Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Live Dealer Blackjack

Live Dealer Blackjack

Live Dealer Blackjack, also known as 21, is one of the most popular online casino games today. The game is also called 21 as the main aim of each player here is to obtain a card count of 21 without being overhauled. The uniqueness of Live Dealer Blackjack is that even if there are four players on the table, you are always required to play against the house. One of the primary reasons why gamers prefer to play Live Dealer Blackjack is that you can see the cards being dealt, something that was missing in the initial days of online gambling. Moreover, while playing Live Dealer Blackjack, a gamer is able to interact with the dealer as well as with other players at the table through a live chat window.

The Game

Live Dealer Blackjack uses the normal Blackjack game set of laws and is based on the Vegas Strip variation of the game. The game consists of six decks comprising of 52 cards each where every deck takes the appearance of a shoe and the complete shoe is jumbled up before a hand commences. In Live Dealer Blackjack, a gamer always plays against the house irrespective of the other players at the table. Each player is dealt two face-up cards that are merit their face value. While the King, Queen and Jack are valued at 10, the Ace can be used both as one or 11.

What you need to do in the game is to add up all the cards in your hand and your aim is to reach a total of 21. If you go over 21, you automatically go kaput. On the other hand, if you see that you cannot accumulate a value of 21, you need to beat the cards with the house. Here is one instance of playing Live Dealer Blackjack. Suppose a player has a face-up card of nine and a face down card of nine, you have a total worth of 18. Now, you are left with two options: either ask for another card making the total worth 21 or skip the option waiting for the dealer to cross 21 and go bust!

In both cases, a player is in a dilemma. If he seeks another card after attaining the value of 18, he may get one that may exceed the total over 21 and he is likely to go bust. On the other hand, if he doesn’t chances are, 50:50 that the dealer will cross 21 and go bust or end up below 18. In case, the dealer to accumulate cards worth 18, then he wins.

Betting

For a new player in the online casino circuit, it is advisable that he begins with low bets unless he is comfortable with the rules and regulations of Live Dealer Blackjack and goes in for higher wagers once he is adept with the game. The best way to learn and get accustomed to the Live Dealer Blackjack rules is by playing the game at home with friends. This will not only enable a player to gain enough practice, but also know the rules both backwards and forwards.

While playing Live Dealer Blackjack one can avail the opportunity of opting for an insurance bet whenever the dealer has an Ace. Normally, the insurance bet is equal to half the player’s initial bet and pays out the player in the rate of 2:1 However, there is a risk too. In case the dealer does not have a Blackjack, the player surrenders the insurance bet amount. However, here you have the prospect to split the cards into different hand in case you are dealt a pair of like cards. For instance, if one is dealt two 9's in the initial cards, he may split those and play two separate hands, each starting with a 9.

Strategies

Many people often ask if there is any winning strategy for Live Dealer Blackjack. While the basics of a casino game is to chose a strategy and stick to it unless it repeatedly results to disasters. Changing strategies too frequently is likely to perplex you as well as land you no where. Nevertheless, here I wish to point out that unlike many other casino games, Live Dealer Blackjack is as much as game of skill as it is of luck. However, there is no single strategy that will help everyone in Live Dealer Blackjack and hence you need to find the right one for you.

Card counting and memorizing are the two important things necessary to succeed in a game of Live Dealer Blackjack. Card counting is a very effective strategy in this game simply because not all can do it. Beginners as well as pros pretend to be that they are card counters, but to succeed in this strategy one needs to have a lot of practice so that none can find that you are actually counting cards. Memorization is another important Live Dealer Blackjack strategy and this means that a player is able to remember a wide range of card catalogs. In addition, a successful player needs to be comfortable playing with a number of decks of cards.