Black Jack Online – Player’s decisions

Last Updated on 12 May 2016 by Nicholas Lim

Black Jack OnlineIn a game of Black Jack Online the cards are dealt after you make your wager. In most online casinos in Singapore, including land based casinos a player is dealt two cards face up with the value showing before the dealer deals himself, one card face up, and one card face down with the value concealed. If playing at a table with multiple players the play will circulate the table in a clockwise motion, thus the player sitting to the dealers left will be the first player to make a bet. Remember in the game of Black Jack Online you’re only betting against the dealer, therefore you will play your hand through before the next player in rotation makes his or her independent bet against the dealer. After receiving the first two cards the player is required to make one of the following decisions:

Hit/ Stand

By deciding to hit, the player is basically asking the dealer for one more card. A Black Jack Online player can hit until happy with the hand total without exceeding 21. By deciding to stand, the player is basically stating he or she is happy with the total value of their hand and do not want any additional cards. In most Singapore online casinos you must click the stand button to stand and the hit button to hit.

Surrender

Surrendering is basically a way for the player to back out of the initial wager. If a player decides to surrender he or she automatically looses but only half of the original bet. A player can only surrender before making any of the other player options. For example, once a player has hit, split, or doubled down, surrendering is no longer an option.

It is also important to note there are two types of surrenders, a late surrender and an early surrender. In a game of Black Jack Online that permits an early surrender, the play can surrender before the dealer checks his down card. However in a game of late surrender the dealer must check his down card for a possible 21, if the dealer has a 21 the player can not surrender. Most online casinos in Singapore do not offer a surrender option.

Insurance

If the Jack Jack Online dealer is showing an ace, the player will normally be offered Insurance as protection against a dealer 21. Basically meaning that if the dealers up card is an ace, the player is given the option to bet that the dealers down card values 10. Insurance wagers are normally limited to half of the players original bet. In most online casinos an insurance bet is made by clicking the insurance button. If you don’t want to take the insurance bet simply click on the Pass button to continue playing the hand.

If the dealer does have a natural 21 the player’s insurance bet will pay at 2:1. If the player also has a natural 21, the player looses the initial bet but breaks even with the insurance bet. This is why it is refereed to as insurance, it protects a players initial wager against a dealer 21. If the dealer doesn’t have a natural 21 the player looses the insurance bet and must continue to play the hand.

Double Down

The option to Double down is basically an opportunity for a player to increase the initial wager amount after the first two cards have been dealt. If the player believes that his or her first two cards have a good chance of winning, the player can increase the bet by any amount up to the initial bet amount. After a player decides to Double Down, he or she is limited to one additional card; simply meaning that after Doubling Down a player can only hit one time.

Even Money

Although named differently when a player has a natural 21, an Even Money bet is basically the same as the Insurance bet. If a player is dealt a natural 21, and the dealers is showing an Ace, the player can make an Even Money bet as insurance against a dealer 21.

For example, if a player makes a S$40 bet and is then dealt a natural 21 the player wins S$60, unless of course the dealer also holds a natural 21, which is very possible if the dealer is showing an Ace. In this situation, the player has the option of making an Even Money bet, which limits the players loses if the dealer also has a natural 21. Now lets assume the dealer is showing an Ace, and the player takes the Even Money bet for the full amount of $20, half of the initial bet amount. When the dealer begins to play his or her hand and the value of the down card is exposed one of two outcomes will occur.

1. The dealer is not holding a natural 21 and the player wins S$60 for the initial bet, but looses the S$20 Even Money bet.
2. The dealer is holding a natural 21 and the player wins the S$20 insurance bet, however the initial bet results in a Push and nobody wins.

Spit

If the Black Jack Online player is dealt a pair of two matching cards, he or she has the option of splitting the hand into two separate hands. For example if a player is dealt a pair of 4’s, the player has the option to splitting the pair into two separate hands that both contain one of the original 4’s, and one of the two additional cards dealt upon the players decision to Split. In most online casinos if the player has the option to split a “split button” will appear on the screen.

If a player decides to Split a hand the wager amount for the new hand remains the same as the initial bet. Therefore if you bet 21 dollars on the initial hand, you must also bet 21 dollars on the second hand. In many casinos a player is limited to receiving one addition card after Splitting. Simply meaning a player can only Hit once after Splitting. However this rule varies from casino to casino and it is always advised to read the exact rules of each table where you intend to play for real money.

It is also possible to Re-Split and hand, and even Re-Re-Split a hand, but again this rule changes from casino to casino; be sure to read the exact table rules if you intend to play for real money.