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Keep Your Emotions in Check When Playing Blackjack

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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

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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?

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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

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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.

When to Switch to High Stake Blackjack?

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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?

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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.

What Is A Blackjack Strategy Chart, and Does It Work?

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Did you know that blackjack is one of the most popular casino games because it has the lowest house edge? If you master this game, you can lower the house edge to below 1%, and that’s why many professional casino goers pay special attention when they play this card game.

Blackjack is a game of skill as much as it is a game of chance. Unlike slots, where you cannot really do anything to affect the outcome, blackjack actually allows you to increase your chances of winning.

There are several things that you can do. A popular method is using card counting, which is not allowed in online casinos, and you risk being banned if you’re busted while counting cards. The other way is to use blackjack strategy charts.

In this article, we’re going to review blackjack charts and tell you what they really are. Many professional blackjack players explored how this game works and decided to use math to create a strategy chart.

Use The Chart

Basically, to improve your chances when playing this game, all you have to do is use the chart, find your hand and make a decision that’s marked in the chart. That way, you’ll lower the house edge significantly, meaning you’ll improve your chances of winning huge prizes.

The chart will show you every possible card combination in your hand in comparison to some of the face-up cards of the dealer. Once you find your hand in the chart, you’ll see a letter or a couple of letters written in the box.

These are basic actions that you should do at that moment, which are statistically the best possible decisions for a given hand.

S is usually used for stand, H is for hit, SP for split, and SU for surrender. Moreover, there are actions such as Dh and Ds, which suggest you double. However, Dh suggests you hit if double is not an option, whereas Ds suggests you to stand.

It’s allowed to use the blackjack strategy chart when you’re playing blackjack on the web, so make sure to check out ours and select one of the casinos that we offered on our site. Once you open an account and start your online blackjack journey, you’ll understand how helpful these charts actually are.

You’ll need to use it for some time, and once you learn it by heart, you’ll not need it at all. Instead, you’ll be able to play blackjack and make the best possible decision all by yourself.

The Etiquette of Live Casinos — The Do’s and Don’t’s of Live Blackjack

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Live casino is more similar to land-based casinos as there are actual people involved. When you play online blackjack (non-live), it’s just you and the machine.

However, that’s different in a live environment. Apart from a real dealer, there are also other real players that want to have fun just as much as you do.

That’s why it’s important to stick to the live casino etiquette. That’s not something you aren’t aware of, as it is pretty much similar to land-based casinos. Yet, it’s important to discuss it to help you have the best possible live blackjack experience.

Whenever we review blackjack games, we talk about the pace of the game. Online software usually has a counter that gives you time to think about what to do.

Although it’s time-limited, you’re the one who sets the pace in the end. That’s why it is important not to be too slow. Don’t wait until the counter expires, as you’ll slow the game down a lot.

There are many players who like to play faster and immediately decide what to do. If you are new to live blackjack, feel free to mention that fact to other players so that they could help you out and understand why you’re taking things slowly at the start.

Keep Your Cool

The next thing to do is to watch your language. Live casinos have a chat feature, and you should be aware that it’s real people you’re chatting with.

That’s why cussing and aggressive language are never welcome and can totally ruin the experience. Therefore, make sure to be friendly with everyone who is playing with you at the moment.

Finally, it’s always a good idea to tip the dealer, especially after you’ve won a bigger sum. Tipping the dealer has been accepted code of conduct in many US land-based casinos, and it’s no different in live casinos either.

There’s almost always an option to tip the dealer, so don’t be stingy after you win a big prize, and share a small part of it with the dealer.

There are many great blackjack online casinos out there, and we made a list of the best ones, so make sure to check it out. Some of them even offer live blackjack games, where you can learn more about this type of entertainment and get the first-hand experience of playing live casino games.