Blackjack for Beginners

Back from the weekend and my head is a little fuzzy. So today I am going to dive right into the basics of blackjack. Because so many people have access to computers and the Internet, learning the game has never been easier. Learning online, beginners can easily pick up the game of blackjack before heading to the casino. So here is the first installment of online blackjack for beginers! Today’s post begins with blackjack terminology.

Some basic terms of the game:

21 wins: Aces count as either a 1 or 11, face cards 10, all other cards counted as they are marked.

Hard Hand: is a hand that does not include an ace. What you see on your two cards is your total count, such as 6 + 8 = 14.

Soft Hand: a hand that includes an ace in the first two cards dealt. It has two values, depending on whether you use the ace as 1 or 11. So a 5 and an ace could be 6 or 16.

Stiff Hand: a potential bust hand, such as a 13 or 14, but especially a hard 15 or 16, which are the two worst hands you can get (unless the 16 is two 8s, then you split). Push: same count as the dealer -- a tie -- no money is exchanged, you don't win or lose.

Burn Cards: number of cards casino discards at the beginning of a new shuffle.

Multiple Decks: four or more decks played in a game, always dealt face up.

Single or Double Decks: played in a game, first two cards are dealt face down.

If you play blackjack with poor strategy or instinct, you give the casino an advantage of over 5%.

Remember, focus on the dealer. The objective is not to get as close to 21 as possible, but to beat the dealer. It's very possible to win with a 13 or 14 count.

Tomorrow I will post a chart that will help you make the critical decision. Hit or Stand. That concludes today’s post of online blackjack for beginners.

Until next time,

B.J.