In 2020, the casino industry pulled in $227 billion in revenues. Gambling is an age-old hobby, and it’s not going away anytime soon by these numbers!

While 61% of casino visitors favor slot machines, there are many other casino games to play. And instead of being purely luck-based, they involve some skill too!

For example, there are table games like poker and blackjack for you to try your hand at.

Playing online blackjack for real money is no easy feat though. There’s a deceivingly easy goal of hitting the number 21, which makes people think they can sit down and master the game immediately.

If you’re interested in playing, then keep reading to get a guide on how to gamble online so you don’t lose your bankroll quickly!

Understand the Rules

Most people already know that you need to earn a total of 21 with your dealt cards. But how do you go about it? And what happens if you go over or under?

First of all, all numbered cards have that value (so a 2 is worth 2 points). Aces can be worth 1 or 11, jacks are 11, queens are 12, and kings are 13.

At the beginning of the game, the dealer will give everyone 2 cards, including themselves. Each turn, you’ll have a chance to either take another card (hit) or not (stand). Once you’ve decided to stand, that’s your total for the round.

The turns will keep going until everyone’s satisfied with their totals or has busted (gone over 21). If you bust, then you’re “disqualified” from the round and you’ll lose your wager.

Now, these turns are only between the players. The dealer plays all their turns at the very end. Keep in mind that they must get a value of 16 or higher; they must keep hitting until that happens.

What’s interesting about blackjack is you don’t play against the other players at the table. Instead, you’re playing against the dealer.

If you have a higher total than the dealer, you win. If they have a higher total, they win. If you tie, then your wager’s returned.

Winnings

There are different winnings, based on the results of the game. If your total is closer to 21 than the dealer’s, then you’ll get a 1:1 payout.

However, if your total is 21, then you’ll get a 3:2 payout. That’s an incentive to hit it right on the nose!

Try Out Strategies

Generally, you’ll want to use this basic strategy:

  • You have under 11: always hit
  • You have a hard 12, dealer has 4-6: stand
  • You have a hard 13-16, dealer has 2-6: stand
  • You have a hard 17 or more: always stand
  • You have a soft 17 or less: always hit
  • You have a soft 18: stand (except if dealer has an ace, 9, or 10)
  • You have a soft 19 or more: always stand

A hard hand means you didn’t have an ace in your initial 2 cards, and a soft hand means you did.

While following a simple strategy works, it can quickly become boring. You’ll want to explore more advanced techniques. We’ll explain some below.

Splitting Hands

If you’re dealt 2 cards that are the same, you can split your hand. This means you’re playing 2 hands instead of 1.

This gives you double the chance to win against the dealer. But in the worst-case scenario, you’ll lose double the money since that second hand isn’t for free.

Here, you should never split 2 face cards (jacks, queens, aces). But you should always split aces and 8s!

Doubling Down

If you’re feeling good about your hand, you can double down whenever you want. This means you’ll double your bet, which will pay out twice as much if you win.

Do note that you only get 1 more card after you make this decision. Even if you get a low card and have a low total, you can’t hit again. This will be your final total!

It’s beneficial to try out different strategies on free online blackjacks. That way, you’ll gain some experience from these practice rounds without spending any money.

Set Playtime Limits

Even if you become the best blackjack player, you can’t spend all your time playing. Gambling can become a real issue, and you might start avoiding responsibilities just to log online and place wagers.

Before it can spiral out of hand, set playtime limits, which can be for time and/or money spent. You should be firm about logging off once you hit those limits each session.

If you’re having trouble doing so, then tweak the online casino’s settings. They’ll usually let you limit time on sessions and money spent in a certain period.

Never Chase Losses

Another thing to keep in mind when you bet online is to never chase losses. Everyone hits losing streaks, and that’s ok.

What you should do is log off and go do something else. It’ll clear your mind and frustrations, plus it’ll save you some money too.

If you haven’t hit your predetermined limit for the day, then you can consider signing back on later. Otherwise, better luck next time!

Unless you’re a professional gambler, you should never push yourself. View your deposit as buying time to play online blackjack. Sometimes, that’ll buy you an hour, while others, it’ll only buy 10 minutes; you never know!

Start Playing Online Blackjack for Real Money

Playing online blackjack for real money can be a real treat, especially if you’ve got a firm grasp on the game. Not only can you have fun, but you might earn some pocket money in the process!

Make sure you set play limits though. Without them, you might end up playing for hours and losing your hard-earned cash. So long as you treat it as buying fun, you can’t go wrong.

Want to expand your online gambling knowledge? Then browse the rest of our blog page now!