If you’re a blackjack newbie, the title of this article may have you looking for a definitive answer. If you’ve got a little more experience, you may think that the answer is obvious. However, there is more to the queen in blackjack than meets the eye. Read on to find out more.
That being said, there is another level to blackjack and this is what you need to explore if you want to get the most out of the game. This involves learning basic strategy and honing skills to make you the best blackjack player possible.
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The popularity of Blackjack today
Blackjack is a casino game that’s extremely popular around the world. This popularity has only grown since the arrival of online casinos as these have opened the game up to a whole new audience who would never have entertained the idea of walking onto a land-based establishment.
One of the reasons that blackjack is so popular is because, on the face of it, it’s a very simple game. When you know what the cards are worth and the handful of actions you can take then you’re good to go. It really does only take a matter of minutes to get to grip the basics and start enjoying the game.
The worth of the queen in blackjack
When playing blackjack, the aim is to get a higher hand than that of the dealer. The watch out here is that you can’t go over 21. If you do then you go bust and you lose the game. You win by being closer to 21 or when the dealer himself goes bust. You work out the value of your hand by assigning worth to each of the cards that you hold.
Understanding the value of the cards in blackjack is easy. Cards numbered 2 to 10 are worth just what they say they are. When it comes to picture cards, these are worth 10. The ace is a little different as it can have two values. It can be used as a 1 or as an 11, depending on the other cards that you have. The queen is the same as the other picture cards (jack and king) in that it has a value of 10.
The real value of a queen though is seen when it is paired with an ace. In this case, the ace is used as an 11 and you find yourself with a natural blackjack. At better tables this will lead to you being paid out at a rate of 3:2. Other tables may reduce this to 6:5. A natural blackjack can’t be beaten, but if the dealer also has one it’s called a push and you simply get your wager back.
What’s the value of a split queen?
As well as being able to hit and stand, players also have the option to split when playing blackjack. This option comes into play if you’re holding 2 cards of the same value. If you decide to split the cards you are then playing with 2 separate hands and will be dealt an additional card for each.
If you choose to split, you must place a second bet that is of an equal value to your original one. Let’s say that your wager had been $5. If you then went on to split, you’d have to wager a further $5.
If you’re splitting with a queen it means that your original hand is worth 20. By splitting, you then have 2 hands worth 10 until the additional cards are dealt. This may seem like madness when you were so close to 21 with your original hand but there are times when splitting a queen is the right thing to do.
It could be that you split queens and there is a chance of also a chance of being dealt two aces. This would mean that you then have 2 natural blackjacks. If this were to happen, you would then be paid 3:2 on both hands.
If a player has queens, and a total of 20, there are occasions when splitting isn’t the wisest choice. When you hold 20, the dealer has a 12.2% chance of beating you so it could be argued that you’re better off just standing in this scenario.
The queen in blackjack and hard 16
In blackjack, a hard queen is a hand that adds up to 16. It doesn’t include an ace in its total. When you have a hard queen, you are holding a queen and other cards that total 6. In this circumstance, you face 3 choices: surrender, stand or hit. The majority of players out there will make the wrong decision with this hand. That’s why it’s important to learn basic strategy so that you know exactly what you should do.
The reason that a hard queen is tricky is that there’s still some way to go to reach 21. However, hitting poses a real risk of going bust. When the dealer has an upcard that’s worth 7 or more the right thing to do is to take the risk and hit. If the dealer is showing a card that’s worth 6 or less then the right thing to do is stand. These decisions both rely on probability and that’s why basic strategy is so important.
The best option when facing hard 16 is usually to surrender. Your winning chances are slim so it makes sense to sacrifice half of your bet and at least maintain some of your bankroll
Final thoughts on the queen in blackjack
When you first look at what a queen is worth in blackjack, the obvious answer is 10. However, as we’ve now seen, the true value of a queen is dependent on the hand that you hold. There are times when a queen can stand you in good stead whereas in other situations it can almost be a curse.
The big takeaway here is that mastering basic blackjack strategy is a must. By doing this, you’ll always have a clear understanding of what your queen is worth and you’ll know just what action you need to take.
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