How to Play Classic Blackjack Online

Blackjack is the most popular table game at the casino – but which blackjack games do people like the most? Of all the different ways you can play online blackjack for real money at Bodog Casino, the original Blackjack is still top of the charts. If you’re relatively new to this game, or you just need a refresher, we recommend playing Classic Blackjack with the familiar casino-style layout. All of your possible plays are shown at the bottom of your display; we’ll explain them for you in this easy-to-read blackjack guide.

Classic Blackjack Rules

As you may already know from learning the blackjack rules at some point in your life, it’s you versus the dealer, and you win by scoring more points without going over 21. Kings, Queens and Jacks are worth 10 points each, Aces can be worth 1 or 11, and the rest of the cards are face value.

After you place your opening bet (anywhere between $1 and $5,000 at Bodog), you’ll be dealt two cards, face-up, and the dealer will get two cards, one face-up and the other face-down. Then your turn begins.

If your first two cards add up to 21, you’ve got a Blackjack. That means you’re already a winner – unless the dealer also has 21, in which case it’s a tie, and your bet will be returned to you.

If you have fewer than 21 points, here are the different moves you can make with your blackjack hands, depending on the cards you’ve been dealt:

  • Hit: Take another card
  • Stand: End your turn with what you’ve got
  • Double (aka Double Down): Increase your bet by 2X, receive exactly one more card, and end your turn when you double down
  • Split: When dealt a Pair, split your cards into two hands, thus doubling your bet
  • Surrender: When you surrender playing Blackjack, you will immediately forfeit the hand and retrieve half of your bet

If the dealer’s up-card is an Ace, you can also make a side bet called Insurance; this bet will pay out if the dealer happens to have Blackjack.

Once your turn is over, the dealer reveals their up-card, and if they haven’t already won, they’ll keep drawing cards until either they win or go bust – or the hand ends in a tie. In Classic Blackjack, the dealer must hit on soft 17; “soft” means they have an 11-point Ace in their hand, as opposed to a “hard” hand. If the dealer has hard 17, or 18-21 points, their turn ends and the winner is declared; most payouts in blackjack are even money (1-to-1), but you can win more, as we’ll show you in the next section of our blackjack guide.

Play Classic Blackjack Game

Classic Blackjack Payouts

In addition to those even-money payouts, if you’re dealt a “natural” 21 right off the bat (and the dealer doesn’t also have a natural), you’ll be paid out at 3-to-2 when you play Classic Blackjack at Bodog Casino. Other sites, especially live Blackjack casinos, might only pay you 8-to-5 or even less when you make Blackjack.

If your Insurance bet wins in Classic Blackjack, you’ll be paid out at 2-to-1. Knowing these payouts will help you decide which plays you should make at the table; with this information, along with your hand and the dealer’s up-card, you can build an optimal blackjack strategy – or just download a blackjack chart from a reputable source and refer to it while you play.

Other Blackjack Games at Bodog

Once you’ve given Classic Blackjack a spin, try our other exciting Blackjack games here at Bodog Casino. Instead of six decks in the virtual shoe, you can play Single Deck Blackjack and Double Deck Blackjack – or try European Blackjack, where the dealer only receives a single up-card at the start of the hand.

For something more unique, Perfect Pairs lets you place side bets on whether you’ll be dealt a Pair with your two hole cards, and Zappit Blackjack lets you vaporize your cards whenever you get dealt a tricky 15, 16 or 17. All of these exciting games and more are waiting for you at Bodog Casino. Try them for free using the Practice mode, and see why Bodog is the world’s No. 1 destination for online Blackjack.