Blackjack has been popular for hundreds of years, and is believed to have developed from a French game called Ving-et-Un. When this was first played in the 1700s, it was an elite entertainment that was enjoyed only by the aristocracy, but today everyone, including online casino players in South Africa, has access to the game. Blackjack has simple rules that give rise to many different outcomes, and its combination of strategy and elements of chance make it exciting and thought-provoking at the same time. For thinking players, it’s the perfect sophisticated entertainment.
The name Ving-et-Un actually means Twenty-One in French, and Blackjack is often still called Twenty-One as well. This comes from the fact that the objective of the game is always to reach a hand total of twenty-one, or as close to that as possible without going over it.
Starting off
To begin each round, players are dealt two cards each. The dealer, representing the House, also gets two cards. The Ace cards have a value of one or eleven, the Royal cards all have a value of ten and the Number cards all carry their face value. Before the cards are dealt, you need to place your bet. Essentially, you are always betting on your hand winning.
After players have seen their hand they can keep drawing cards to try and improve the total, and the dealer has to keep drawing until reaching a total of at least seventeen. When everyone is happy and is standing, all hands are revealed. If you and the dealer both have totals over twenty-one, the House wins. If both the dealer’s and your hands are under twenty-one, you lose your bet if your total is lower, win if yours is higher, and can keep your bet if the totals are tied. If you have a combination of an Ace and a Royal card, you’re in luck! This is the combination every player dreams of, and is called a Natural Blackjack or Natural Twenty-One. It yields a hugely rewarding 3:2 payout.
Immersive Card Comparing Entertainment
The game will draw you in as soon as you start to play it, and you’ll want to begin mastering your Blackjack strategy. Playing online makes this easy – there are many online resources to help you do just that, and you can apply what you learn as you go along. Aside from guidelines and advice, you’ll find many online tools to help you as well. For example, there are great tables to help you calculate the odds of every situation. You should also consider investigating card counting which can almost erase the house edge and can give players a slight advantage as well. Be careful though – deviating from a recommended strategy, even slightly, can really decrease your odds of winning. Take all advice under consideration, and evolve your own style slowly. Most online South African casinos allow you to play for free without making a deposit, which gives you a chance to build your confidence and hone your skills to place real bets like players of real money blackjack Australia.
As you keep playing Twenty-One online, you’ll keep learning and developing. The experience can only get deeper, more satisfying and more financially rewarding over time.