Online Blackjack in Irish Online Casinos
A legendary game of chance, Blackjack 21 online is a favourite entertainment option for many players in Ireland. Behind its allegedly simple layout, you will find room for strategic thinking and lots of interesting variaions that will affect your game decisions. Online blackjack casinos offer dozens of exciting tables, which differ in many aspects: bet sizes, return to player, dealer rules, and so on. Knowing these minor differences will let you make correct decisions and leverage the game potential on online blackjack sites. Blackjack is much easier than craps. Ten or fifteen minutes—and you are already an advanced newbie. But if you want to win more often and avoid bad moves (e.g. Hit where Stand would be the best pick), you should keep hand in blackjack online betting.
Online blackjack game lingo
If you don’t know a double down from a push, then spend a little time reading our Blackjack terminology guide below. It will soon bring you up to speed with what means what and will soon have you speaking the lingo.
- 21: This is the name given to any hand that totals 21 in total but is not a Blackjack (Ace and a Ten).
- Blackjack (Natural Blackjack): This is the strongest hand you can get dealt and contains both an Ace and a 10-valued card.
- Bust: This is what you don’t want to do when playing blackjack online, and it is what happens when you lose your hand as it goes over 21 in total.
- Double Down: This is the name given to a player’s decision. You will have to double your stake to receive one further card in the hope that your hand will then beat the dealer’s.
- Hit: This is when you wish to receive an additional card from the dealer at no cost to yourself.
- Hole Card: When the dealer has dealt himself two cards, the face-down card is known as the Hole Card.
- Insurance: This is an optional side bet, and you are betting that the dealer is holding a Blackjack hand (Ace and a 10-valued card).
- Push: When both your hand and the dealer’s have the same total, then you receive your stake back, and this hand is called a Push.
- Split: Some online casino blackjack games allow you to make two new hands when you have been dealt two cards of the same denomination. Both cards are split, and you must place another stake on the new hand.
- Surrender: This is when you give up your hand and get half your stake back. The round ends for you.
- Stand: This is when you are happy with your hand and wish to take no further cards and go head-to-head with the dealer’s hand.
Types of online blackjack
There are many kinds of casino online blackjack games. They do look very similar to one another, but experienced players know that even a small fluctuation in rules can re-shape the whole winning strategy.
Atlantic City Blackjack
The game rules for Atlantic City Blackjack are fairly liberal, and to begin with, it is a Hole Card game, and as such, the Dealer will always peek at his face-down card when he is showing a Ten or an Ace.
This variant of Blackjack is played with 8 full decks, and if you are playing online then this deck will be shuffled before each game commences. The Dealer is obligated to stand on all hands that total 17 or above.
Players are allowed to Double Down on any two cards, and you may also, should you wish, double down after a split. Talking of splitting, you are allowed to do this 3 times to make a total of 4 separate hands.
You may also split Aces, and if you do, then only one further card will be dealt to each Ace. If you are dealt any 10-valued card to a split Ace, then you need to be aware that it is classed as 21 and not a Blackjack.
Another interesting rule is that you are also allowed two split unalike ten valued cards, also you can take late surrender should you deem your hand not worthy of continuing on with.
Pontoon
One of the most popular parlour games and one you may have played as a child, Pontoon is very simple to learn and play.
Pontoon uses 8 full decks of playing cards, and if you are playing online, these decks are always shuffled fully before a new game begins. A ‘pontoon’ is simply an Ace card with any 10-valued card, and even after splitting an Ace and any ten card, is classed as a Pontoon hand, which pays 2-1. Also, a 5-card trick pays 2-1, even after splitting.
A Pontoon hand, however, will always beat a 5-card trick, and players are obligated to twist on any hand worth less than 15.
The Dealer gets dealt two face down cards and he will always peek at these for a Pontoon, he must also stick on all 17 or above hands.
You can buy another card on any 2, 3 or 4 cards but only once on each hand you are playing. You can buy after a split, and only one card is dealt to split Aces. You can only split twice to make three separate hands.
Double Exposure Blackjack
Now here is a Blackjack game which might interest you, it is Double Exposure Blackjack and in this game the Dealers cards are face up meaning you can see what he is holding!
This game uses 8 full decks of playing cards, and the Dealer has to hit a soft 17. he also wins all tied hands, except a tied Blackjack, which the Player wins! Get dealt a winning Blackjack hand, and it pays even money.
You are allowed to double down on a 9, 10 or eleven, and you may also double down after you have split a hand.
The rules pertaining to splitting cards are fairly simple to understand and you can split upto 3 times which means a maximum of four separate hands, Aces can also be re-split, however only one card will be dealt to a split Ace.
If you get a 10-valued card dealt to an Ace that you have split it is classed as a 21 and not a Blackjack hand. Get two unalike 10-valued cards, and you may split these also.
Vegas Downtown Blackjack
Here is a Blackjack game that has until recently only been found in the Downtown area of Las Vegas, which is known for its high-paying games and very liberal game rules.
This variant of Blackjack is a hole card game, so as such, you can expect the dealer to have a quick peek at his cards if he has an Ace or any 10. The Dealer has to hit a Soft 17, and this game is played with two decks of playing cards.
You may double down on any two cards that you have been dealt, and you can also double down even after you have split a hand.
You can play up to 4 hands by splitting three times, and you can only split Aces once; one card will only be dealt to split Aces.
If you then get dealt a ten-valued card to a split Ace, this hand is 21 and not a blackjack; you may also split, unlike 10-valued cards.
Vegas Strip Blackjack
Vegas Strip Blackjack is a hole card game, and when the Dealer is showing either an Ace or a Ten, he will peek at the face-down card to check for Blackjack.
Four decks of playing cards are used in this game, and the Dealer is obliged to stand his hand on all 17s.
The rules say that you may double down on any two cards, and you are also allowed to double down after a split. You can make up to four hands by splitting three times.
If you split Aces then only once card will be dealt to each, get any ten valued card dealt to a split Ace and it is 21 and not a Blackjack.
Online blackjack bonuses
Some online casinos exclude blackjack from wagering requirements. So if you are about to claim a normal deposit bonus, first raed its terms—you will be surprised to see the WR for online blackjack are significantly higher than on slots. So, most online casinos have decided to increase the playing conditions on these bonuses if you choose to play blackjack online for money. If the bonus you get has the 30x wagering requirements attached, you may find that some table games like blackjack or roulette have a 25% contribution, which ultimately leads to a requirement of 120x or sometimes as massive as 200x.
The bonus often still pays as the house edge of blackjack is very low, often below 0.5%. Just make sure you read the terms and conditions carefully and make sure you know how much you have to bet before you go ahead and put a large amount of money.
