Introduction to Blackjack

Blackjack is a fast-paced casino game. It is part of the table and card games offered in every casino around the world and it is the second most popular card gambling game, after poker. The huge popularity of blackjack is evident precisely because blackjack is one of the few gambling games that does not only depend on luck. This means that good players who master the basic blackjack strategy can gain an advantage over the casino. Many players enjoy playing their favorite blackjack games at online casinos. Most online casinos offer the game of blackjack as a software-based game controlled by a random number generator (RNG) or they have the choice of playing live-dealer blackjack that simulates real casino games.

When playing blackjack on the casino's software, there is no possibility of counting cards, as there is an automatic shuffle after each hand played, so the probability of reaching different blackjack hands is the same in each round. The random number generator ensures fair play and players can still gain an advantage by using blackjack strategy while playing. In live dealer blackjack, the game is played from a real casino studio with real professional dealers that are streamed to your computer using online casino software. Several players have the opportunity to play at the same table and see that the cards have actually been shuffled and dealt. Live-dealer blackjack creates opportunities that are identical to those in land-based casinos so that players with good card counting skills can get a big advantage on these games.

Over the years, many different variations of blackjack have been invented. The purpose of the game is often the same, while the individual rules that govern each version of blackjack are different. Sometimes the variations are as small as, for example, whether re-splitting aces is allowed or not, while other times it involves larger variations such as whether the dealer has to draw or stand on a soft 17, or how many decks the version is played with.