Mobile Casinos: Blackjack Guide
An old favourite, Blackjack is the perfect gambling game for mobile users. Not only are the rules straightforward, but there's also a skill element as well as the excitement of chance. Add to this the fact that mobile technology seems to be providing us with all sorts of great developments daily, and Blackjack has all the components for a fun way to have fun gambling while out and about.
Of course it would be nice if part of the mobile gambling experience included winning money, so here's a brief guide designed to make the decision making process considerably easier.
Let's first cover the basics. The aim of the game is to beat the dealer. There are two ways to achieve this - either by having a hand with a total higher than the dealer's, or by avoiding a total of more than 21 ('busting') when the dealer busts.
Being dealt blackjack - an ace and any card with a value of 10 - when the dealer has another hand is rewarded with a payout of 1.5 times the initial bet, while all other winning hands are paid at evens. Meanwhile, having a hand with the same total as the dealer's is known as a 'push' and the bet is not lost.
Note that while the face value of the cards count, with the picture cards being 10, an ace can count as either 1 or 11. When we give an ace a value of 1 the hand is known as a 'hard' hand, and a 'soft' hand features an ace with a value of 11. Thus A-9, for example, is hard 10 or soft 20, A-7 is hard 8 or soft 18, and so on. It is important to get used to these dual values as they clearly offer some very useful flexibility.
Betting options
As well as 'hitting' (taking another card) and 'standing' (settling with the cards dealt) there are two additional options available, depending on the initial cards received. 'Doubling Down' is doubling the bet in order to take one more card only. 'Splitting' a pair allows the player - for an additional bet - to split and subsequently play each card as a separate hand.
Tips
It's worth checking the rules of each blackjack game but the following tips will prove helpful when presented with a number of hand combinations.
- Always split 8's and aces. This makes sense because together aces add up to an ugly total of 2, while a lone ace teams up with any 10 value card to make blackjack. 8-8 totals 16, which is a problem hand, but an 8 combined with a 10, for example, is strong.
- Double down with 10 or 11 if this total is greater than the dealer's upcard.
Hard hands:
- With 17 or higher, ALWAYS stand.
- With 12-16, hit only when the dealer's upcard is 7 or more.
- With 11 or lower, always hit if you are not doubling down.
Soft hands:
- With soft 18 or higher, ALWAYS stand.
- With soft 17 or lower, ALWAYS hit.
Be Sensible!
Blackjack, like any form of gambling, means having some discipline and avoiding irrational decisions and approaches. Keep the betting simple - for instance sticking to the minimum bet still allows for maximum fun! Don't play when tired, don't 'drink & play' and don't chase losses.
Remember that Mobile Casino Gambling is a fun way to be entertained and perhaps win some money in the process!
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