Online Blackjack at Wild Jack

As the leading blackjack portal on the Internet, Wild Jack covers every aspect of the game of blackjack, including:

	Blackjack Strategy: Blackjack basic strategy, card counting, shuffle tracking.	Blackjack Tips: Tips to help you play blackjack smarter and better.
	Blackjack Rules: Learn the rules of blackjack and the definitions of blackjack terms.	Blackjack History: The fascinating story of blackjack, from vingt-et-un to online blackjack.
	Blackjack Hall of Fame: Profiles of the greatest blackjack thinkers, writers, and players.	Blackjack Betting Systems: Progressive betting systems claim they will make you money.
	Online vs. Land-Based Blackjack: The pros and cons of playing blackjack online or on land.	Blackjack Variations: Double Exposure, Pontoon, Triple Sevens, Spanish Blackjack, and more.
If you love blackjack: You have come to the right place! Wild Jack is THE site for online blackjack. Download or flash, practice or real money, single hand or multi hand, Wild Jack has the blackjack you are looking for. If you're new to blackjack: Welcome to Wild Jack! Browse around the site, read a few articles, play a few practice games, and, before you know it, you'll be a blackjack lover too.

How to Play Blackjack

In blackjack, number cards are worth their designated values, face cards are all worth 10, and an ace is worth either 1 or 11. The object of a game of blackjack is to draw cards whose total value comes close to, but does not exceed, 21.

You start your blackjack game with two cards. The dealer also has two cards; one is face up (the "up card") and one is face down (the "hole card"). After you examine your own two cards and the dealer's up card, you play your hand by taking one of the following actions:

Stand: You take no more cards.

Hit: You take another card. You may continue hitting until you either "bust" (go over 21) or decide to stand.

Double down: You double your bet and take exactly one more card.

Split: If you have two cards of the same value, you can double your bet, split your hand, and have each card count as the first card of a new hand.

Surrender: If your hand looks bad, you can minimize your loss by surrendering the hand and losing half of your bet amount.

If you bust or surrender, you lose and the game is over. Otherwise, it is the dealer's turn to play his hand by standing or hitting. If the dealer busts, you win the game. If neither you nor the dealer busts, the one with the higher hand wins. For more information on how to play Blackjack please refer to our Blackjack Tutorial.

Blackjack Rules

The rules for playing blackjack vary somewhat from one blackjack game to another. For example, in some blackjack games, the dealer must hit on a soft 17; in others, he must stand. Variations also arise in such blackjack rules as whether doubling down is permitted after a split, whether you are permitted to hit after splitting aces, whether surrender is permitted, and which cards will permit you to double down. The differences may appear slight, but they can make a big difference as to whether you win at blackjack. Therefore, it is important to familiarize yourself with the rules of the particular blackjack game you are playing in the online casino.

Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack strategy is based on the science of probability. Depending on the cards in your hand, there is a certain probability that you will be able to draw another card without busting. Based on the dealer's up card, there is a certain probability that the dealer will be able to beat you hand without his busting. Fortunately, you don't have to be a mathematical genius to figure it all out. Other mathematical geniuses have already done the work for you and come up with the "blackjack basic strategy."

A blackjack basic strategy table is a table that charts your hand against the dealer's up card and tells you the best move to make for each situation. Many books and blackjack sites have blackjack basic strategy tables applicable to the different blackjack games with their varying rules.

Experts have developed other blackjack strategies such as card counting, hole carding, and shuffle tracking. These blackjack techniques require a real live dealer, and so are ineffective in an online blackjack casino. Nevertheless, they are fascinating to read and learn about.

Needless to say, none of this is mandatory. If thinking about mathematics or scrutinizing charts lessens your enjoyment of the game, don't do it. You're always free to rely on your hunches and your instincts. Sometimes, that might even turn out to be the best strategy of all.

Blackjack History

The history of blackjack is a fascinating story. The first blackjack game was played in the 1700s in France, where it was known as "vingt-et-un." From France, the game of blackjack spread to Louisiana and Nova Scotia, and then throughout the United States and eventually to casinos around the world. In America, a special rule developed which awarded a bonus payout of 10-to-1 for a hand comprising the ace and jack of spades. The 10-to-1 payout is no longer in effect, but the name Black Jack lives on as a reminder of the old rule.

The game of blackjack really took off in the 1960s, when mathematics professor Edward Thorp studied the game seriously and developed the first card-counting techniques and the blackjack basic strategy. Since that time, other mathematicians and computer scientists have perfected an even more accurate basic strategy, while great blackjack players like Ken Uston and the famed MIT Blackjack Team have made their own contributions to the growth of blackjack. These individuals and others are now enshrined in the Blackjack Hall of Fame in honor of their contributions to the game of blackjack.

The biggest breakthrough in blackjack history was the creation of the internet blackjack casino in the 1990s. As in a land-based casino, you can gamble with real money bets in an internet casino. But now, you no longer need to get dressed up and travel to the casino, and you don't have to put up with noisy crowds or with people trying to rush you when you want to think about your blackjack strategy. When you play blackjack online, you control the environment and the pace as you play blackjack in the comfort of your own home.

Online Blackjack Variations

At Wild Jack Online Casino, blackjack is our specialty. We offer more than 40 different online blackjack games. Some are popular favorites, such as Classic Blackjack, Atlantic City Blackjack, and European Blackjack. Bonus Blackjack took the old Black Jack bonus rule and made it five times better, paying an unbelievable 50-to-1 for an Ace and Jack of spades. We also have some unusual blackjack variations that you have probably never played before but that you just might enjoy, including Double Exposure Blackjack, Pontoon Gold, and Spanish Blackjack.

Triple 7s Blackjack features a progressive jackpot that keeps growing every time someone plays the game. You need three 7s of Diamonds to win the progressive jackpot. With five decks of cards in play, it's not impossible to get three 7s of Diamonds. Jackpots of more than $100,000 have been won by real players who got lucky playing Triple 7s blackjack. You could be next.

All of our games use Microgaming technology, which means safety and security as well as great sound and graphics. You can download our blackjack software to your computer, or you can play no-download flash blackjack. With either option, you can play on line black jack for real money, or you can play practice blackjack to check out all the different games and work on your blackjack strategy. And our fantastic courteous customer service is one more reason to make Wild Jack your online blackjack casino.