Festival Casino - BlackJack

Blackjack is a card game whose origins date back to the 16th century in France. It got the English name of Blackjack because originally if a player managed to get an Ace of Spades (the color of spades is black) and also the Jack of Spades, you would be paid an additional amount. This stuck in the players’ minds & henceforth the name of blackjack took prominence.

The idea of the game is to get as close to 21 with going over.

To play online casino blackjack:

Each other has their own setting marked on the table and they will use this to place their bets. The dealer then deals two cards to each player at the table, including himself. One card displayed up & the other face down.

The card values are determined in the following manner. The face cards 9jack, queen & king) all count as ten points, including of course the number ten card. The Ace is a “soft” card meaning that the player has the choice of using it as a one (1) or eleven (11). The remaining cards simply go by their displayed number.

The Points

If the player is lucky enough to receive an Ace although with a ten value card, then he has a “blackjack” & received 1.5 times his original wager (3:2), excepting if the dealer although gets a blackjack, where the game will then be designated as a “push”. A push is a neutral situation where there is neither a win, nor a loss counted against the player, the player is simply returned their wager. All other winning hands are paid at even money (1:1).

A blackjack hand with two cards is a higher valued hand than any other hand that has a total point scoring of 21 (i.e. 7,8,6) Although a blackjack & another hand, like the one mentioned, may have a total points scoring of 21, the blackjack hand will always win.

Players not fortunate to have received a blackjack then have the choice to stick (hold) their present hand or continue drawing from the deck until they either “bust” (go over 21) or decide to stick. The term for asking for an additional card from the dealer is “hit”. Player’s who bust forfeit their bet, whether or not the dealer also busts.

The rules concerning whether the dealer draws another card are actually fixed by the house. There are some minor variations in some casinos but generally the dealer will continue to draw cards but will stick on a hand valued 17 or higher. In some casinos if the dealer has a soft 17 (Ace & six), they are allowed to draw another card.

Online Blackjack terminology

BET:
A particular number of coins or tokens placed in the betting circle.

RE-BET:
Repeating the original bet paid at the same amount.

DEAL:
To receive a hand the dealer, or the online blackjack software will give you two cards to start.

HIT (CHART):
To receive an additional card.

STAND:
Hold on your existing hand.

SPLIT (TO DIVIDE):
If you receive a pair of the same value cards in your initial hand, you have the option to split the hand & make two separate hands. This involves placing an additional bet for the new hand. If splitting two Aces, even if you then receive a ten in either hand, this is not counted as a blackjack paying 3:2, but rather as a standard hand totaling 21.

DOUBLE:
After receiving your first two cards you have the option to “double”. This also involves doubling the original bet & you will then receive only one additional card.

INSURE (INSURANCE):
When the player sees the up-card of the dealer is an Ace, they have the option of taking “Insurance” before resuming play. Some players take insurance as they are concerned that the down card (hidden card) of the dealer may be a ten making up a blackjack. Insurance will cost the player an addition of one half times the original bet. If the player does have a blackjack, the insurance bet pays 2:1. If there is no blackjack, then the insurance bet is lost but play will continue as normal to decide the winner.