UB Blackjack
Blackjack is one of the easiest games to learn and play. The object of the game is get a total of 21 or as close as possible to 21 and to have a higher hand than the dealer.
You’ll find that the rules of blackjack have some differences from one casino to the next.
Playing Online Blackjack at UB
The rules that UB follows for blackjack are the same ones that are used in the casinos in Nevada, New Jersey and Mississippi. Let’s take a look at them in case you are not familiar with those rules.
The dealer must hit on a Soft 17
Blackjack at UB is played with 6 decks that are shuffled before each hand.
When playing blackjack at UB you are allowed to double down after splitting.
If you split Aces one card will be dealt to you face down. You are able to split up to 3 hands.
Insurance Pays 2 to 1
Blackjack pays 3 to 2
Insurance is 1/2 of initial bet or remaining balance – whichever is less
Late surrender is allowed when playing blackjack at UB.
Here’s a quick review of what you can do when it is your turn:
You can “Hit” – Take another card.
You can “Stand” – You’re happy with your hand and don’t want any additional cards.
You can “Double Down” – this doubles your initial bet and you will receive one more card.
You can “Split” – This will take your two cards and split them into two separate hands. This will also double your original bet. You can only split if the both cards are the same – two fives, two eights etc…
You can “Surrender” – When you surrender you take half of your bet back and the other goes to the dealer.
Let’s run through a typical Blackjack game at UB…
Blackjack Games at UB
First you place a bet.
You will then receive one card dealt face up.
The dealer also is dealt one card but that card is dealt face down.
You are then dealt one more card face up.
The dealer is also dealt one more card. This card is dealt face up.
This is where you then need to compare your hand to what you know of the dealers’ hand. Then you must decide to hit, stand, double down, split or surrender. You can stand at any time and hit as many cards as you like as long as you don’t go over 21 and “bust”.
One important note is that in all blackjack games, an Ace can be used as either a 1 or an 11. 10’s, Jacks, Queens and Kings are all considered a 10.
If a hand has an Ace in it, it is referred to as a soft hand. For example an Ace and a six are called a soft 17. That is because you can use the Ace as a 1 or an 11.
If you were dealt an Ace and a K, Q, J, or 10, you’ve got a Blackjack and will win 3:2 on your original bet. For example, if you bet $20 you win $30. Splitting Aces and hitting a 10 on one of the Aces is not considered a blackjack. You will only win the same amount as the bet. Only your first two cards, if they add up to 21 is a blackjack.
After you have played your hand it is the dealers turn to play his hand.
Once the dealer turns over his second card, hitting or standing is not up to him. There are set rules in Blackjack that the dealer must follow.
If the dealer’s cards total 16 or lower, the dealer must hit
If the dealer’s cards total 17 or higher (Hard 17), the dealer must stand.
The dealer must hit on a Soft 17.
Once the dealer finishes his turn your hands are compared to see who wins. If you go over 21 and bust you will lose. If the dealer goes over 21 he busts and you win the hand.
If neither you nor the dealer have busted then whoever has the highest hand total wins. If you both have the same total it is a push. You don’t win and you don’t lose. You get your bet back.
That is all that there is to the game of blackjack. Ready to give it a try? Then visit UB now.
Additional Blackjack Info
Now I am going to explain in greater detail a couple of important points about blackjack that you should find very helpful
Insurance
If the dealer is showing an Ace you can buy Insurance. The cost of insurance is 0.5 times the initial bet. So if you initially bet $10, insurance will cost $5.
Insurance pays 2 to 1. Should the dealer flip over a 10 (or any card valued at 10) and hit a Blackjack, you will lose your original bet however you will win your insurance bet. If the dealer does not have Blackjack, the insurance bet is lost and the game will continue with the original bet still in play.
Even Money
Getting a Blackjack normally pays 3 to 2. But if you’re dealt a Blackjack and the dealer shows an Ace, the hand isn’t quite over yet. There’s still a chance that the dealer has hit a Blackjack as well. If the dealer hits a Blackjack, the result is a push (no money lost, no money gained). To protect against a push, you have the opportunity to take even money. Even money pays the equivalent of your bet, just like a win without a Blackjack.
Splitting
If you’re dealt two cards that hold the same value, you have the opportunity to split the cards into two separate hands. If you initially bet $10 on your hand, another $10 will be placed on the new hand.
Splitting pairs is a popular strategy, especially pairs of Aces and Pairs of Eights. It’s recommended that you always split those two pairs. I’m a big advocate of splitting pairs – just not pairs of 9’s or 10’s!
Here’s an example of splitting a hand. Let’s assume that you’re dealt two 8s. You split them into two hands. You now have two hands with one 8 in each hand. Let’s ignore the second 8 for the time being.
You now have one 8 in the first hand. At this point, you can hit. Once you decide to stand on the first hand, you will then move onto the second hand. You’ll continue to play the second hand, ignoring the result of the first hand as those card values are irrelevant.
Important notes about splitting:
- If you’re dealt a third identical card when splitting two cards, you can split the card again.
- Despite hitting 21 after splitting, the result is not considered hitting Blackjack.
- If you split Aces, you will only receive one card. You will not have the opportunity to hit.
As you can see, Blackjack at UB is pretty straightforward and simple!