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Alongside various other casino games such as Poker and Roulette, Blackjack may be the most popular game played by punters given its simplistic but enjoyable rules and major winnings that so often be up for grabs throughout numerous casinos and online bookmaker sites.
It remains important to look back upon the history surrounding the legalization of betting in the US as games such as Blackjack are so often affiliated with such an industry and their various gaming outlets.
The Federal Wire Act (1961) made all betting activity illegal in the states through telephone and telegraph before the implementation of the PASPA (1992) which would fully illegalize any forms of sports betting and the UIGEA (2006) which aimed to hinder all online gambling sites given the often-growing popularity of online betting with casino games including Blackjack and Poker being at the forefront.
In 2011, The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), was repealed and gave every US state a chance to legalize any form of gambling across online platforms which most states have aimed to take full advantage of.
Nowadays, most US state laws have since allowed the full legalization of almost any gambling-related activity which has since seen a significant uprise in online casino sites that actively allow punters to place wagers across various favorited games including Blackjack.
With more sites now being fully operational for any future Blackjack wagers, it is important that all punters take notice of what aspects can help improve their game and knowledge of the widely touted casino favorite, and how they could earn even greater winnings before the dealer will look to draw another card from the deck.
Making sure to note when to split or hit:
While you may often be blessed with a fantastic starting hand that can often total up towards a Blackjack, should your hand fall short by a minuscule or considerable margin, it maybe be best to note on which stage it is to draw another card from the deck or split should you have a pair of similar cards.
Sometimes players should look to hit whenever they have a much softer total number which can often valuate to numbers in the region between 12-16, rather than taking risks at higher numbers that may total to a figure similar to the dealers starting hand.
Splits are often much easier to anticipate given that they only occur when a punter has two of the same numerical cards during their starting hand, but they should still be aware of whether their hand is respectful enough to earn a winning outcome and if a split is truly necessary to deter the odds further in the punters favor.
Doubling down on a hand:
Doubling down is a vital part of the game, sites offering online blackjack will often give the punter a chance to further up the odds for the outcome of a hand which is usually in the form of a double down.
The concept surrounding a double down is simple as it revolves around the punter placing extra money on the table and the dealer hitting the punter with an extra card to add to their total from which they cannot ask to hit again.
Should the hand be a winner, the punter can earn double of what they were original betting for in winnings but could also lose out on double the amount they are willing to wager should the hand be unsuccessful.
Punters should never look to double down should their hand range in the numerical region of numbers 12-16 as this could cause a much greater probability of the hand going bust and should only often look to double down if there is a solid soft hand that is usually a total of 11, ideally the perfect number to double down on.
Understanding what makes a strong or weak starting hand:
As previously mentioned above, punters should always be mindful of the total that their cards add up to and how they compare to the first card that the dealer will reveal.
It is important to note that certain higher totaling hands can often be described as ‘Hard Hands’ should the total amount not eclipse 17 (which of course is the number that the dealer must stop drawing at), and what is the best decision with regards to drawing cards from the deck or holding depending on the overall total.
In most often cases, punters maybe forced to draw from the deck should their hand be of a weak total number, but higher hands should only look to draw dependent on what card the dealer draws first, especially if the dealers card is not a low number which is usually discussed as being between the numbers 2-6.
Softer hands will often always require the punter to take a hit or even double down in order to increase their total closer towards the goal of 21, but these can still be risky especially if the punter aims to hit more than once.