Blackjack is one of the most widely played casino games nowadays. You can find Blackjack tables at basically any casino and there is also a growing number of online casinos and websites that offer playing Blackjack for free.

Learning the basic set of rules only takes a few minutes and is easily worth your time, if you are interested in a fun and exciting alternative to other card playing games like Texas Hold ‘Em.

The main goal in the game of Blackjack is for the cards in your hands to reach the number 21 – or at least get as close to that number as possible. Every card from 2 to 10 counts as their numerical value. Jack, queen and king are also worth 10 points each. The ace is special, as it can be worth either 1 or 11 points. After the dealer has handed out two cards to each player, everyone can place a bet. There is a rather big number of different kinds of bets and learning them all will take some time; it is necessary, however, to fully understand Blackjack.

In this game, you do not play against the other regular players. Ideally they should not influence your decisions at all. Instead, you play against the dealer (also called the bank or casino). Whoever gets closest to 21 without exceeding that number wins the round. After the two initial cards are dealt, you can request additional cards. You can simply pick up one more card and leave it at that or draw any other number of cards you like – it is all up to you. However, if the sum of your cards is higher than 21, you lose the game immediately. This also applies to the dealer, though.

Learning Blackjack should be done at an online casino, if possible. If you do not have any experience at all, visiting a casino and playing for real money right away would not be the smartest thing to do. You need a good strategy to become good at Blackjack and eventually win more money than you lose.

Once you have understood the basics of Blackjack, however, you will notice that this game is a fun and exciting way to play cards. Whether you play it online against people you have never met or at a friend’s place with your buddies, Blackjack remains one of the easiest and simultaneously most fun ways to spend the evening.