Blackjack: Casinos- Online or Bricks-and-Mortar.

Since the game, the rules and the techniques used in blackjack are the same whether you play in a bricks-and-mortar casino or an online casino, they are both very different environments which will change matters greatly.

We use the term bricks-and-mortar casino when you are face to face with the croupier, in a real casino, not a virtual one. We use the term online casino if you are playing with software that is connected to a casino on the internet.

Reasons for playing online blackjack:

Blackjack on the internet has some very good advantages, and we recommend that you begin your blackjack career on this playing field, before going to a real casino, and attempt to use the experience to improve your game.

In effect you will be playing in a comfortable environment where you can control the environment of the game, you can play practice rounds for free or with real money, you have the time to consult various techniques and the time to employ them.

In brief, you benefit from ideal conditions for gambling in order to familiarise yourself with the game.

A downside to playing blackjack in an online casino, however, is that you will not be able to use a counting technique.

There exists, nonetheless, some online casinos which offer their players the chance of playing against a real croupier, known as the ‘Live Dealer' option, this is where the croupier is filmed via webcam whilst he carries out his work. In general there will be 8 packs of cards in a game/deck and the deck is re-shuffled at around the half way mark. The advantage that you can gain from card counting is minimal.

Playing blackjack in a bricks-and-mortar casino:

That which will disappoint the novice player is that the playing speed in a casino is very quick when playing blackjack in a real-life casino; the game is played very speedily, the croupier distributes the cards in a flash, and you will literally be holding everybody else up if you seat yourself at a table of habitual blackjack players.

The croupier is there to help you, thus be reassured and relaxed because you are there to have a good time and they will try to ensure your comfort.

Top advice for playing blackjack in a bricks-and-mortar casino:

1. Choose a suitable table:

Before beginning a round of blackjack, you must first chose a table. If you have never played in a casino before, or you are new to the game, then keep the following points in mind.

• Firstly, you must find a table; make sure that it is not reserved for other players- to identify a blackjack table check whether it has the "blackjack pays 3:2" sign attached, as they often do.
• Secondly, consider the sign which indicates the "wager limits". Two figures should be clearly visible: a) the minimum bet. b) The maximum bet. Chose the table which offers the bets which you are most comfortable with.
• Finally, there are various types of blackjack. Chose the classic blackjack, this is the variation that offers the 3:2 win, the croupier will stop at 17 and there are six packs of cards in the deck.

2. Buying your chips.

Once you have chosen your table, you need to buy your chips from the croupier. Take advantage of a natural pause in the game and place your money in front of you at the table, some casinos require that you wait until the croupier has shuffled the cards before allowing you to buy chips.

By how much should you buy? An appropriate amount is between 10 and 20 times the raise that you make in on an average hand. If, for example, you bet around £5 each round then you should buy between £50 and £100's worth of chips.

Do not give the croupier your money directly: for reasons of security, this is forbidden. Instead, simply put your money on the table and the croupier will take it and return some chips to you to the equivalent value in a spot on the table which is especially reserved for returning the chips. There is also a specially reserved place for the return of change too.

If you have any questions then simply ask the croupier: his job is equally to help players understand the rules of the game.

3. Bets:

On the table, in front of you, you will find a circle or a rectangle in which to place your bets. Before each round begins, place the chips representing the sum of your bet in this specified area, in a single pile.

 

If you execute a bet with chips of different values, place those chips that represent the highest values at the bottom of the pile, and the stack in order from highest to lowest.

 

Once the croupier has dealt the cards, you are not allowed to touch the chips that you have put down. If during the course of the game you want to know the value of the chips in your pile, ask the croupier to tell you.

At the end of the round the croupier will pass in order in front of each of the players in order to pay the winners their dividends and recuperate the bets from the losing players.

 

Once the croupier has paid you, you can take your chips off the circle/rectangle and place them for your next bet. If you wish to always bet the same amount, you can make a separate pile for this and leave them in the circle/rectangle.

4. Changing your chips for money:

Once you have finished playing you can exchange your chips for real money. If you have several low value chips you can ask the croupier to change them for higher value ones, your stack will thus be easier to manage.

Wait until the croupier has finished a round then place all your chips on the table (outside of the circle/rectangle where the bets are placed, in order to avoid the chance that the croupier will take them as a bet because once it starts there is no going back!). The croupier will count your chips then exchange them. You can take these chips to another game, or to the cashier to exchange chips for real money.

If you would like to understand how to bet depending on the number of packs of cards in the deck click here.