Blackjack is a popular card game in which the player attempts to have the cards that have been dealt him closer to the number of 21 then the dealer and his cards dealt

Learning how to play Blackjack online is a great way to learn the game from the comfort of ones own home and many websites are available for both novice and experienced players.

At the outset the player makes a bet and is dealt two cards, one face down and the other face up. The dealer also deals themselves two cards, both of the cards are face up. Each number card is worth its face value in points. Cards are worth their face value and Jacks, Queens and Kings are worth ten points each and the Ace card can be worth one or eleven. The idea of the game is to get as close to 21 without going over as you can.

If the round ends in a tie, a “Push” occurs and all bets are returned.

After receiving the initial two cards the player may choose to ask for another card. This is called a “Hit”. The player may keep taking cards or choose to “Stand” if they have not achieved twenty-one, but do not wish to receive anymore cards for fear of going over twenty-one and going “Bust”.

If a player receives two cards of the same value they may choose to “Split” the cards and play them each as individual hands. The player may also choose to “Double Down” which doubles the bet amount and gives the player one more card in which to complete their hand.

Novice players can take advantage of such sites as hitorstand.net that serve as Blackjack trainers, or try a free site like games.com or pogo.com to play in either a single or multiplayer setting.

Those wishing to play for real money can try sites like gocasino.com or grandvegas.com. Keep in mind country or state laws when looking to play for real money, as many areas do not allow gambling online.

For a table game, Blackjack, has pretty good odds. The house has a small edge of about .05% that is if you learn how to play the game and understand basic strategy. Those are pretty good odds for a casino game but you have to be willing to put some time and energy into learning the game. If you guess at Blackjack strategy you are giving the house about a 2% edge and that means you lose 4 times more than the house.

Learn the game if you plan on playing for money or you might as well go down to a homeless shelter and give them your money.

By Sandra Tiffany
Sandra Tiffany has lived in Las Vegas for a number of years and through her friends that are blackjack dealers on the strip she has learned a great deal about the winning strategy to playing and winning at Blackjack. Her site has many articles, books, games and on-line blackjack sites to review. http://www.howtoplayblackjacksite.com