How To Play Online Blackjack With Friends
So you’ve just moved to a new city. Everything is a little bit strange: no one greets you when you walk down the hall because they don’t know you yet, you don’t have a regular coffee spot anymore, and you don’t get to see your friends for your monthly get-togethers. Sure, you can chat on platforms like Skype or Zoom, but what you really miss is the feeling of just being together and trying out some fun new activity. Well, we might have the solution for you; playing online or mobile blackjack with your friends! Though you won’t all be in the same room, it’ll feel like the good old days when you were all in the same place. You can chat during the game, get together via Zoom beforehand, or afterward for some snack and hangout time… it’s the perfect solution! Here are all the details about how you can set it all up.
Setting Up The Game
The first thing you need to do is set up an account at a reputable online casino. The best way to figure out which casino is going to be right for you is to check out gambler reviews; if a gambler has had a bad time at a casino, you know they’ll find somewhere on the internet to shout about it! Only sign up with an online casino you know has a reputation for being safe, secure, and reliable. You can find out what kind of payment and deposit methods a casino uses by checking out the site before you sign on. Only select casinos that use well-known payment methods so that you don’t have difficulty getting money into or out of your account. Safe payment methods also mean that you aren’t opening yourself up to potential attacks by people who wish to gain or use your financial data or money in unethical ways.
Now that your account is set up, you’ll need to choose your game. For your purposes, the option that will work the best is a live dealer blackjack game. Choose your game or table and check what the bet limits are and how many free seats are available. Tables have a limited number of “seats” even though there’s no one physically seated at them; you don’t want to join a game and find out afterwards that there’s no room for your friends! If you want the game to be a private one, just for you and your group, you’ll have to get into the game early and occupy all the seats. If seats are left open, eventually, another player will join the game and crash your party.
Playing Blackjack
In case you or someone in your friend group aren’t entirely familiar with the game, here are the basic rules for playing traditional blackjack:
- The goal: to beat the dealer’s hand and get as close to 21 as you can without going over that number.
- The cards: all face cards are worth 10. Aces are worth either 11 or 1, whichever option offers you the better hand.
- The game: each player starts with two cards from the dealer. The dealer starts with two cards, one of which is hidden.
- If you want to ask for another card, you “hit,” and if you don’t, you “stick.”
- Getting a hand over 21 means you’re out, no matter the dealer’s hand.
- If you get an ace and a ten to start with, you win because you’ve hit blackjack.
- The dealer will continue to hit until their cards add up to 17 or higher.
These are the basic rules; some of the fine points may differ from casino to casino.
Chatting
If you and your friends are known to be a little loud or raucous, we suggest that you keep your Slack, Zoom, Skype, or whichever chat platform you usually use open while the game is afoot. Private chats are best had privately, even though most live dealer games do have a chat function that you can make use of. Personal jokes, loud laughter, and messing around are all best kept off any casino site; rather safe than sorry!
Make It a Party
Instead of just sitting in your computer chairs, make it a party! Do whatever you’d do if you were together: put on some music (not too loud though, you need to concentrate!), set out some snacks that you like and maybe prepare a cocktail or two (but not too many, because you need your wits about you when you’re playing blackjack). Relax and enjoy being in the company of your friends, even if you’re far apart.
Wrap Up
Setting up a live blackjack game for you and your friends is a simple way to get together and have a good time…and maybe win a few bucks while you’re at it!