Blackjack is clearly the mother of all classic card games. In 2008, Blackjack soared in popularity with the release of the blockbuster film “21”, which took the world by storm. It is also referred to as ‘21’.

It is one of the few casino games, where, though the house still maintains the edge. Hence  the player actually enjoys a reasonable amount of control over the results. But before one goes on to play it’s wise to get familiar with the basic rules of the game.

Rules of playing blackjack online are basically the same as playing in a land-based casino, though online blackjack certainly has its advantages. Normally, there is one dealer between one and five players. Depending upon which table you are playing at, the minimum can be as low as $1 while the maximum can be as high as $500.

The game begins after all the players have putdown their chips and selected the “Deal” option. Its not possible to change the bets once the game has started. But there are options such as “Double Down,” “Split,” or “Insurance”, which allow the players to increase the amount of their bets.

An online Blackjack player competes one-on-one with the Dealer. Each blackjack player receives two cards in the opening deal. His main goal is to have a hand which totals 21, or to beat the Dealer’s hand by coming closer to 21. Players can receive as many cards as they wish. This is achieved by what’s known as “hitting.” Or they can choose to “stand” and receive no more cards.

When a tie occurs between the player and the dealer, the hand becomes a “push” and the player keeps his bet. A “hard hand” is a hand that does not contain an ace or contains an ace that can only be counted as a 1 so as not to bust. A dealer’s ace always counts as 11.

It’s advisable to have a good strategy in order to improve your winning odds. Remember to follow several Blackjack Rules; otherwise you are just throwing your money away. For example, while playing, blackjack players must decide whether to “hit” or “stand”. They must also from time to time decide to “double down” or “split”. Some of these rules include: