There can be few subgenres of online gaming that have enjoyed such an explosion in popularity as the online casinos over the past five years or so. Whether it is because of relaxed legislation, more adult gamers or plain and simple marketing is open to debate – most likely it is a combination of all these factors and more.
Whatever the reason, the sector is one that is worth billions and is highly competitive. That’s good news for players, as it means the platforms are all working hard to offer new gaming experiences. Yet despite all the new and complex slots that are introduced almost daily, traditional casino table games remain the most popular. Among these, roulette is an old favorite and baccarat has enjoyed a recent resurgence. But it is blackjack that is consistently the most popular game of them all. Let’s find out why.
You make the decisions
With roulette and baccarat, you place your bet and then wait to see what happens. Black or red, player or banker, it’s all down to chance and whatever people might say about strategies, there is really no more skill involved than there is in choosing the numbers for Lotto. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – it levels the playing field so that beginners have just as good a chance of winning at these games as seasoned experts.
But with blackjack, you are in control of your hand and can influence the outcome. Hit or stand, split the pair or double down, it’s all up to you.
Everyone knows the rules
Of course, you could say the same about decision making with other card games, and in particular, poker. Yet blackjack has far more universal appeal. The reason is that the game is so inherently simple. Everyone knows how to play it, and a newcomer can get to grips with the rules in a matter of minutes. Poker, on the other hand, has rules that are far more complex, and is a game that takes years of experience to truly master.
Games like Texas Holdem are great for serious card players, but blackjack is something that anyone and everyone can play.
The better you are, the more you win
Despite the game’s basic simplicity, you can learn different strategies that genuinely affect your chances of success. All these are based on solid principles of mathematical probability.
At its most basic, blackjack strategy tells you when to hit or stand and whether to split a pair, depending on the cards you are holding and the dealer’s upcard. Go a little deeper, though, and you can learn principles of card counting, which is neither complicated nor unethical, whatever you might be led to believe by Hollywood!
The odds are with you
Even when you play using gut instinct and common sense, the house edge in blackjack is less than three percent, which means you have a better chance of success than with most slots. But get the strategy right, and that drops to one percent or even less. There’s no better game to play if you want to exercise your brain and make your bankroll last for the whole evening!
