was caught when police discovered a box of cash at his home, pleaded ignorance and said that he believed internet gambling to be legal having seen it advertised by tennis superstar Boris Becker at local soccer side Bayern Munich.

The judge clearly felt this was irrelevant and the unnamed man was hit with 70 fines, each of €30 and was also forced to suffer the pain of seeing more than €63,000 of blackjack winnings confiscated from him. An additional €10,000 of cash in the box was, so the man claimed, his mother’s, and escaped the confiscation order but even so, losing a total that is equivalent to around $74,000 has to be a pretty bad day at the blackjack tables for just about anyone.

Many US players feel they are the only ones for whom online gambling isn’t as easy as it should be and whilst some European countries, chiefly the UK, have very liberal gambling laws, it’s clear that it’s not just Americans for whom things aren’t always as straightforward as they should be.

The blackjack player in this case has lodged an appeal against the court’s decision and there seems to be a clear issue with his country’s law, that means it is fine to play at a bricks and mortar casino overseas but not fine to visit that same casino in a virtual sense. There are further complications surrounding Germany’s membership of the European Union and EU law and this debate looks set to continue in Germany.

Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games around and is enjoyed online and in real-world casinos by millions of players every day. However, “blackjack” really is only a broad description of a game and in just about any Vegas casino or any good casino online site you will find, at the very least, a wide variation in exact rules but also a range of different games, all falling under the blackjack umbrella. Here we take a look at some of the most widely seen variants, differences and rules and explain what they mean for you – the player – in terms of the casino’s house edge and your likelihood of making a profit.

Rules Differences

In truth there is no widely accepted exact version of blackjack rules that you could be confident of saying “that is BLACKJACK”. There are so many slight variations possible with some similarities common in different parts of the world, but, more often, the precise rules changing according to what casino – online or otherwise – you are in.

Common variations include:

• Number of decks – this usually varies from four to eight, although you may find single-deck blackjack (if you’re lucky). The fewer decks, the better, as more decks increases the house edge.
• Double down – some casinos allow doubles on any total, others only on 9-11 and some only on 10 or 11. Doubling any first two cards gives the best return to the player.
• Blackjack – some less scrupulous casinos short-pay blackjack. Never play for less than the standard 3 to 2 return.
• Soft 17 – if the dealer hits on 17 rather than stands, stay away: it increases the house edge by a hefty amount.
• Double after split – look for games that allow the player to double after a split as this lowers the house edge.

Blackjack Variants

Aside from the rule differences listed above (which, by the way, are far from exhaustive) you will also find different versions of blackjack itself (often still subject to the above rule variations).

These are more modern versions of the game, designed to offer variety and excitement but, sadly, the player always pays for this with a higher house edge. Such versions include progressive blackjack (with a huge jackpot prize) and Blackjack Switch (allowing the player to change cards but with a reduced payout of evens for blackjack and a push if the dealer hits 22), although there are many others around too.

Remember though, whatever appeal these newer games may offer, they don’t offer as low a house edge as the more classic versions, so serious players should stay away.

Blackjack is undoubtedly one of the world’s best and most popular card games and it’s no surprise to see that it’s featured in many great movies but there also countless books about blackjack and here we take a look at some of the best. Blackjack’s glamour has made it a great subject for fictional movies but when it comes to books, our focus is much more on non-fiction: if you like playing blackjack in the casino, check these books out!

Beat the Dealer by Edward O Thorp

Whilst there have subsequently been better books published, this is a must-read because this was really where it all began. Thorp’s book was the first to go public with the concept of card counting and it remains an absolute blackjack classic, both for its historical significance and in its own right.

Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich

Having said the focus here was primarily non-fiction, this is the one book that perhaps blurs the lines somewhat, with there being no doubt that much of Mezrich’s romping tale has certainly been subject to at least a little poetic license. That said, this book, full title Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, is enough to encourage almost anyone that reads it to give card counting at least a superficial try and is a fabulously entertaining read. The film 21 was an adaptation of this book and there is no doubt that the tale of the MIT kids who took Vegas for a not-so-small fortune is must-read material.

Blackjack Wisdom by Arnold Snyder

Another that blurs the lines a little, this book is a collection of magazine pieces by Snyder covering a range of blackjack topics that isn’t too heavy and is a great book to dip in and out of.

Hollywood Blackjack by “Hollywood” Dave Stann

If you like cussing in books, this may be the read for you, with larger-than-life Stann talking about his life in blackjack and offering practical advice about the game, counting and the math behind it. A good book for a beginner with a nice blend of blackjack information, if you intend to take your counting skills into the casino this could well be the blackjack book for you.

Anyone even half serious about playing online blackjack should have at least heard of basic strategy and if not then sadly you’ve been throwing money away. Basic strategy is a mathematically proven method of playing blackjack that tells you precisely what call to make in any given situation. Basic strategy varies slightly according to the version of the rules the game you are playing employs but the principle is the same regardless – basic strategy reduces the house edge to the lowest level that is possible without resorting to card counting or cheating.

So, to answer the question that names this article, the answer is a simple and resounding yes; yes you should use basic strategy whenever you play blackjack. You can see from our basic strategy chart that no matter what cards you have and no matter what card the dealer has there is a precise decision that will deliver the best results in the long term.

At the more obvious end of the scale are decisions that should be second nature to all but beginners, for example staying on 17 and up, never splitting 10s or always splitting eights. However some decisions are more complex, for example should you hit or stand on 12 to a dealer’s three or should you double on 11 against a face card?

This is where the table comes in handy – all the answers are right there and when playing blackjack online it takes only a second to refer to the chart. If you’re playing standard online blackjack you can take all the time you need but even if you happen to be playing live dealer blackjack you should still have the opportunity to consult your chart.

However, despite the fact that basic strategy is THE ONLY way to give yourself the best chance of success by ensuring a house edge of somewhere around 0.5% (depending on the blackjack variant/rules), some people still insist on playing to their own strategies.

Any other method, be it playing on instinct, chancing your luck, copying the dealer (that is to say hit on 16 and below, stand on 17) or adopting a no-bust tactic (standing on 12 upwards) only serves to increase the casino’s advantage over you. So, plain and simple, if you’re playing blackjack in an online casino and you like winning, you know what to do.

There are many options when it comes to playing blackjack, from going head to head with buddies, visiting a real casino or playing online but one of the newest options is to play live dealer blackjack. Here we take a look at what it is, how you play it and what the pros and cons (compared to standard online blackjack) are.

Live dealer blackjack is a form of online blackjack offered by some of the best online casinos and blackjack sites. While “regular” online blackjack is an automated game that relies on RNG (Random Number Generator) software to simulate games, live dealer blackjack uses – as the name suggests – a real life dealer and real cards, with the game being played out live in real time.

Optical recognition software allows you to interact with the casino just as you would in real life, whilst you can also chat to your dealer and fellow players too. The dealers – invariably good-looking young women in revealing dresses – are situated either in a custom-designed studios or, sometimes, in genuine casinos (though in dedicated rooms rather than at public tables). The games are transmitted live and provide a more authentic casino experience and, due to improvements in technology and reducing costs, they are growing in popularity.

Play is identical to standard online blackjack, as are the rules, although there are some differences which we highlight below as we take a look at the pros and cons of playing live dealer blackjack.

Pros

–          For those who question the fairness, randomness and honesty of online casinos, live dealer variants offer improved transparency

–          The games offer more atmosphere than RNG games

–          Some online casinos have extra bonuses for live dealer blackjack

–          The pace of the games is more like in a land-based casino, meaning your money can last longer

Cons

–          Because live dealer games are “real” games, they require a dealer and a table, meaning there are not unlimited places at the blackjack table. You may have to wait for a place to become free, especially at lower stakes tables.

–          Whilst the pace is more realistic, if you’re trying to wager through a large blackjack bonus quickly this is a negative.