Blackjack

There is a real sense of class and style with blackjack. So much so, in fact, that playing for online blackjack real money remains one of the most popular gaming experiences here at Top Dog Slots. In this very latest guide, we shall give you even more knowledge to help you play online blackjack.

Top Blackjack Variants

Many of you will be at least partially familiar with the classic blackjack game, but there are other variants out there that can be worth trying…

Classic Blackjack

In classic blackjack, you play from a shoe of cards that can be comprised of six to eight decks. The object of the game is for you and the dealer to draw cards and finish closest to 21 without going beyond that and becoming bust. Ace can be scored as one or 11, face cards are 10, and numerical cards are simply what they show. Here are some of the actions:

  • Dealer strategy: Often, the dealer will hit on a soft 16, but stand on a soft 17.
  • Natural blackjack: Get a 3:2 payout instead of 1:1 by getting an ace and a face card.
  • Splitting: Split two matching cards and lay down an additional stake for the new hand. Please note that aces can only be split once.
  • Doubling: Double the size of your stake after your first two cards are displayed, but you can only receive one more card.
  • Insurance: You can buy insurance at half the initial bet if the dealer’s up-card shows and ace. You will win 2:1 with the half-bet if the dealer gets blackjack.

Double Exposure

Classic blackjack sees the dealer start with one hole-card and one up-card. In contrast, double exposure blackjack will see the dealer start with two hole-cards, which means that both are showing. Here are some other contrasts with classic blackjack rules:

  • Payouts: Natural blackjack pays only 1:1 instead of 3:2.
  • Ties: Dealers wins all ties except when the player has natural blackjack.
  • Splits: Players are only allowed to split their cards once.

Blackjack Switch

This strange variant provides both you and the dealer with two hands. In the beginning, you are given the option to switch the two hands. Blackjack switch pays out only 1:1 for a natural 21, considering the advantage that is given to the player.

Progressive Blackjack

You can also find that some blackjack games have progressive jackpots. Winning the jackpot will require a truly amazing feat, such as making a side-bet on a highly unlikely outcome. For example, this could entail getting a perfect pair on your first two cards.

Five-hand

When it comes to five-hand blackjack, the explanation is as simple as the name would suggest. This is a much larger experience in that you will be challenged to play with five hands simultaneously against the dealer’s lone hand.

Single-deck

Once again, the name is as simple as suggested. This refined version of blackjack is as close to historical original game as you can get. There is only one deck of cards, so you really have to take notice of the dealer’s up-card.

Multiplayer

In a casino, you play blackjack with multiple players involved. If you like that experience, then you are going to appreciate multiplayer blackjack for how social it feels. Live blackjack is a popular way to play in this regard.

Comparing Hard Hands to Soft Hands

Quite simply, a hard hand means that you do not hold an ace. The use of the word hard is to convey that you do not have options. If you do have an ace, however, then your hand is a soft one, as the ace can be counted as either one or 11 in the scoring.

Popular Blackjack Strategies

There are a handful of online blackjack strategies that the top players favour above all of these others. These strategies have been around for a very long time, even before online blackjack, so there must be a reason. You might want to try playing online blackjack free games in order to master some of these.

Martingale

Simplicity is the beauty of the Martingale system. That is because you simply double the value of each bet after you lose. The intention is to keep repeating the process until you do win. At this point, you will recoup all of the losses plus a little extra.

Paroli

Martingale is a negative system, whereas Paroli is most certainly a positive one. In this strategy, you double your bet three times as part of a winning progression. If you lose, then you will instead return to the base bet and attempt to start the progression over again.

Parlay

In Parlay, the strategy works by adding your winnings on top of the original bet after every win. Players often term this as “Let it ride” because you are leaving everything on the table. This can be risky, however, in that you might lose everything.

1-3-2-6

The numbers refer to betting units (e.g. £1, £3, £2, and £6). The goal of this blackjack strategy is to make those bets as part of a winning progression. As such, you go back to the start if you lose without completing the sequence.

Labouchère

Online blackjack free is a great way for you to get to grips with Labouchère and all of the other betting systems. In this case, you decide how much to want to win and then decide on a group of numbers that will get you to that amount. You remove numbers after winning, but you add the value of any losses. The aim is to cancel off all the numbers.

What You Gain from Top Dog Blackjack

Here at Top Dog Slots, there is a lot to gain from online blackjack:

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