Black Jack is one of the most famous casino card games in the world. Also known as 21 or Pontoon, Blackjack has captured popular imagination through the use of techniques such as card counting and the apparent ability they grant to swing the game in the players favour and bring down the house.

The exact origins of Blackjack are lost to time, but the game has been around for centuries and was famously referenced by Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote and an avid 21 player, in a short story he wrote in 1601.

The aim of the game is simple, get a total of 21 or be the closets from your cards. The spot cards are valued from 2 to 9 with the 10, jack, queen and king counting for 10. A player can choose between 1 and 11 for the value of an ace.

During the game the player has a number of options available.

• The player can Hit to take another card.
• Stand to take no more cards. Otherwise known as stay, stick or check.
• A Double Down lets you double your bet.
• You can Split a pair if your first two cards are a pair. This will let you play two hands simultaneously, though you must double your bet as well.
• Some casinos allow a Surrender where a player can give up half their bet if the dealer has checked for blackjack.

An extremely addictive game, Blackjack lends itself to many different types of strategies and is renowned for the mixture of luck and skill needed to succeed. Online Blackjack is an excellent way to hone your skills before venturing into a real casino or tournament.

Find out more about sites that offer Online Blackjack at our Online Casino review page. You’ll find that many sites will let you play a few hands for free to get into the swing of the game first, so make sure you take advantage of the practice to improve your online baccarat technique.

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