Object
of the game The basic object of Blackjack is that you have
a hand value that is closer to 21 than that of the dealer,
without going over 21. Other players at the table are of no
concern. Your hand is strictly played out against the hand
of the dealer. The rules of play for the dealer are strictly
dictated, leaving no decisions up to the dealer. Therefore,
there is not a problem with the dealer or any of the other
players at the table seeing the cards in your hand. Indeed,
if you're playing at a shoe game, the player cards are all
dealt face up. In any event, when you're just learning to
play, don't hesitate to show the dealer or other players your
cards and ask questions.
Values of the cards
In blackjack, the cards are valued as follows:
- An Ace can count as either 1 or 11
- Cards ranking 2 - 10 have their face value
- Jack, Queen, King - Value of 10
- The suits of the cards do not have any meaning in the
game.
Basic Blackjack Rules
The goal of blackjack is to beat the dealer's hand
without going over 21.Face cards are worth 10. Aces are
worth 1 or 11, whichever makes a better hand. Each player
starts with two cards, one of the dealer's cards is hidden
until the end.
- To 'Hit' is to ask for another card.
- To 'Stand' is to hold your total and end your turn.
- If you go over 21 you bust, and the dealer wins regardless
of the dealer's hand.
- If you are dealt 21 from the start (Ace & 10), you
got a blackjack.
- Blackjack usually means you win 1.5 the amount of your
bet. Depends on the casino.
- Dealer will hit until his/her cards total 17 or higher.
- Doubling is like a hit, only the bet is doubled and
you only get one more card.
- Split can be done when you have two of the same card
- the pair is split into two hands.
- Splitting also doubles the bet, because each new hand
is worth the original bet.
- You can only double/split on the first move, or first
move of a hand created by a split.
- You cannot play on two aces after they are split.
- You can double on a hand resulting from a split, tripling
or quadrupling you bet.
Decks: 1 - 8
To Win: The player wins when his cards have a higher point
score than the dealers without going over 21 which is know
as busting. The best hand is being dealt blackjack, which
is a combination of an Ace and a card worth 10 points. Three
or more cards with the value of 21 are not considered "blackjack"
and blackjack wins over three cards totaling 21. If the
player has an ace its value can be 1 or 11, which is referred
to as hard and soft hands. An example is an Ace and an Eight,
which is a hard 9 or a soft 19. This means if the player
took another card and it was a five they would not bust
because their new hand would be worth 14 not 24. If both
the player and the dealer busts, the house wins. Generally
if the dealer and the player have the same hand then it's
known as a "push" and bets are returned.
Payouts:
Scoring blackjack usually pays 3:2.
A normal win pays 1:1.
Insurance pays 2:1 (see below)
After placing your initial bet the dealer deals cards one
at a time in a clock wise direction with the dealer receiving
the last card. The player is dealt two cards face up and
the dealer one face up, one face down; known as the hole
card. Depending on which game variation, if the dealer is
dealt a 10 or an Ace then he will check immediately for
blackjack. If the dealer is showing an Ace it may be possible
to purchase insurance, which is betting that the dealer
will get blackjack, so is insuring against the worse. Insurance
bets cost equal to the initial bet and they payout at 2:1.
If the dealer does not have blackjack you will loose your
insurance money otherwise you win.
