If you want to know how to play blackjack online, you’ve come to the right place. The ultimate goal of reaching 21 with your cards is simple enough, but there is more to it, especially if you want to be successful! Generally speaking, there are 7 basic steps that you need to know to get started:
The first step when playing online blackjack for real money or for free is to find and table and join in! Different tables may have different minimum bets, so make sure you find a table that is suitable for you.
Once you’ve joined a blackjack online casino table, you’ll have to wait until all players are ready. When everyone is ready, the dealer will provide each player with two cards face up. The dealer also gives themselves two cards as well, but this time one of their cards is face up while the other is face down.
- Step 2: Understand When to “Hit” or “Stand”
This is where the strategy of an online blackjack game comes in. In this step, you need to understand the value of your hand and think about the potential value of the dealer's hand as well (with only the information of their card that is face up).
Are you close enough to 21 with your two cards? Or do you need more cards to get closer to the elusive 21? Remember, it’s not just about getting 21, but getting closer to 21 than the dealer, so think about what they could have as well. This is where playing an online blackjack free game comes in handy because you can practise as long as you like for free.
If you think you aren’t close enough to 21, then ask the dealer to dish out another card for you. Remember, when you choose to “hit” you may risk going bust, which is when the value of your cards ends up being greater than 21.
- Step 4: Choose to “Stand”
When you choose to “stand” you will receive no more cards from the dealer, and then you are waiting to see what the dealer’s hand is. You’ll likely choose to “stand” when the value of your two original cards is high enough. Many experts believe the cut-off to be at 17.
- Step 5: Value of Your Hand
After steps three and four, you may find yourself with a new value of your hand. The good news is that as long as your hand is at 21 or less, you’ll remain in the game, and you’re able to “hit” as many times as you like while remaining 21 or under. When you play a blackjack online game, you always need to be aware of the value of your hand.
- Step 6: Dealer Reveals Their Hand
We are getting closer to the end now! If you didn’t go bust in the previous steps, you’re still in the game and this is when the dealer will reveal their hand.
- Step 7: See Who is Closer to 21
The final step of online blackjack in Australia is to see who’s hand is closer to 21. If your hand is closer to 21 and the dealer has less than 16, they have to keep dealing themselves cards until the total is 17 or more. If the dealer has 17 they “stand”, and if they have 21 or are closer to 21, then they win. But if they go bust or you end up being closer to 21, then you win!
If strategy and luck are in your favour and you’ve beaten the dealer, they will give you your winnings! Remember, the amount you get paid will depend on the type of bet you placed. It’s great to play blackjack online for fun to get the practice in before putting any real funds down.
Rules for Playing Blackjack
So, you’ve got the steps down pat, now for the rules! There are a handful of basic rules that are important to keep in mind when you play an online blackjack game. The most important rule is to understand how payouts work because they differ in various scenarios.
Here’s all the additional rules for playing blackjack that you need to be aware of:
- Regular win pays 1:1 - This payout occurs when the value of your hand is closer to 21 than the dealer. It is the most common form of win in blackjack online.
- Blackjack win pays 3:2 - This payout occurs when the value of your hand equals 21. When your hand equals 21, it is called a “blackjack”.
- Dealer’s hand is 16 and below - When this is the case, the dealer must hit on their hand.
- “Hit” or “Stand” - We touched on this above, but these are the options available to players. You can choose to add card/s to your hand (i.e. a “hit”) or leave your hand as is (i.e. a “stand”), all to get as close to 21 as possible.
- Split - This is when things can get a little complicated, especially for beginners. You can turn your hand of two cards into two separate hands. This gives you an additional chance to beat the dealer. However, remember this is only an option if your two original cards are of equal value.
- Double down - Feeling lucky? You can double your bet in the middle of your turn. Here, you will only receive one more card, with no option to “hit” for another card. Sometimes online casinos won’t allow for this move, so just check before playing, if this is something you’re interested in.
Online Blackjack Betting Strategy
By now you already know that there is a lot more strategy involved in blackjack, especially compared to other casino games. But, what are the best online blackjack strategies? One quick internet search and you’ll find that every man and their dog has a thought on what the best online blackjack betting strategies are.
Here at Casino.com, we have tried all the blackjack strategies and believe we have found the most popular three that you should take some time to learn and utilise when playing online blackjack for real money in Australia.
➡️ The Martingale Strategy
This is probably the most common, and we also believe it to be the best strategy for online blackjack in Australia. With this strategy, you need to have good attention to detail and have a lot of patience.
Players double their bet after they lose their hand. So, for example, if you lose your first hand on a $5 bet, you’ll put down $10 on your second hand. If you lose your second hand, the next hand, you’ll put down $20.
If you have good counting skills, then this strategy can be very beneficial for you, as you’ll have the ability to identify when the odds are looking good for you. We’ve also found this is a good strategy when playing an online blackjack game without a live dealer because it’s easier to track your hand.
➡️ The D’Alembert Strategy
Another strategy that we’ve found works quite well is the D’Alembert Strategy. This strategy is quite simple and it is a negative progression system that dictates how much you should bet when playing online blackjack in Australia.
Much like the Martingale Strategy, this strategy is quite straightforward. All you need to do is increase your stake after you lose (like the Martingale Strategy), but after a win, you decrease your stake amount. This is a great strategy to help you chase down any losses.
➡️ The Labouchere Strategy
If you are a more experienced blackjack player, this could be a great strategy for you! Like the other strategies, you’re raising or decreasing your bets after each win or loss, but with the Labouchere Strategy, it’s a bit more complicated.
With this strategy, you need to keep track of a series of numbers, for example 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Then you need to make a bet which is the sum of the first and last number (i.e. 1 + 6 = 7). If you win this hand, then 1 and 7 are removed and the process begins again (this time 2 + 5 = 7).
If your first hand (i.e. 1 + 6 = 7) loses, the entire bet is added back to the end of your original sequence of numbers, so now you have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Then in your next hand, you’re looking for 1 + 7 = 8. It is another negative progressions system, and if you’re able to stick until the end of the cycle, you’ll be in profit.
