A money cap you can lose
Use cash you have already set aside for entertainment. Not rent, not a credit line, not someone else's money.
What we will and will not do
We teach blackjack because the math is knowable. That is not the same as telling you to bet. We will not pretend that a chart, a count, or a “system” makes gambling safe.
- Free play is practice
- The tables and trainers on this site use fake chips. They exist so you can learn decisions. They are not a bankroll and they are not a payout.
- The house keeps an edge
- Even with perfect basic strategy, blackjack is a negative-expectation game for the player. Our guides say so on purpose.
- Casino reviews are for adults
- When we list real-money casinos, it is for people who already choose to play and who can afford to lose what they stake. It is not an instruction to deposit, and it is not a statement that the casino holds a German licence.
- No under-18 marketing
- This site is for adults. We use 18 as the line. We do not want accounts, comments, or traffic from anyone under 18.
Rules that keep play in bounds
If you do play for money, decide the limits before the first hand. Write them down if that helps. The point is that the session ends when the plan says so, not when the cards “owe you.”
A time cap
Set a clock. Long sessions make chasing losses easier to justify.
Never chase
A losing streak is not a debt the table will repay. Raising bets to “get even” is how small losses become damaging ones.
Do not borrow to play
If you need a card, a payday loan, or a friend to keep playing, you are already past a safe line. Stop.
Do not play while intoxicated
Alcohol, exhaustion, or a "having a tough week" can all help justify bad decisions.
Wins are not a plan
A good night does not prove you have an edge. Treat a win the same as a loss: the session still ends.
Warning signs
You do not need a diagnosis to take a problem seriously. If several of these are true, get help even if you still “win sometimes.”
- You hide how much time or money you spend.
- You gamble with money meant for bills, food, or rent.
- You feel restless or angry when you are not playing.
- You lie to family or friends about it.
- You borrow, sell things, or chase after a loss.
- You have tried to cut back but did not.
- Gambling is how you cope with stress, boredom, or shame.
- Work, school, or sleep is slipping because of it.
Get help
The gambling line is run by the Bundesinstitut für Öffentliche Gesundheit. It is independent of Black-Jack.Net. Calling does not put you on a marketing list here. If play has already taken over, see gambling addiction.
BIÖG gambling line
Free, anonymous advice for players, for people close to a player, and for anyone else with a question about gambling. Call 0800 1 37 27 00. Monday to Thursday 10:00-22:00. Friday to Sunday 10:00-18:00. The line is open 363 days a year and is closed on 24 December and 31 December. Advisers can point you to counselling near where you live. 0800 1 37 27 00
OASIS
The nationwide exclusion file, kept by the Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt. A self-exclusion is generally for at least one year. You can ask for a shorter minimum, and it cannot be under 3 months: a request for 2 months is raised to 3 months. An exclusion asked for by someone else is at least one year. A separate 24-hour exclusion can be set with the operator's button and ends on its own. File it with Darmstadt or with a registered operator. You cannot file it on the Check dein Spiel website. It covers operators the 2021 Interstate Treaty requires to connect, including licensed online casinos, betting, lotteries held more than twice a week, and land-based casinos. It does not close an account at a casino that is not licensed in Germany, and it does not replace the helpline. OASIS
Local counselling
Check dein Spiel lists counselling services by where you live. The BIÖG line will also tell you what is available nearby. There is not a second national treatment number to call instead of 0800 1 37 27 00. Hilfe vor Ort
Advice in other languages
Check dein Spiel lists gambling lines in Polish (0173 29 37 359, by appointment), Russian (0511 70 14 664, Mondays 15:00-17:00), Turkish (0800 3264762, Mondays 18:00-20:00 and Wednesdays 20:00-22:00), and Arabic (0173 565 36 22). The Arabic number is published as free and anonymous, and that page does not give it weekly hours. All of these lines are free. Other languages
Telefonseelsorge
If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call 0800 111 0 111 or 0800 111 0 222, or 116 123. The phone lines are free and open around the clock. If you are in immediate danger, call 112. 0800 111 0 111
Nummer gegen Kummer
Free, anonymous support for children and young people. Call 116 111, Monday to Saturday 14:00-20:00. On Saturday the advisers are young people. It is not open overnight or on Sunday. 116 111
Gamblers Anonymous
Peer meetings for people who want to stop gambling. Find a local or online meeting. gamblersanonymous.org
Gam-Anon
Support for families and friends affected by someone else's gambling. gam-anon.org
Under 18
Real-money gambling is for adults. On this site we treat 18 as the line. The Bundesinstitut für Öffentliche Gesundheit states that children and young people under 18 may not take part in gambling. If you are under 18, do not create an account, do not use our casino links, and do not treat the free tables as practice for staking money.
Parents and caregivers: the free games here still look like casino play. If a minor is using them to rehearse betting, that is a conversation worth having. Nummer gegen Kummer will talk to a young person on 116 111, Monday to Saturday 14:00-20:00. Full policy: underage gambling.
Questions
Does learning strategy make gambling responsible?
No. Strategy is about making fewer expensive mistakes. The bet can still hurt you. Responsible play is about whether you should be betting at all, and what you do when you lose.
Do black-jack.net games have a real bankroll?
No. Bankroll on this site is fake. A reset to your buy-in is not a win. If fake chips are starting to feel like a score you need to protect, take a break from the tables here too.
Will you tell a casino I called a helpline?
No. The gambling line is run by the Bundesinstitut für Öffentliche Gesundheit. We do not receive those calls and we do not share your activity on this site with anyone unless required by law.
Is the gambling line open all night?
No. Monday to Thursday it is open 10:00-22:00. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday it is open 10:00-18:00. It is closed on 24 December and 31 December. If you are in crisis outside those hours, call Telefonseelsorge on 0800 111 0 111 or 0800 111 0 222. In immediate danger, call 112.
Does OASIS cover every casino on the internet?
No. OASIS covers operators the German system requires to connect. A casino that is not licensed in Germany is outside that file. The BIÖG line can still talk to you about that play. A 24-hour exclusion, where an operator offers the button, ends by itself and is not the same as the longer OASIS entry.