Best Blackjack Online Casinos in Ireland

Before we dive into the intricacies of the game of blackjack itself, let's briefly review the basic rules of the game. While the rules may differ from casino to casino, here is a brief overview of how to play blackjack.

Aim of the game In blackjack, the aim of the game is to get as close to twenty-one as possible without going over. A score of twenty-one (21) is called a “blackjack” or a “natural” and is the highest possible hand. It is important to note that in the game of blackjack, the player is playing against the dealer, not against the other players.

Cards The deck for blackjack consists of four suits (Spades, Hearts, Diamonds and Clubs) and 52 cards (2 to 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace). The Ace card has a numerical value of either 1 or 11 depending on the hand. Each round of blackjack is played with one full deck of cards.

Betting Before the cards are dealt, every player at the table must place an ante (also known as a ‘bet’) of an agreed-upon amount. The size of the bet is up to the player, but if the player wants to stay in the game, they must at least match the size of the ante.

Dealing Once all the players have placed their bets, the dealer deals two cards to each player and two cards to himself, one of which is face up and one of which is face down. Each player should now have two cards, and the dealer should have two (one face up and one face down). Players check to see what their total hand value is.

Gameplay Players can now decide whether to ‘hit’ (take another card) or ‘stand’ (stick with the two cards already dealt) depending on their hand total. Most casinos allow players to ‘Hit’ as many times as they want until they get to 21. To win, a player’s hand must beat the dealer’s hand, without going over 21.

If the dealer has 17 or more points on his first two cards without an Ace, he will not draw another card. If he has 16 or fewer points on the first two cards with an Ace, he must hit. Once all players have made their decisions, the dealer will play his hand by drawing cards until he reaches a total of 17 or more.

Payout Once all the cards have been dealt and the dealer shows his total, it is time to compare hands and calculate the payout. Generally, if the player’s hand is higher than the dealer’s, the player wins. Any winnings will be paid out at even money. If there is a draw, the bet amount will be returned to the player.

There are now many different variations of blackjack available at online casinos. Here is a list of some of the more popular types of blackjack available online.

Single Deck Blackjack This is the most basic form of blackjack and it is played with one deck of 52 cards. The main appeal of this version of blackjack is that it often has the lowest house edge of all variants (assuming that the rules are standard and the player knows what to do).

Double Down This is a variation of traditional blackjack, where the player is allowed to double their bet after receiving their first two cards. The player must then stand after receiving one more card.

European Blackjack In this variation of blackjack, the dealer does not receive a hole card (a second face down card). This makes it easier for players to make correct decisions about when to receive additional cards or stand, leading to slightly better odds for the player.

Pontoon Pontoon is a blackjack variant that originated in British casinos and it is similar to the American version of the game. However, there are a few key differences, such as the player not being able to split or double down after splitting. It also has different rules for when the dealer must let gamblers resplit their cards.

Super Fun 21 This is an exciting variation of blackjack, which is often available at many online casinos. Some of the main variations in this version include players being able to split up to four times, as well as benefiting from extra bonuses when they are dealt specific combinations of cards.

In the game of blackjack, strategy is an important factor if players want to maximize their chances of winning. Here