Online Blackjack UK Casinos

Last Updated on May 30, 2024 by Mary

What is Blackjack?

So, what is Blackjack? It is the most widely played casino game in the world.

Incredibly popular in the UK, Blackjack is one of the many variations of the game 21. It is a card game where the player plays directly against a casino dealer. The game aims to make 21 with your cards.

Players place their bets at the start of each hand. If they score better than the dealer, they win. If the dealer has a superior hand, they lose.

Winning bets are paid out at even money (1/1). Therefore, if a player wins the hand, they double their money. If they lose, their original bet goes to the casino.

If a player gets ‘Blackjack’, a hand made up of any card with a value of ten and an Ace, they will be paid out at odds of 6/4. In other words, if they place a £10 bet at the start of the hand and get ‘Blackjack’, they will earn a return of £25, £15 of which is profit. Instead of the usual £20, £10 of which is profit.

How do you play Online Blackjack in the UK?

Before you play online blackjack, it’s essential to understand the game’s rules. Knowing the basics and how the game is played will help you avoid costly errors.

The game begins with the player (you) being dealt two cards. The dealer is also dealt two cards. You will then be offered a third card. You can choose to take the third card or deny it. If you deny the third card, your total will remain. If you opt for another card, you will have a new total. However, if you take another card and your total amounts to more than 21, you’re out of the hand, and the dealer wins.

Here’s an example:

Let’s say you are dealt a five and a King, for a total of 15. Why? In a typical deck of cards, any King equals 10, so it’s a case of 5 + 10.

You choose another card and are dealt a Four. Now you have 19, which, given the maximum of 21, gives you a strong hand.

After two cards, the dealer shows 14. He must now take another card to try to beat you. It’s important to note that the dealer must try to beat the player if they are showing 16 or under. Therefore, in this situation, the dealer must take another card.

The dealer is dealt a seven after showing 14 with their first two cards, giving them 21. As a result, the dealer wins, and the player loses their bet.

Here’s another online blackjack scenario:

You’re dealt a Six and an Eight. You take another card and get another Six. You’re showing 20. The dealer is showing 17 after two cards. In this instance, you win.

Remember, if the dealer shows more than 16 with their first two cards, they don’t take another card.

The options after the deal:

Once players have been dealt their cards, they have specific options, as mentioned above.

• The first option is to HIT. This means taking another card.
• The second option is to STAND, which means to stick with what you’ve got and reject another card.
• You can also DOUBLE DOWN. This is where you take another card but double bet to do so. This is the only legal way to put more money down and thus increase the size of your potential winnings once the hand has begun.
• Lastly, you can SPLIT. Here, you can separate your cards into two different hands. You must add another bet of the same stake to the new hand. The two hands are then independent and thus count as two single bets.

What makes Casino Blackjack so popular?

If you go into any casino, you will see several casino blackjack tables in operation, and they are usually busy, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Casino blackjack is popular because it is quite an exciting game. Everything often hinges on the next card so players won’t be bored.

Players tend to enjoy the element of choice once the game begins. For example, once you’ve been dealt two cards, you can choose what to do next; this gives players an element of control that other casino games do not. Take roulette; once the wheel is spinning, the player can no longer have any input.

Another factor that makes casino blackjack popular is the low house edge. Typically, the house edge is around 1%, while many other casino games have a house edge of 3%.

Perhaps the biggest reason Blackjack is so popular amongst casino visitors and online bettors is that it’s a simple learning game. Most people pick up the basics of the game very quickly.

Blackjack is also a game that suits strategy. Players can learn more about the game and adapt their strategy to increase their chances of winning in the long run. For lots of players, being able to use strategy when playing casino blackjack is a big part of what makes the game so appealing.

Top-Rated Online Blackjack Sites UK

The House Edge in Online Blackjack

If you’ve played in online blackjack casinos or read about casino games, you’ve probably encountered the term ‘house edge’. What is the house edge? Well, in a nutshell, the house edge is how the casino ensures that it makes money.

I know what you’re thinking; it’s crazy. How can it be open knowledge that the casino has the edge over its players? Sure, that’s a reasonable reaction, but at the end of the day, the casino isn’t there for players to have fun, and it’s certainly not there to lose money. The casino exists to make money, and applying a house edge to each game ensures that it has a mathematical advantage.

That’s what the house edge is – a slight mathematical advantage that guarantees long-term profit. Typically, the house edge is 3%, but it can be as low as 1% for some games. Blackjack is widely acknowledged as having the lowest house edge, around 1%.

If we take a large sample size of bets, the casino will keep roughly 1% of the money players bet over the long run. Naturally, many gamblers rely heavily on emotions; they make rash decisions and generally keep gambling until they lose, so the casino often makes a lot more than 1%. However, if a player plays steadily for an extended period, the basic math behind the blackjack game suggests that the casino has a 1% edge in the long run.

It is critical to understand that the house edge exists over a considerable period after thousands of bets. You cannot expect to sit at a blackjack table for 30 minutes and lose precisely 1%. If you play steadily long enough, you’ll likely lose around 1% of your money playing blackjack. What happens in the short term is largely down to luck and variance.

To play online blackjack, you must understand the house edge and factor it into your betting. Doing so will give you the best chance of success.

Blackjack Strategy

Understanding the house edge nicely leads to strategy and strategy’s role in blackjack.

Any successful gambler employs strategy, whether a sports bettor, a financial investor, or a card player. You can get lucky in the short term, but if you don’t have a strategy, your luck will run out, probably sooner rather than later, and you’ll lose money.

You need to deploy a strategy to get the most out of Blackjack. A Blackjack strategy starts with understanding everything about the game. Learn about the fundamentals, watch people play the game, know when you have a good hand, know when you have a terrible hand, and learn how to make intelligent blackjack decisions.

The probabilities

Vital to the Blackjack player is a sound understanding of the probabilities involved. Each hand has a probability attached to it. If you know the probability of winning based on your hand, you’ll make more intelligent decisions about hitting, standing, splitting, and doubling down.

You’ll also want to know the probability of busting if you choose to take another card. For example, if you’re showing 21, the likelihood of you busting if you take another card is 100%.

Here is the complete list of busting probabilities:

Knowing the above probabilities will allow you to make more informed betting decisions when playing online blackjack.

For example, if you don’t know these, you might decide to hit on an 18, thinking that getting lucky would give you a great hand. However, if you know that there’s a 69% chance that you’ll go bust, you’re less likely to make such a choice.
Card counting

One particular strategy that casino blackjack players have been using for years is card counting. This strategy has different variations, but the basic and most used one involves assigning a value to every card.

Using those values, you then keep a running count of the cards that have been dealt. You then use this information to inform your betting decisions.

Many people believe card counting is a myth or doesn’t work. Both of those claims are false.

Card counting is a tried and tested method. It works. The problem is that it is difficult to pull off. Moreover, it’s boring, you must be focused, and it requires great attention to detail. Realistically, people don’t go to the casino or visit an online blackjack casino to work. They want to relax and have fun, so most Blackjack players don’t employ a card-counting strategy.

Doubling down

Doubling down is a crucial part of Blackjack. Besides splitting, it is the only time you add more money to your bet.

If you don’t bother to double down or fail to double down at the right time, then you’re effectively increasing the house edge, thus making it more likely that you’ll lose in the long run.

You must buy your next card by doubling your bet to double down. For example, if you’ve already bet £10 on the hand, after receiving your third card, you’ll double down and put another £10 on the table.

Blackjack mistakes

Many blackjack players, especially inexperienced ones, do several things that are worth avoiding.

One of the biggest mistakes bettors make is thinking that a win is coming closer. If a dealer wins several times in a row, a player will often increase the size of their bet dramatically because they believe there is now a great chance of success. This is a big mistake. Every hand begins with the same mathematical edge. You are no less or more likely to win at a point at the beginning of a hand, even if the dealer has won 50 times in a row.

Another mistake that Blackjack players make is believing they always have to stay in the hand in the hope that the dealer busts. This thinking often leads to standing in the hands of 12 or 13, which, in the long run, will only result in losing.

Online Blackjack vs Real Casinos

In the past, if you wanted to play Blackjack, you had to visit a casino facility. Thanks to the rise in online casinos in the UK, you can play Blackjack by simply visiting an online casino using your desktop computer or mobile device.

So, what is better, Playing Blackjack online or in a casino? Both have pros and cons.

For example, visiting a casino can be a great way to spend an evening, as you have the social element. You can chat with friends, enjoy drinks and play blackjack. You’ll also get the enjoyment of handling the chips and putting them down on the table, which, for some casual players, is all part of the fun.

On the flip side, playing Online Blackjack is more convenient. You do not have to leave your home. If you download one of the many online casino apps, you don’t have to leave the comfort of your sofa.

Another benefit of playing Online Blackjack via a casino website or mobile app is the speed of the gameplay. It’s faster, and there is less waiting between hands. You also have more choices regarding minimum stakes when playing online, meaning you can find a suitable game. If you visit a casino, you are bound by the table limits.

Finally, if you play Online Blackjack, you’ll be able to benefit from welcome casino bonuses and other promotions, which are not available in a physical casino.

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Mary

This article is written by Mary, a seasoned professional with a rich background as a casino croupier now transitioned into a digital publisher with a keen focus on the online casino scene. With years of firsthand experience on the casino floor, Mary offers her unique perspective to the digital world of gambling.

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