When it comes right down to it, the basic blackjack rules you use when you play 21 online are the same as playing in a live environment. The actual game play itself progresses the same as it would if you were playing in a physical casino or at the weekly card night at your friend's house. The game is one of the most popular and easiest to play of all casino contests, and gives the player much more control over the outcome of each hand than most other casino games. Let us take a look at basic black jack play, and then some of the differences you may find online.

Most physical and online casinos use the standard "Vegas" rules of blackjack which require that a player place a wager in a betting circle before the cards are dealt. The dealer, either virtual or live, will give every player and himself two cards. Player cards are dealt face up and the dealer will keep one of his or her cards face down. Play then begins with the player to the left of the dealer and continues in a clockwise manner. You may ask for extra cards (hit), play the cards you have (stand), split any pair that you have by doubling your bet (split), or risk double your bet while only receiving one more card (double down).

Play continues until all players have busted by accumulating a hand value of more than 21, or by standing on their hands with 21 or fewer points. The dealer flips over his facedown card, hitting on anything at or below 16 and standing on anything at or above 17. When the dealer's forced play is done, the hand is over. Players either lose their bets or are paid off accordingly. These simple black jack rules make for a furiously fast and exciting game, and since the dealer's actions are predetermined according to his hand's total, and yours are not, when played properly bj can return very favorable odds to the player.

While those are the basic rules of blackjack, permutations and variations of the game are springing up all the time online. There is European blackjack, Panamanian blackjack, Caribbean blackjack and 21 in many other forms. When encountering one of these variants, you would be wise to play for free until you understand any rules that have been altered. And to add more of a "real life" element, live dealer black jack is also available from some online casinos. This variation allows you to watch and hear a dealer in real-time deal out your hands, and it is a recent popular choice among some bj players on the Internet.

Insurance is another option that you will be offered whenever the dealer shows an Ace on his or her up card. If you decline insurance and the dealer hits black jack, you lose your bet. But if you buy insurance, you must immediately post half of the size of your original bet. If you buy insurance and the dealer has blackjack, you are paid 2 to 1 on your insurance bet, and lose your original wager. The simplistic and fast-moving nature of the online black jack game couples with your ability to control the outcome to deliver one of the most favorable casino games for the educated player.

Be sure to check out our section dedicated to understanding the odds in black jack to ensure you position yourself favorably when you're ready to start playing online blackjack for cash.

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