Blackjack is one of the most popular casino card games in the world, largely owing to the game's mixture of both chance and skill. The publicity that surrounds card counting has also contributed to Blackjack's popularity.

Game Rules

In Blackjack, players play against the dealer and not each other. The objective is to try to get a higher hand value than the dealer, without exceeding 21. A hand with a higher total than 21 is said to "bust". If the player busts, he loses, even if the dealer also busts. If both the player and the dealer have the same hand value, it is called a "push", and neither the player nor the dealer wins the hand. A two-card hand of 21 is called a "Blackjack" or a "Natural"; this is an automatic winner.

Card Values

• Cards 2 to 10 are worth their face values (e.g., 3=3, 10=10, etc.)
• Jacks, queens and kings (face cards) are worth 10
• Aces are worth 11, unless this would cause the player to bust, in which case the ace would be counted as a 1

Note: a hand in which an ace's value CAN be counted as 11 without the player going bust is called a "soft hand", and a hand in which an ace's value CANNOT be counted as 11 without the player going bust is known as a "hard hand".

Gameplay

Each game begins by both the dealer and the player being dealt two cards. One of the dealer's two cards is face-up so the player can see it, and the other card is face-down. Having received his/her two cards, the player plays first. S/He has various options:

• Hit: take another card
• Stand: take no more cards
• Double: double the wager, take exactly one more card, then stand
• Split: double the wager and have each card become the first card in a new hand. This option is available only when both cards have the same value (e.g., two queens or two 10s). If the cards are both aces, only a single new card can be dealt to each ace and the turn ends
• Surrender: forfeit half the bet and give up the hand
• Insurance (not available at most online casinos): a side-bet allowed when the dealer has an ace. The purpose of an Insurance is to protect the player against a possible dealer Blackjack

The player's turn is over if s/he busts, or if the player decides to stand or double. Once the player's turn is up, it's the dealer's turn. The dealer reveals his/her hidden card, then hits until s/he has at least 17, regardless of what the player has. In most online casinos, a dealer must also hit a soft 17 (e.g., an ace and a 6, or an ace and two 3s). If the dealer busts, the player wins. If the dealer reaches a value of 17 and stands, and the player has a higher value, the player wins.

Payouts

A Blackjack pays the player 3 to 2. If the player secures a hand value closer to 21 than the dealer (without exceeding 21), the player is paid 1 to 1 on the original wager. If the player and dealer have equal hands, this is a push, and the player's wager is returned. If the player's hand exceeds 21, or if the dealer secures a hand which is closer to 21 than the player (without exceeding 21), the player busts and the wager is lost. As the player always plays out his/her hand first, the casino wins if both the player and dealer bust. If Insurance is available and taken, the casino pays 2 to 1.

[ Back to top ]