What Do Poker Players Love About Blackjack?

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The average online casino has a plethora of games. Naturally, poker players choose Texas Hold’em, Omaha, 7-Card Stud, 5-Card Draw, or their favorite variant of the game.

But, every once in a while, poker heads also relish a different game.

For some reason, blackjack is the game of choice for poker players who want to try something different. So, why blackjack, and not slots, roulette, or baccarat?

1. Blackjack Has Straightforward Rules

Blackjack is an easy game to learn. You play against the house through a dealer. The objective is to form a hand of 21. A hand close to 21 can also win as long as it's better than the dealer's hand.

There are several more blackjack rules you should understand. But they are simple to comprehend. You can learn the game in five minutes. And, after a few hours of practice, you could become a pretty good blackjack player.

Some of the rules revolve around whether the dealer can hit or stand at 17. Rules can differ on whether you can place an insurance bet, surrender, split, or double-down. All the same, they're straightforward and easy to learn.

2. It is a Challenging Game

If you’re like many poker fans, you prefer games of skill over games to luck. Blackjack isn’t as dependent on skill as Texas Hold’em. That said, it still requires you to think, strategize, and make the right decisions to win.

At the beginning of many blackjack games, you receive two cards facing up. The dealer gets two cards, too, but one of their cards faces down.

After checking your cards and the dealer's up-card, you can opt to hit (take another card), stand, or double down.

Your decision is important. A wrong decision can cost you money. You can easily increase or lower your chances of winning depending on whether you hit for another card or stand in a certain situation.

3. Easily Accessible

Like poker, blackjack is an easily accessible game. Not only is it available at most online casinos, but you can also find the game on some poker websites. Of course, it's best to play the game at trusted, top-rated casinos.

You can find a list of the best blackjack casinos in the UK on this site. Pick operators that feature a good range of blackjack variants. Also, prioritize casinos that also provide poker. Additionally, look at bonuses, banking options, and limits.

To expound more about variants, some blackjack games provide a lower house edge than others. Others increase the house advantage but relax their rules.

Blackjack Switch, for example, gives you four cards at the start of a game. You can switch the cards around to form a winning hand instantly. However, a dealer’s 22 isn’t a bust but a push. In Single Deck Blackjack, like the name suggests, only one deck of cards is used.

4. You Can use a Cheat Sheet

It is true—many casinos allow you to use a cheat sheet while playing blackjack. It could be a small piece of paper with strategies you should follow. Or you could have an app that guides you on the best decisions to make at different stages of a blackjack game.

Although frowned upon, counting cards is also legal in blackjack. Basically, you can use any blackjack strategy of your choice. The only illegal thing is to cooperate with a dealer to cheat.

With that said, strategies don’t give you a winning guarantee. Many people lose money even after sticking to the best strategies religiously. However, by using these systems regularly, you at least increase your odds of winning.

5. Available at Live Casinos

One of the most exciting bits about Hold’em online is that you can play online poker with friends in real-time. You can set up a web camera and see and interact with fellow human players even when you are hundreds of miles apart.

You can have the same experience playing blackjack. There are some differences, of course. For example, you mainly interact with a dealer in blackjack and not necessarily other players. However, some blackjack games also support multi-player gaming.

6. It is an Affordable Game

Blackjack is a fairly cheap game. If you have a small budget, you can play the game for as little as 10 cents per hand. If you have a bigger bankroll, you could play the game at tables with minimums of $5 or $10 per hand.

If you’re a high-roller, you can play anywhere from $200 to $10,000 per hand. Some high-stakes casinos support much higher betting limits, especially brick and mortar establishments. In Las Vegas and Atlantic City, high-stakes players like Don Johnson bet as much as $100,000 per hand.

7. It Could Become a Career

How many people do you know who play slots professionally? Not many. That’s because slots are highly dependent on luck. And as a result, keeping a winning record is easier said than done.

In all fairness, not many people can boast of winning at blackjack consistently, either.

It’s a challenging game to play. Add the luck factor to the mix, and your odds of winning increase significantly if you get good cards.

All the same, it’s easier to break even at blackjack than at most other casino games. If you grasp the game’s fundamentals and excel at using a profitable strategy, there’s a chance you could beat the house.

Don Johnson once won $6 million in a single night playing the game and over $12 million within six months at blackjack tables. Was he lucky at times? Sure. But much of his winning story can be attributed to his skills as well.

8. You Can Participate in Tournaments

Part of what makes poker an exciting game is that you can compete in tournaments. It makes playing the game much more exciting, even when stakes are fairly low. You can enjoy the game with friends and have a shot at making some money at the same time.

Blackjack has the same trait. It’s not a lonely endeavor. It is a game that supports competitions with lucrative rewards.

Sure, you won’t find many international blackjack competitions, at least not as many as you can find in poker. But at many online and local casinos and poker rooms, there are occasional blackjack competitions to get involved with.