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How to Play Blackjack

Blackjack, also known as 21, is one of the most popular casino games in the world.  Easy to learn but hard to master, in Blackjack players bet against the dealer trying to keep their hand value higher than the dealer’s hand, while not passing a hand value of 21.  Blackjack is a game found in casinos around the world and has been immortalized in countless movies, which is a testament to its allure – with a good understanding of the mechanics behind the game, playing Blackjack can be very profitable.

Rules of Blackjack

At the start of the game, bets are placed by each player (or on each hand in the case of multi-hand Blackjack), and the each player and the dealer are dealt 2 cards.  The player’s cards are dealt face up, while the dealer is dealt one card face down (known as the “hole card”), and one card face up (known as the “upcard”).  Card value is determined as followed:

• Number cards are worth their intrinsic value
• Face cards (J, Q, K) have a value of 10.
• Ace cards have a value of either 1 or 11, whichever will benefit the owner with a higher hand, while not going over 21.
• The best possible hand combination to be dealt is an Ace and a card with a value of 10 – this is known as a Blackjack and will generally payout 3:2 of your bet.
• Show pictures with examples

Once the cards are dealt, the player acts first, and has several choices available:

• Hit – you are dealt another card.  You may continue to hit until their hand reaches the value of 21, or until you decide to stand.  If your hand is higher than 21 after hitting, you  bust and loses the hand.
• Stand – you decide not to draw anymore cards, turning the next action over to the dealer.
• Double Down – Once the initial two cards are dealt but before any additional cards are deal, you may decide to Double Down.  When a player Double Downs they place an additional bet on the hand equal to their original bet and are dealt another card.  The player is forced to stand once the card is dealt.  When done correctly, doubling down reduces the house edge – see our article on Blackjack Strategy – Doubling Down for a more in-depth explanation.
• Insurance – Once the initial two cards are dealt to the player and the dealer’s upcard shows an Ace, you will be offered insurance.  This occurs before any other player actions are allowed.  Insurance is a side bet that equals half of the original bet that protects against the dealer’s blackjack.  Once insurance bets are made, the dealer checks to see if they have a blackjack; if the dealer has a blackjack you win the side bet.  If the dealer does not have a blackjack, you lose the side bet and the hand commences as normal.  It is generally not advised to take insurance bets – see our article Blackjack Strategy – Insurance for a more in-depth explanation.
• Split – Splitting is only available when you are dealt two like cards (2-2, 3-3, etc.).  When a pair is split the player’s hand is split into two hands, and another card is drawn for each hand while doubling the original bet.  You will now be playing two separate hand, with each hand betting the original amount.  See our article Blackjack Strategy – Splitting for a more in-depth explanation.
• Surrender – Although not all casinos offer this option, surrendering your hand is a good option for a conservative play style.  You may choose to surrender only after the dealer has checked for a blackjack (in late surrender, the more common variation), and doing so forfeits half of your bet, but you recover half of your original bet.  See our article Blackjack Strategy – Surrender for a more in-depth explanation.

Once the player has chosen to stand, the dealer takes their turn.  The dealer always plays in a specific way governed by a set of rules, and familiarizing yourself with these rules is paramount to forming a strategy to reduce the house edge, and improve your chances of winning.  When the dealer starts their turn, he continues to “hit” until he reach at least a total of 17 (see below for a variation that exists on this), at which point he stands.  As with the player, if the dealer’s hand value passes 21, he goes bust and the player wins.

Now begins the showdown – the numerical value of the cards are compared and the higher hand wins the bet, which is a 1:1 payout (bet $100 to win $100).  If a player wins with a Blackjack, the payout is generally 3:2, but can also be 2:1 in some casinos.  When the player’s hand is equal the dealer’s hand it is called a “push” and the player’s bet is returned to their balance.

A variation that exists at some casinos is “Dealer must hit on soft 17”.  A soft 17 is a 17 that can have two different hand values; such as an A-6 – this can have a hand value of 7 or 17.  If the dealer has a “hard” 17, such as K-7, or A-6-6, he must stand regardless if the above variation is used, and the showdown commences.  This variation gives the dealer a chance at improving their hand and ultimately increases the house edge by 0.2%.

Summary

This should give you a good command of Blackjack, and a basic knowledge of how to play.  Don’t forget to see our strategy guide for in depth information to help you formulate your own personalized style of play.  Below are some of the better blackjack casinos we’ve found – check them out and start your way to becoming a Blackjack pro!