Blackjack is one of the most favorited and loved casino games played in the US and all over the world. When it was newly introduced, gamblers were skeptical about it but over the years it became extremely appreciated. Blackjack is a fair game of skill and chance. It’s an exciting challenge for most gamblers.
We’ll be looking into why is blackjack so popular among casino goers and why you might be interested in playing it.
Why Is Blackjack Popular With New Players
Blackjack is appealing for gamblers of all bankroll sizes and skill levels. Some of the reasons behind the game’s popularity among new players are:
Rules Are Easy to Understand
The most obvious reason behind the immense popularity of blackjack is that the rules of the game are pretty straightforward and easy to understand. The main objective is to get a 21, which makes a natural blackjack, or beat the dealer by going as close to 21 as possible without going over. Two cards are initially dealt to each player by the dealer. If the player decides to take a card, they hit and if they are happy with their hand, they stand. These are the most basic rules and are very easy to grasp by even a player who has never played before.
Blackjack Rules are Universal
Not only are the blackjack rules simple but they are also universal. That is, the way the game is played in casinos over the world is pretty much the same. This makes it even easier for players to understand blackjack better than most other casino games with dynamic rules, requiring very well-crafted strategies to beat the house. The blackjack rules might slightly vary in terms of whether the casino allows players to take certain options but the basic game and its objective remain constant.
Exciting Blackjack Payouts
The payout of blackjack is quite exciting, which is a reason enough for new players to be attracted by this particular casino game. A natural blackjack gives a win 2:1 or 3:2 of the wager and the hand is over instantly (assuming the dealer isn’t showing an ace or 10). The odds of getting a blackjack are just often enough to keep it exciting when a player does hit one. Even if they don’t get a blackjack, they can keep playing more hands until they do..
Why Is Blackjack Popular With Seasoned Players
Blackjack is even more popular among seasoned players who are well aware of the basic strategies of winning the game.
Low House Edge
Blackjack, as a casino game, is particularly known for its low house edge. The house edge in blackjack is just about 2%, which is way lower than most other casino games. There are several factors contributing to this low house edge such as the opportunity for the player to double down and split aces and for the fact that the dealer has to stand on 17. A 2% house edge further goes down to 0.5% if the player is memorizing the famous basic strategy.
A 0.5% house edge means that with every $100 bet, the expected loss over the long run is only 50 cents.
Opportunity for Basic Strategies
There is a basic blackjack strategy that blackjack players can use to improve their odds of winning and beat the casino’s edge to a significant extent. It is a fact that this optimal blackjack strategy is a highly effective one. It is a set of rules that indicate the actions that players must take based on the cards in their hand and that of the dealer’s hand. The actions are hit, stand, double down, split, re-split, and surrender. The basic strategy takes a bit of time to memorize but a blackjack player can benefit a lot from it. In fact, casinos allow blackjack strategy charts to be used at the blackjack table, which is an added benefit for the player.
As for advanced strategies, players can learn the technique of card counting as well but that takes a lot of time to master. Basic strategy will only get you so far, if you want to beat the casino consistently (without exploiting comps) then you need to learn and master card counting.
Fast Pace Gameplay
Blackjack is a necessarily fast-paced game and it is surprising how quickly the actions unfold. For players who demand instant results and gratification when they are playing, blackjack is an ideal game. The speed with which it can be played is a major reason behind its popularity among expert and professional blackjack players, setting it apart from most other table games.
How Hollywood Made Blackjack Popular
Blackjack has been widely depicted in Hollywood movies. Blackjack on the big screen has always been a classy game for the high and the mighty. Most movies emphasize high roller blackjack betting rather than the lower limit game that the average player plays. 21 is the movie that first comes to one’s mind when speaking about blackjack on the big screen.
21 tells the story of the infamous MIT students who are taught to play blackjack and count cards by their professor. As this was the retelling of the true story of the MIT team, it was a huge production featuring stars like Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne. Although the movie did not do very well at the box office, it does put up an enjoyable depiction of blackjack and the card counting melodrama.
Another movie called The Last Casino is also based on the casino game of blackjack and it turned out as an incredibly popular story of a group of students who go on a spree of blackjack winnings after learning how to count cards. This movie can be considered to be the predecessor of the 21 and was released in 2004. It is interesting to find out whether the group gets caught and how the actions progress.
As with depictions of any game in popular media, a lot of what you see of blackjack in Hollywood is dramatized but there are elements of truth to it.
Why is Blackjack so Popular: FAQ
Here are the most common questions about the popularity of blackjack answered in brief:
What makes blackjack popular with new casino patrons?
Blackjack is very popular among new blackjack players because of its easy-to-understand, universal rules. The main objective of blackjack is also simple and that is to make 21 or as close to the number as possible without going over.
How can a low house edge make blackjack popular?
A low house edge means higher odds of winning for the player in each game. A low house edge of 2% is a major reason behind the high popularity of the game.
Why does blackjack have a low house edge?
Blackjack has a low house edge because dealers cannot hit once they make 17 or higher but must keep hitting until they make over 17 or go bust. Also, players have several options in blackjack, which increases the EV of their hand.
Can all blackjack players get a better edge against the house?
All players can have a better edge against the casino but only if they are using the basic blackjack strategy and getting options to double down, split, etc.
Do you need to learn card counting to frequently win in blackjack?
To win in blackjack over the long term and have a positive expected value, you need to not only learn but master card counting and the strategies you must use when counting.
Is blackjack accurately depicted in Hollywood movies?
Blackjack has been portrayed in several Hollywood movies. The depiction of the game is a bit exaggerated for entertainment purposes but there are elements of truth to it.
Blackjack is an extremely interesting and popular casino game that calls for a combination of skill and luck for the players to win. It is engrossing and quick in giving out the results.
