The origin of Blackjack is in dispute even up to today. It is believed that it began in France somewhere around the 17th century; then became more widely recognized when it made its way to the United States. Blackjack made a definite impact when gambling was legalized in the state of Nevada in 1934. Then in 1962 Edward Thorpe developed the first card counting techniques. More and more players migrated to the casinos to try to use Thorpe's strategy to their advantage much to the consternation of casino Operators. Funny enough though, this actually worked to the the advantage of the casinos, because, as the popularity of Blackjack increased with players trying to perfect the technique, so did the profit margins of the casinos.

The principles behind the game of Blackjack are simple - if your cards total 21 or are closer to 21 than the dealer's hand, then you win. If you are new to the game it is best to acquaint yourself with the rules we have outlined in this section first as well as the terminology. Then we recommend using a simple basic strategy to begin with and later advance to the more complex versions when you are comfortable.

To win a Blackjack hand, you must have a total card count of 21, which could include any card combinations of that value. All cards are valued according to the number displayed on their face. For e.g. the 2-card is valued at 2, the 3-card at 3 and so forth. The only exceptions are the Ace, which can have a value of 1 or 11, depending on which is more advantageous at that given time, and "face cards" (Jack, Queen, and King) which are all valued as 10. If a hand contains an Ace that is valued at 11, the hand is said to be a "soft" hand. For e.g., an Ace and a 7 together is a soft 18. When the Ace is valued at 1, the hand is considered "hard". For e.g. an Ace, 6, and Jack together produce a hard hand 17. A Blackjack hand is one that contains an Ace and card valued at 10.

Before the game can commence, you will need to place a bet. Once the bet is made, you will be dealt 2 cards face up while the dealer will be deal one card face up and the other face down. The card which is face down is known as the Hole card and it remains down until you complete your all your betting. When you no longer wish to take any more cards, i.e. "Stand", the dealer will reveal his hole card. In most variations of Blackjack, a dealer must stand on a Hard 17 but some casinos use different rules and therefore may have different payouts for an authentic Blackjack hand. If the casino's rules state that the dealer must stand on the hard 17, then this will apply with hand totals valued at 17 right through to 21. If the dealer's hand is 16 or less, he will need to "Hit" and continue dealing himself cards until his hand is over 16 or until he "Busts", i.e. goes over 21. Again, be mindful that casino rules may differ depending on where you play, so read the rules carefully.

After you receive your two initial cards, you have one of 4 options. You can:

• Hit. This means to take another card.
• Stand. This means not to take any more cards.
• Double Down, which means you can double your bet but you will only receive one additional card.
• Split. You can only Split cards that are a pair; for e.g. 2 Aces. These will be treated as two separate hands with two separate bets. You may then take as many hits as you want to make your best possible hand.

Some casinos offer a Surrender option which is a play you can make only after the dealer checks for a Blackjack. This option allows you to give up half of your bet without playing out the hand. You should only use this option with your worst hands, because having a 25% chance of winning is a better average than giving up half of your bet.

Another option that may be available to you is to Double Down after you Split. If the casino allows you to do this, then you should, because this can improve your chances by as much as 0.12%.

A very popular betting option is Insurance. You can use Insurance if the dealer's face up card is an Ace and before he checks for Blackjack. With Insurance you can bet up to half the original bet and receive a payout of 2 to 1. The concept behind Insurance is that the dealer's second card has a 33% chance of being a 10-valued card. While the payout may make it an attractive option, it is actually a poor choice for you, because it provides a house edge of over 7%, which is not favourable to you at all.

Learn what not to do when playing Blackjack with our Blackjack Strategy Guide.

Our favourite place to play the game is Platinum Play Casino.

Select another game from the Games menu to learn more about your favourite game.