Blackjack is among the most popular casino table games. Dating back to the 17th century French game, Vingt-et-Un (which literally means “21”), it awarded players a special payout for holding an Ace and Jack of Spades – a ‘black Jack’. The game arrived in the US after the French Revolution and from there it spread around the world. The modern game of blackjack has the player aiming for a hand total of closer to 21 than the dealer, without going over, with a special payout for a two-card hand that totals 21 (Blackjack).

How to Play Blackjack

There are many different variations of the game; however the majority follow the same basic idea: each player is dealt two face up cards, while the dealer is dealt one card face up and one card face down. Each card is worth a value – 2 through 10 have their face value, face cards are valued as 10 and Ace is valued as 1 or 11. Players must then decide how to play their hand, aiming for a total hand value of closer to 21 than the dealer without going over (bust).

There are various player options:

●Hit – Receive one more card.
●Stand – Receive no more cards with the turn ending.
●Insurance – This is a side bet against the dealer having Blackjack.
●Split – On your first 2 cards, split identical cards into 2 separate hands with 2 separate bets.
●"Double down":http://www.countingedge.com/double-down-blackjack/ – If available, on your first 2 cards you can double your original bet and be dealt one more card to end your turn.
●Surrender – Surrender your hand at the cost of half your bet. This is more commonly available as late surrender (once the dealer has checked for Blackjack), though some variations may offer early surrender (before the dealer checks for Blackjack).

Once the player has ended their turn, the dealer will play according to the casino house rules. The player will be paid out for a win.

Top Tips

The house edge in a game of blackjack can be as low as 0.28%; however you will need to choose the variation of the game that you play carefully and play with optimal strategy in order to achieve this. The casino rules also have implications on the house edge so you need to pick your game carefully. Blackjack is a game of skill which means that you can practice your strategy until you have perfected it. A basic blackjack chart is a useful tool to help you work out how to play each hand according to optimal strategy. Play in the casino’s free practice mode until you have perfected your strategy – and then it’s time to play for real money.

Where to Play Blackjack

Fancy a game of blackjack with Mr Green? Mr Green currently has nine blackjack variations from a number of different software providers, offering quality, well-designed choice to players. Enjoy these games for free in the casino’s fun, practice mode or play for real money and the chance to become a winner.

 

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