Due to its high-odds of winning against the house, blackjack is perhaps the most popular of all online casino games in the world. One of the very first historical references that we know of blackjack is mention of the classic game is in a short story by Spanish Miguel de Cervantes (author of the famous novel ‘Don Quixote’) in 1602.

Blackjack is believed to have arrived in the United States sometime after, brought to the New World by French immigrants in the 17th century to the area that is now Louisiana, and later by Spanish immigrants to the southwest and California in the 18th century. In the 300 years since, blackjack spread quickly through the U.S. through saloons, bars and gambling parlors and became legal to play online in NJ when online gambling was legalized in NJ in 2013, and now is a favorite in both land-based and online casinos.

NJ online blackjack has now gone on to become the most popular of all online casino games in the Garden State.

How to Play Blackjack Online

Today, the term ‘21’ is blackjack’s widely adopted nickname, making the objective of the game very clear – get as close as you can to the cards in your dealt hand totaling 21 (blackjack). To begin playing blackjack online, learning these simple steps will give you the basics of how to play blackjack:

  1. Place your wager by choosing a bet amount from your on-screen stack of chips and click on the ‘bet spot’ on the table.
  2. The online casino you have joined on mobile device or PC will deal you 2 cards.
  3. Two cards are also dealt for the dealer, one face up, one face down (referred to as the ‘hole card’)
  4. Improve your hand with taking one of several options. You can split, double down, hit or stay in order to get as close to 21 as you can.
  5. The dealer plays their hand.
  6. The hand that is closest to 21 without going over the magic number is declared the winner.
  7. Any player who goes over 21, busts and automatically loses the hand and their wager.

Blackjack Glossary

As you may have noticed in our quick explanation above on how to play blackjack online section above, learning the terminology of blackjack is important. Fortunately, there is only a handful of terms to get to know to begin playing online blackjack in NJ

  • Hit – ‘Hit’ if you’d like another card from the Dealer to attempt to bring your cards combined value closer to 21.
  • Stand – To simply keep the cards you’ve been dealt, you ‘Stand’.
  • Double Down – Double your initial bet in exchange for receiving one more card (only one card, no more than that).
  • Split – You can split a hand comprised of two cards of equal value, into two hands. Continue playing each hand separately.
  • Surrender – If the dealer has checked for blackjack (the dealer’s first card is a 10 or an ace), you can choose to forfeit your hand by ‘surrending’ and retain half of your bet.
  • Insurance – If the dealers face up card is an ace, you can insure against the dealer having a blackjack, by placing a side bet called insurance. The insurance payout is 2-1 meaning that if you bet as much on insurance as the initial wager, you will break even, even if the dealer eventually has blackjack.

NJ Blackjack Rules

Blackjack rules are extremely straightforward are don’t vary greatly between land-based and online blackjack casinos. To get you started, a few simple blackjack tips and rules of blackjack gambling online;

  • As mentioned earlier, the aim of online blackjack is to beat the dealer with a higher card total that does not go over 21. Simple.
  • If your cards total exactly 21 in value, the dealer will pay you 3 to 2.
  • If you and the dealer both have cards that add up to 21, no chips are taken or given away.
  • If you have a total that is higher than the dealer and under 21 in total value, the dealer will pay you, matching the amount of your chips.
  • Should your card total be lower than that of the dealer, the dealer ‘wins’ and will take away your chips from the blackjack table.

Blackjack Card Values

If you’re not entirely sure of the card values in online blackjack, follow our easy breakdown that will help you construct a winning hand with little knowledge required of blackjack strategy.

  • 2 to 10 numbered cards retain their face value.
  • ‘Royal’ cards – i.e. J, Q and K are equal to 10.
  • Aces can be either a 1 or an 11, whichever helps you best put together a winning hand.

Blackjack Betting Strategy

To increase your odds of winning and keep adding to your bankroll, allowing you to stay in the game for as long as possible, thereby enhancing your odds to have a big win, you will need to have a basic blackjack strategy in place.

To begin using basic strategy, you’ll need to refer to a blackjack strategy chart to check for the best possible in-game actions (until you’ve learnt the choices by heart).
By learning the basic strategy, you’ll be playing perfect blackjack 24/7 and lowering the house edge and winning regularly.

Basic Strategy

The easiest way to win at blackjack is to use a strategy chart. Strategy charts are based on three different elements: the dealer’s face-up card, your hand, and what action you should take.

Knowing when to hit, double down, split or stay requires plenty of practical experience to learn, even for those players with a sharp, analytical mind that can assess mathematical probability quickly. Brain power and high IQ will not lower the house edge, but the basic blackjack strategy will help you beat the house. By playing to the strategy in the chart below, you may lower the house edge to as little as 0.5%.

The strategy chart below outlines exactly what action you need to make for every potential combination of player and dealer hands. The advantage of playing blackjack online means you can take your time in consulting the chart as you learn basic strategy by heart. Either print the strategy chart below or have it opened in another internet tab to consult whilst you play online blackjack.

Basic Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack Tips

  • Practice makes perfect – Many online casinos offer the possibility to try out their online casino games for free. Playing online for free is a great way to learn the rules, commit the basic strategy to memory, and adapt to a style that suits you.
  • Money management – Learn when to increase or decrease your bet in order to protect and/or maximize your bankroll.
  • Always double down on a 10 or on an 11-value ace.
  • Always split your Aces and 8’s to give yourself a better chance of winning by creating two possible winning hands.
  • Never take Insurance – While it may seem like a good idea to take insurance when faced with the risk that the dealer may sit on a blackjack, the risk is no more than 30% that the dealer’s second card is a J, Q, K or 10. It is never a mathematically sound decision to take insurance.

Free Blackjack Games

Online blackjack games are not created equal, and some are better than others. Every player has a different favorite online blackjack game. In order to discover which is your favorite, take advantage of the free blackjack games online.

Quality online casinos will usually offer the opportunity to play their games for free.

Take advantage of the opportunities to play free online blackjack games to practice before moving on to play for real money.

Online Blackjack Games

In New Jersey’s online casinos, there are a number of different online blackjack versions, all with different rules and slightly different house edges. The most common blackjack games in New Jersey’s online casinos are Atlantic, European, Double Exposure and Classic Blackjack Gold Series Multi Hand;

  • Atlantic City Blackjack – In Atlantic City blackjack, 8 full decks of cards are used as you play directly against the dealer.
  • European Blackjack – European Blackjack was created to counter card-counters. The dealer cannot look at the hole card, you may be allowed to double down on 9, but cannot split 5’s or 10’s. The restrictions slightly raise the house edge over the player.
  • Double Exposure – The dealer’s cards are dealt face up. This should in theory give an edge to the player, however, it does not. The edge returns to the house. In Double Exposure, Blackjack only pays 2-1 instead of 3-2, making the house edge higher than traditional Blackjack.
  • Classic Blackjack Gold Series Multi-Hand – Unique to online casinos, this is the most common of all online casino blackjack types. 5 hands can be played at once providing incredible gameplay action and multiple chances to win simultaneously.

Best Blackjack Casino

There are many online blackjack games available to New Jersey’s online players and they all offer tempting winning opportunities for new players. However, without question, some online blackjack games are better suited for some players than others and everyone prefers something different.

At Play-Newjersey.com, we can assist in helping make up your mind on which online blackjack games to play (and in which online casino) by cutting through the vast amount of information available with our;

  • In depth casino reviews.
  • Guides and online blackjack games reviews
  • Most importantly, we provide simple explanations of how each online casino sign up bonus works, to check if it’s right for you.

See our collection of recommended online casinos below, all complete with the best in online blackjack games. Click through the links below and discover the best in online blackjack entertainment on the best online casino websites in New Jersey.

Good luck and enjoy your online blackjack today!