Blackjack fans didn’t use to have a lot of choices. If you didn’t live close to a casino and didn’t have the means to travel to a casino often, then most of the time you played blackjack with your friends at home, with one of you serving as the dealer. The problem is, friendly games of blackjack has never been as fun as poker. Add to that the complications of wagering (wouldn’t everyone want to be the dealer?) and it is just too problematic. Luckily, these days we have online blackjack. To people new to online gambling, though, they may not know how the online version of the game differs from playing it in a casino.
The main difference comes from the fact that you’re playing against a computer instead of a croupier. This means several things. First of all, it means you can take your time. Though I’ve never witnessed a dealer being rude in any way, some people feel rushed when the dealer turns to them and asks them to make a decision. It can be stressful for some. Should I hit or stand? Stop rushing me! Let me think! When playing online, there is no croupier and there is no one else standing at the table next to you, so you can take all the time in the world to make a decision and no one will care. If you want to, you can even look at a basic strategy chart while you play and consult it before every decision. Since there’s no time limit and no one will look at you funny for needing a chart, there’s nothing to stop you.
The other major difference is how the cards are dealt. In a casino, the croupier shuffles the decks and gives out the cards to each person. A card counter can gain an advantage by counting the number of high and low cards. This is more difficult the more decks there are in play, which the player can determine by looking at the shoe, asking the dealer or by looking on the table. However, though card counting with multiple decks in a casino may be difficult, it is impossible online.
Let me say it again so I’m clear: Card counting online does not work. That is because online, the cards you’re dealt aren’t confided to a certain number of decks. The decks don’t really exist, but if they did, they would be unlimited. You see, with online blackjack, the cards that you are dealt are determined by a computer program called a random number generator.
The random number generator uses a complex algorithm to select a series of numbers hundreds of times every second. Each set of numbers corresponds to a certain outcome, such as which card your are dealt. Because a new sequence of numbers is chosen hundreds of times per second, what card you receive is determined by when you lick the “hit” button. Clicking a microsecond earlier or later changes what card you receive. With casino play, the next card is the next card; it is sitting there in the shoe waiting to be dealt. Because card counting doesn’t work with online blackjack, basic strategy is the best you can do. For that reason, the odds are a little worse online, at least for those people who count cards.
Aside from that, the game is basically the same online. That atmosphere is different than actually being on a casino floor and the graphics may be different, but the gameplay is still the same. So if you don’t live near a casino and still want to play blackjack, visit an online casino. Just don’t try counting cards.