Blackjack Basics and Strategy
Blackjack is a card game in which the player's goal is to get a point total as close to 21, without going over, or busting. The point value of each card is as follows: Ace = 1 or 11 (whichever the player chooses in any given situation), Kings, Queens, and Jacks (Face cards) = 10, and each other card is represented by its face value.
How to Play Blackjack
As in most casino-style card games, the goal is to beat the dealer without busting (or going over 21). If in fact the player does go over 21, they lost automatically. Before receiving their cards, the player has to place his or her bet. The minimum and maximum bets are determined by where the game is being played. After all players at the table (usually about 6 players) have placed their bets, the game is ready to begin...
Blackjack - During the Game
All of the players are dealt two cards, each face up. The dealer then deals his or herself two cards as well, one face up and one face down. After viewing their cards and the dealer's cards, players can then decide how they want to play the game. The two basic decisions that a player makes is whether they want to try and move closer to 21 (called a "hit"), or whether they think that their cards are safe (known as "staying"). When a player hits, they dealer gives them another face up card, increasing their value.
Again, the player chooses whether or not they would like to hit or stay. Once all the players go through this process, it's time to see who the winner is. The dealer then reveals his or her face down card and plays out their hand just like the players do, except for a few differences. Rules state that the dealer must hit until they reach 17, no matter what. Generally, the dealer has to stay on a 17 or higher. Anyone whose cards are over 21 has busted, and they lose automatically.
When the player's cards total less than the dealer's...you guessed it, they lose as well. If your cards end up being the same value as the dealer's, it's called a "push," and the player doesn't win or lose, they are just given their bet back. Finally, when the player's card value beats the dealer's, then they are the winner.
Blackjack Strategy
As is the case with almost every casino game, the advantage is to the dealer, so here is some information that will hopefully help the player out at the tables. There are many things a player can do in blackjack to win big...however, deploying these strategies also make it possible for the player to lose big.
One option the player has is known as the "double down." When a player doubles down, they are increasing their bet to a maximum of double their original bet. Doing this means that they only get to take one more card, no matter what.
Another strategy players sometime take is called a "split." A split can only be executed when the player is dealt two cards of the exact same value. When you split, your bet is doubled and your two original cards become the first card in a new hand, meaning you are now playing two hands against the dealer. "Surrendering" is another strategy that players use as well. When this is done, the player loses half of their bet, and gives up the hand.
If you would like much more in-depth strategy, then head over to our blackjack strategy article where you will find all the basics strategy as well as more advanced strategies such as card counting.
Ready to Play?
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