Casino BlackJack Guide and Strategy
BlackJack (sometimes called "twenty-one") is one of the simplest card games to pick up on, and it is the most popular table game at the casino. Unlike most other casino games, it is also possible to use skill to gain a slight advantage over the house! The advantage from using methods such as card-counting is small however, estimated to be around 1% in the long-run (which equates to 1 penny profit for each pound sterling wagered).
You play against the dealer with the aim being to draw cards out of the deck with the aim of making your hand add up to 21. If you go over 21, you go bust and the dealer wins. If the dealer gets closer to 21 than you, the dealer wins.
Doubling Down
If a player does not get a BlackJack on their first two cards,
they have the opportunity of doubling down. By doubling down,
the player places a wager the same as the original again, to bet that the
next card dealt will result in a BlackJack.
Insurance
If the dealer deals himself an ace as the first card, the players are offered insurance. Insurance means that you can place an "insurance" bet on the dealer getting blackjack (dealing a 10) on the next hand. If the dealer get blackjack on the next card, you lose your original bet, but win on the insurance, so end up evens. In terms of blackjack strategy, as a rule of thumb, never take the insurance! Betting on insurance is a bad bet unless you're card-counting and are sure of the outcome (which most of us aren't) and it gives the house a house advantage of around 8%, which is far more than normal.
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