The Blackjack Breakdown

Smart gamblers who know a thing or two about blackjack games have discovered there are differences between the land-based game and the one on your computer. The good news is that with a little help, you’ll be ready to take advantage of a classic game that still offers the best odds in the house. Ignore the differences and you’ll be giving away odds and your hardearned cash.

As thousands of online gambling players have already discovered, blackjack in the gambling.com community is a great way to play for real money and tournament cash prizes. The graphics are sharp and games feature just-like-being-there sounds. Use the Ultimate Online Blackjack Breakdown get to know gambling.com blackjack with winning in mind.

Basic Strategy

Basic blackjack strategy is even more important online that it is in a casino. Basic strategy is a system of “perfect play” devised by computer scientists in the 1950s. It tells you what to play and when to play it, and shaves the house edge to next-tonothing (for an in-depth look at basic strategy, gambling.com magazine’s resident blackjack genius Les Golden takes readers through its finer points). When playing blackjack online, whatever intuition factored into a land-based game goes out the window. There are no newbies hitting when they shouldn’t and sucking your cards out of the deck. Find a chart that covers the 2 game variations offered at gambling.com (more on that later) and don’t deviate. And if you hit a cold run stick with it, give the maths a chance to do its work.

Card Counting Doesn’t Work

In casinos, card counters wait until the deck is in their favour to break the rules and increase their bets. Online players have no such luxury. This means basic strategy is more important than ever. gambling. com blackjack uses 8 decks for both their blackjack variations and “reshuffles” after 10% of the cards have come out (you will actually hear the dealer shuffling the cards when the deck is recalculated.) So you can expect to see 42 cards come out before the computer starts again (52 x 8 x 0.1).
Just in case you are worried that you’re missing something by not card counting, don’t worry. Card counting may be simple, but it’s not easy. If it were, everyone would be getting rich. Stick to the basics and avoid irrational judgments on what you think “should” happen. gambling.com blackjack employs a Random Number Generator (RNG) that ensures every hand is completely random. So even if 5 aces come out in a row, there is no reason to expect – or not expect – a sixth.

Learn the Rules

If you have ever read a book on blackjack by any number of “experts”, you will note that they spend a considerable amount of time discussing basic strategy, what to play and when. Of course for casino gamblers they must have this memorized before sitting at the table. But for online players, simply make sure you stay on course by printing off a basic strategy chart and keep it in front of you while you play. With your charts prepared, you need to ensure you are familiar with game rules. gambling.com offers two exciting blackjack variations - Vegas rules and London rules. Ensure you are familiar with which version you are playing, as it will change your decisions as to how you follow basic strategy. The added bonus of learning the rules and applying them to basic strategy is that it will help your land-based game the next time you visit a casino – and you may not need that self-help book.
Vegas: this version lets players split pairs, buy insurance, and double on any initial two-card combination. Blackjack pays 3:2. Split on any pairs (but re-splitting is not allowed). The game also offers Insurance.
London: the dealer in the London game stands on soft 17s, players can only double on hard totals of 9-11 and can only double after a split. Because the dealer deals his second card after the player is done betting, there is no “peeking”. So beware of aces. If the dealer hits a blackjack, you lose your entire bet regardless of doubling or splits.

Manage Your Stack: Loss Minimization - Basics

Money management in online blackjack is more important than luck. Set win/loss limits. Know how much you would need to win to make your night a success – and if it happens sooner than expected, walk away. Always wager within your limits and stick to them. Don’t overbet because you are on a streak or trying to play catch-up. When angry or excited, it’s so much easier to mash buttons on your computer screen than it would be to count chips in a casino. Avoid swinging betting patterns that don’t make sense in terms of your bankroll. An undisciplined player can win 30 hands, lose 20, and still be in the red.

Define a Bankroll: Loss Minimization - Advanced

The online game moves quickly. There is no dealer, shuffling and other players to slow you down. A session that may have lasted 30 minutes in Vegas could be over in 15 online. Also critical is the bankroll you bring to the table. Any experienced player knows that $50-$100 is not enough to bring to a $25 table. If bad luck comes early, you need a stack to roll with the punches – and you need to be able to double or split when the maths says it’s time. Internet gaming makes it too easy to simply click a few buttons and replenish your account balance. Don’t. Treat every evening of gaming at your computer the same way you would walking into a casino. Bring the right amount of cash, and if it’s gone, it’s gone.

Tournaments Are More Than Luck

gambling.com blackjack tournaments maybe the web’s best gambling value. For a small entry fee, you are guaranteed a large number of hands that would cost a bundle in Vegas and isn’t over sooner than you’d like. You pay a flat fee so you know exactly how much an evening of gambling will cost you. And of course, there are those cash prizes…
Playing at gambling.com with a real money account means access to monthly freerolls (using Ludos). These are tournaments with free entry and real cash prizes. They are also a great way to learn gambling.com blackjack and tournament structure. Once you are in the tournament lobby, there will be a number of different tournaments listed, each with their own prize structure, time allotment, and are organized by either the Vegas or London blackjack variations. To the right, each tournament’s rules and leaderboard is displayed. Also check the payout structure to see where you need to place to win cash. Enter tournaments for as little as a dollar.
Remember that you are playing the competition and not just the house – even if the competition is not staring you down. The goal of tournaments is to win and not to protect your bankroll. Every time you win a hand, your winnings are kept in a separate “score” column. So because there are a finite number of hands you can play, the object is to win as many hands as possible. There are usually only prizes for first, second and third, so you have to make your chips count. Tournaments move faster than you think, so familiarize yourself with basic strategy before the tournament starts.
Two Approaches to Winning
Because you are given a large balance to begin the game, there are two schools of thought as to how to win a gambling.com blackjack tournament.
One method is to wager as much as possible, all the time. The theory is, if you are going to win, you might as well win big, and there is no point betting smaller amounts with the clock ticking. If you have an above average session at the table (winning more than half your hands and/or several wins on doubles and splits) you will be very tough to beat. Of course the risk is busting early due to bad luck. The other method is to bet smaller increments until you feel you are “due” for a streak – either when the cards turn hot for you or when you guess you are likely to come out of a cold run. This will require more patience and is not recommended for beginners. Also pay attention to tournaments already in progress and check their leaderboards. If a tournament leader has a lower score and the tournament is about to expire, this offers a good value entry.
(DISCLAIMER: tournament strategies should not be employed during standard table games.)

General Tips

No matter what strategy you employ, it cannot be said enough that you must adhere to basic strategy. Also remain free of distractions (unplug the phone if you have to) and be prepared to concentrate for the tournament’s time allotment.
Play for fun as often as you can to become familiar with the gambling. com casino interface. Review keyboard shortcuts that can save you time clicking on your mouse. Enter as often as you wish, and of course, relax and remember to have fun.