Why Blackjack is Here to Stay
The online casino industry releases new games at a frenetic pace, and there isn’t a month that goes by without the arrival of at least a few brand new titles being announced. Despite this, the traditional game of Blackjack continues to be very popular, which is pretty impressive for a game that offers a top payout of 3 to 2! So why exactly is blackjack so popular in this age of progressive jackpots, and why can online casino players be confident that blackjack is here to stay?
The main answer to these questions is that blackjack is truly a game of skill as well as luck. Whilst some luck is obviously involved in determining which cards are dealt to the player and dealer, the decisions that the player makes after his hole cards have been dealt have a definite effect on his odds of enjoying a profitable session. In simple terms, the better decisions that the player makes (according to basic strategy) the more chance he has of winning.
It is undoubtedly this considerably element of skill that makes blackjack – both offline and online – so popular with those who like to play casino games that offer a genuine challenge and not merely a shot at winning cash on the basis of pure luck.
When Tiger Woods made headlines recently for alleged extra-marital indiscretions, our attention was grabbed more by the revelation that Tiger is a serious blackjack player, and is rumoured to have played the game at the level of $25,000 per hand. We won’t comment on the indiscretions, but we will say that Tiger Woods made an excellent choice when it came to choosing a casino game!
Another reason why blackjack is so popular – and why it will be around for decades to come – is because it is really a very simple game. Anyone can learn the basic rules in a matter of minutes, and although becoming a master of basic strategy will take longer, it is possible to sit down at a blackjack table and start playing with as much ease as one can at the roulette wheel or craps table.
Finally, the satisfaction of winning at blackjack is arguably greater than that experienced when winning a game of pure chance. Again, this is linked to the skill element of the game. Whereas winning at roulette is obviously pleasurable because one has been lucky enough to make a profit, winning at blackjack is even more satisfying because it often means that you have made the right strategic decisions.
As we said in a previous article, we would love blackjack to have a bigger profile so that it gets more attention from new and casual online casino players, but the continuance of the game itself is in no doubt – blackjack is here to stay, and that means we have plenty of blackjack action to look forward to in 2010 and for many years thereafter!
Article Published: 14/06/2010 11:59:22

