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Objective of the game
In this game of cards you are only competing against
the dealer. Your objective is to beat the dealer's hand
by getting as close to 21 as possible, without going
bust (exceeding 21). If you bust, you lose, whatever
the dealer's hand totals.
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| Example of a dealer’s
initial hand; the upcard (here a Jack)
with the hole card (right). |
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How to play
To win you need to beat the dealer without busting.
You bust when your cards total to more than 21 and you
lose automatically. The winner is whoever has closest
to a total of 21. You reach 21 by adding up the values
of the cards.
The blackjack table seats about 6 players. Either six
or eight decks of cards are used and are shuffled together
by the dealer and placed in a card dispensing box called
'Shoe'.
Before receiving any cards players must place a wager.
Then the players are dealt two cards face up. The dealer
gets one face up, one face down. Each player in turn
either stays or takes more cards to try and get closer
to 21 without busting. Players who do not bust wait
for the dealer's turn. When all the players are done,
the dealer turns up the down card. By rule, on counts
of 17 or higher the dealer must stay; on counts of 16
or lower the dealer must draw.
If you make a total of 21 with the first two cards
(a 10 or a face and an Ace), you win automatically.
This is called 'Blackjack'. If you have Blackjack, you
will win one and one-half times your bet unless the
dealer also has Blackjack, in which case it is a Push
or a Tie (or a Stand-off) and you get your bet back.
The remaining players with a higher count than the
dealer win an amount equal to their bet. Players with
a lower count than the dealer lose their bet. If the
dealer busts, all the remaining players win. There are
other betting options namely Insurance, Surrender, Double
Down, Even Money and Split.
STAND
The player sticks with whatever cards he currently holds.
HIT
The player takes an additional card.
DOUBLE-DOWN
The player doubles his initial bet and receives one
— and only one — more card. Players can
only Double-Down on their initial 2-card hand.
SPLIT
If the player is dealt cards of equal value, he may
split them into two separate hands. Splitting requires
the player to match his current wager for the second
hand. When a player splits Aces he is only dealt one
more card to each hand. Split Aces resulting in a Blackjack
only pay 1 to 1. Each hand can win or lose independent
of the others.
SURRENDER
Surrender is a rule that allows a player to give up
half of his initial bet instead of playing out his hand.
Players can only Surrender on their initial 2-card hand.
Basic Strategy
The game is over 300 years old and over time strategies
for getting the best out of the game have been developed.
These strategies are based on the following rules of
the game which you should keep focused on at all times:
- The dealer must continue
to take cards until they reach 17 or more.
- Once the dealer gets to
17 or more they must stop, irrespective of the hand
that the player has.
- Blackjack is achieved
with an ace and a ten-value card (this includes the
Jack, Queen and King).
- Whilst other winning hands
pay "even money" (i.e. you win whatever your stake
was), Blackjack pays 3 to 2 (i.e. you win three chips
for every two you have staked).
- Aces are worth either
1 or 11.
- Ten-value cards are the
most common (remember all picture cards are worth
10).
- You may double your stake
if your first two cards total 9, 10 or 11 (called
"double down"). This can be worthwhile if you believe
you are likely to be dealt a 10 next (and thus getting
to 19, 20 or 21) but keep an eye on the dealer's card
too! If your hand includes an ace you cannot double.
Note also that if you choose to double, you will only
receive one card.
- If you are dealt two cards
of the same value (although picture cards must match),
you can choose to split them. This in effect doubles
your stake and thus your opportunity to win, but again
keep an eye on the dealer's card before splitting.
- If the dealer's first
card is an ace, you will be given the option of placing
a side bet. This is called Insurance. When the dealer
has an ace, he is considered to have a good chance
of getting Blackjack. If the dealer does get Blackjack,
this Insurance pays 2 to 1. If you do buy Insurance
and the dealer fails to get Blackjack you lose your
Insurance. Insurance bets are always half the value
of your initial stake.
- At all Online Casinos,
play at your own pace. Don't worry if you need to
consider for a while whether to "hit" or "stand",
you can play the game in your own time.
- Blackjack is the one casino game where the rules
vary from casino to casino. Although gameplay remains
the same, differences in rules affect playing strategy
and house advantage. Listed below are the rule variations
and their effect on house advantage.
Blackjack Rule Variations
1. Number of decks used
1, 2, 4, 5, 6, or 8 decks
Blackjack games can be found using anywhere from 1
to 8 decks. The more decks that are used, the greater
the house advantage. Although single deck games can
still be found, other rule changes are usually instituted
to ensure a higher house advantage.
2. Dealers' decision with
a soft 17
Stand or Hit
It is advantageous to a player when the dealer Stands
with a Soft 17. This rule is common in Atlantic City
and Las Vegas Strip casinos. It is advantageous to
the House if the dealer Hits with a Soft 17. This
rule is common with 1 or 2 deck games.
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SOFT
17: A soft 17 in Blackjack indicates the
presence of an 11-value Ace in the hand. It is
“Soft” because the Ace can also assume
the lower value 1. Example of a soft 17 is shown
here.
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3. Double-Down Variations
R estrictions: 9–11,
10/11, or None; Doubling after a Split: Yes or No
Limitations on what combinations a player can Double-Down
on increase the house advantage. In some games players
are only allowed to Double-Down on a 10 or 11, or
they are not allowed to Double after Splitting.
4. Splitting Variations
1, 2, or 3 Splits allowed
In some games players are not allowed to resplit cards
(Splitting after a Split) — this is advantageous
to the house. In some games resplitting Aces is not
allowed which is also advantageous to the house.
5. Late Surrender
Late Surrender allowed:
Yes or No
Late Surrender is only available on an intial 2 card
hand. When a player chooses to Surrender, they forfeit
half of their bet without playing out the hand. With
Late Surrender, a player can only Surrender after
the dealer checks for blackjack.
6. Dealer peek rule
Peek, No Peek, Full No
Peek
In most games the Dealer will check for Blackjack
when her upcard is an Ace or a Ten. This is advantageous
to the player. In some games the Dealer will not check
for a Blackjack when her upcard is a Ten or not even
check when it is an Ace (Full No Peek). This is advantageous
to the house. “No Peek” rules are advantageous
to the House because a player may lose more than his
original bet (through Splitting or Doubling Down)
against a Dealer’s Blackjack.
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> Blackjack
Strategy
Blackjack is a game of skill but
also a game of chance. CasinoAdvice accepts no responsibility
for any losses incurred as a result of following this
guide.
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