Playing Online Blackjack
By: WAYNE HEMRICK

Online Blackjack is nothing more than the virtual, Web-based version of the popular casino card game in which the player’s skill can have as much effect on the outcome as the element of chance. Blackjack online offers the same enjoyment as it does in “real world” casinos, but can be played right from your computer – one can wager on and play blackjack online without ever having to leave home!

A Short History of the Game

Newcomers to online blackjack will be interested to know that the game has a fascinating history that goes back over three hundred years. The ancestor of blackjack games online is a card game known as vingt-et-une, or “Twenty-One,” played in France back at the time of King Louis IV around 1700. It didn’t catch on in the U.S. at first; in order to increase the game’s popularity, gambling saloons began offering a 10 to 1 payout if the gambler’s winning hand contained either the Jack of Clubs or the Jack of Spades; hence, the name “Black Jack.” The name for blackjack games online has stuck, although casinos have not offered the 10 to 1 payout for many decades.

Online Blackjack Variations

Whether you’re an advanced player or a novice, you’ll find that blackjack online offers all the standard variations of the game that you’ll find in a brick-and-mortar casino. Some of the variations offered by blackjack games online include “Spanish 21,” which offers payout bonuses for specific combinations, along with the challenge of no tens being used; “21st Century,” or “Vegas Style,” in which a “bust” does not necessarily constitute a loss; and “Double Exposure,” which allows a player to increase his wager even after the dealer has displayed his “up” card.

For the adventurous who are seeking an exotic online blackjack experience, there are even sites offering strip blackjack, featuring attractive “virtual” models for your enjoyment.

Online Blackjack Strategies

Since reputable virtual casinos operate the same way as their brick-and-mortar counterparts, many of the strategies used by successful blackjack players can also be used when you play blackjack online. These include shuffle tracking as well as the basic and “composition-dependent” strategies. Even “card counting” is not considered cheating, as long as no artificial counting devices are used (although most casinos have gone to multiple-deck games in order to counter this particular strategy).

Just For The Fun of It

It’s worth keeping in mind that while many online blackjack games are played for money, the game can be enjoyable all by itself. Many websites offer blackjack online that can be played for points simply as a pleasant diversion.

Whatever your online blackjack preferences, strategies and/or skill level, chances are good that you’ll find multiple opportunities to play blackjack online at a reputable online casino.

Wayne Hemrick is a longtime player of online blackjack and games online. He enjoys passing on his knowledge to fellow players around the world.

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