There’s a reason why blackjack and poker are popular among bettors, including how both games are relatively easy to understand. There’s no significant difference when blackjack and poker are played online or at casino site houses.
If you’re a new player, you can probably get the hang of it after a few tries. To further understand the games, here’s a brief and concise explanation of how to play them online.
Blackjack
The game’s primary objective is to beat the house or the dealer. One way to do this is by drawing a hand higher than the dealer but not going over 21. If not, you must at least draw a value of 21 on the first two cards you’ll receive. Sounds easy enough?
Playing blackjack is genuinely thrilling, and you can even further improve your chances of winning if you can find the best gaming strategy for you, such as counting cards. However, it still doesn’t guarantee absolute wins, attracting other bettors.
To play Blackjack games, you’ll be utilizing the standard 52-card pack. The number cards from 2 to 10 count at face value, such as two still count as two, seven as seven, etc. For the face cards J, Q, and K, their value counts as 10. Meanwhile, the value of Ace depends on which value will help the player. So, it can be counted as either one or 11.
Betting Options
In the beginning, two cards will be dealt to the players, where the first card is facing up and the second faces down. If no one has blackjack so far, the dealer will point at every player, and you will have to decide whether to Stand, Hit, Double Down, Split, or Surrender.
- Stand. If you think your cards are satisfactory, you can call for a Stand, and then the dealer will move on to the next player.
- Hit. If dissatisfied with your initial cards, you can call for a hit to improve your hand total. Then, the dealer will deal you another card until you go over 21 (bust) or call to stand.
- Double Down. If you think that your initial cards are advantageous to you, but you’ll still need to take an additional card, you can take this chance to double your initial wager. Then, the dealer will only deal for an additional card.
- Split. If you’ve dealt with two cards of equal value (Pair), you can place a second wager, and your initial cards will be split, which will now become the first card on two new hands. This includes a split hand with a King and a Jack card since they have the same value, though they’re not actual pairs.
- Surrender. If you are unsatisfied with your cards, you can give them up in exchange for half of your original bet.
Poker
One of the reasons why poker is such a popular game is that it comes in different forms. So, many bettors can take all their time to explore every game until they find the right game suitable to their gaming style. One of the possibly most popular poker games is Texas Hold ’em.
In general, the game utilizes the poker hand ranking system. So, if you want to play poker, it would be best for you to familiarize yourself with the rankings, which will be discussed later in this article.
On top of this system, you must also improve your bluffing skills to project confidence in your cards to intimidate your opponents into folding or giving up their cards. If two or more players remain, they must show their cards and the player with the best hand wins.
Betting Options
The excitement will start after the first round of betting. The players’ betting options will vary depending on their cards, which will either break or make their wagers.
- Call. If you call, you’ll match another player’s bet or raise.
- Raise. As its name suggests, calling for a raise is increasing the size of your initial bet in the same round.
- Fold. To fold means giving up your cards and initial bets you placed.
- Check. The players can call for a check until the first bet in a betting round. To check is to decline the chance to place a bet and reserve the chance to bet later in the round.
- All In. To call for all in means staking everything. While subsequent betting occurs, the player who calls for all-in can only win what’s in the pot.
Poker Hand Rankings
- Royal Flush. This hand is the highest in the poker hand rankings, consisting of A, K, Q, J, and ten cards with the same color and suit.
- Straight Flush. After Royal Flush. Straight Flush is next in line, consisting of consecutive cards with the same suit.
- Four-Of-A-Kind. This hand, also known as the quads, has four cards of the same value and another random card. For instance, 4♠,4♥,4♦,4♣, 5♥, where 5♥ is the side card.
- Full House. This hand consists of two cards of one value and three cards of another, like 4♠,4♥,4♦,5♣, 5♥.
- Flush. Flush is a hand comprising five cards of different values but in the same suit.
- Straight. Unlike Flush, Straight consists of five consecutive values but with different suits, such as 5♠,6♥,7♦,8♣, 9♥.
- Three-Of-A-Kind. This hand has three cards of the same value and two side cards of different values.
- Two Pair. Two Pair is closely similar to Three-Of-A-Kind, except this hand only has two cards of the same value, another two cards of the same value, and one side card. For instance, A♠,A♥,Q♦,Q♣, 9♥.
- Pair. Lower into the ranks is the Pair, where you’ll only need one Pair of two cards of the same value and three side cards.
Final Thoughts
The best game for online casinos depends on your preference, and the initial choices for new players are blackjack and poker. As such, starting your online casino journey with either of these games would be a relatively good choice. So, as you decide which one to start with, this article will help you decide the best casino game that suits your gaming style.
