Blackjack – Beginner’s Guide

What’s so awesome about Blackjack?

We think that there is a single key for its success – it is easy to learn, but hard to master.

That means that Blackjack requires some skill, and that’s what players like. It isn’t entirely depending on luck.

In this article, you will learn the basics of Blackjack for Naija players. It’s an excellent opportunity to learn before you get into the action.

Is the Blackjack a game of luck, or a game of skill?

Firstly, we have to sort something out, so we have everything clear!

The beginners in the casinos often don’t exactly know if a given game is entirely based on luck, or there is skill involved. It might happen even to more experienced players.

Blackjack is a game of SKILL + LUCK in which you play vs the casino. It’s one of the few games in casinos that include skill. Usually, such games are against the other players (Poker, Sports Betting). However, Blackjack is an exception, and only some specific Video Poker games also involve skill+luck.

Then, all other games in casinos are purely dependent on luck.

House Edge in Blackjack

Every game in the casino has a house edge.

The house edge is the advantage the casino has over a player. Thanks to the house edge, the casino comes out on profit from all players’ activities.

House edge can have various forms. For example, in sports betting, the odds for the events aren’t 2.0-2.0. Instead, they are 1.85-1.85. See? On a 50% outcome of a football match, you should earn twice (200%) your stake in case you predict it correctly. But you will earn only 185% of it. That’s the house edge of a sportsbook.

In casino table games, the house edge is often built-in to the game design.

In the case of a Blackjack, the house edge is about 0,5% in a scenario where you play it perfectly.

That raises the question – can Blackjack be profitable for casino players? We will answer it soon.

How to play Blackjack? The basics

We have mentioned that Blackjack is a simple game to learn, but a hard one to master.

However, Blackjack doesn’t involve psychology skills like Poker. It’s more about remembering the correct strategy. So it’s not very, very difficult to play it good, but it’s indeed a challenge to play it perfectly.

What’s simple about Blackjack?

The gameplay itself.

The entire point of the game is to get a count of as close to 21 as possible. You can win having less than 21, but if you have more, then you lose no matter what (it’s called a ‘bust’). That’s why the Blackjack is tricky.

From where do you get points? From cards, naturally. On each round, you receive two cards. The number cards have their regular values, so 2 counts as 2. Face cards are 10. Ace is either 1 or 11, depending on which value you want it to be.

After the bets are in, all players are dealt 2 cards face up, while the casino (or dealer) has a one card face down, and one face up.

Then, each player can do specific actions. The basics are that you can either stand or hit. If you hit, that means you get another card. If you stand, it means you are fine with your cards dealt, and you want to take no actions.

These are the basics, but there are also some advanced actions. For example, you can split pairs. It is possible only if you have two first cards of the same denomination. However, you need to make an additional bet for the second hand created. It’s how it sounds – you play with two hands instead of one for that round.

Doubling Down means you can double your bet if two original cards have a total of 9, 10 or 11 points.

Insurance means placing a side bet up to half the original bet when the dealer’s face-up card is an ace. Then, in case the dealer has a natural Blackjack, the players is paid double his bet.

Is it possible to make a profit with Blackjack?

For a casual player, that’s possible as in any other game in the casino. It’s also equally possible to lose everything.

The thing is that in the short term — everything is possible. Blackjack is still dependent on luck, and why not: a newcomer can win 10 times in a row, and a great player can lose 10 times in a row.

However, if the same players would go for 1000 games, the newcomer would have way less on his bankroll.

That’s because the house edge kicks in more on longer periods. What’s more, the house edge for a bad Blackjack player is far higher than the standard 0,5% (we have said it’s that percentage only for the perfect gameplay = a very good player).

Then, the answers are: yes, it’s possible to profit thanks to luck on a few games. It’s also possible to profit when you play for longer if the house edge is low enough because you play perfectly.

How to play Blackjack good?

On the internet, you will find thousands of better articles regarding that. Many tools help you learn or adjust your strategy as well. We won’t compare to them.

However, we can say that there is a basic strategy, and it’s relatively easy to learn — a great start for a beginner.

What are the best Naija casinos with Blackjack?

To find the best casino with Blackjack for Naija players, simply browse our website.

Every gaming outlet we recommend that includes a casino will have a fair Blackjack. However, for the best Blackjack experience, we advise trying out live casinos.

In live casinos, you can chat with other players and with the dealer to have some more fun; that’s undoubtedly an advantage over digital Blackjack games.

Then, we advise checking out n9ja gambling sites that have well-developed casino section.

Can I play Blackjack on mobile?

That depends on a game provider.

For example, live casinos from Evolution and NetEnt have full support for mobile phones.

That means you can have a live casino Blackjack action on a small screen. You can access the casino via browser and enjoy Blackjack to its full potential.

However, there are also other Blackjack games. Some you can play via browser, others are accessible via casino app – if a given casino has a downloadable app.

Overall, there is no issue to play Blackjack via a phone.