Blackjack is an easy game to learn, and its objective is simple: beat the dealer without going over 21. It is also a game that allows for strategy that can improve playing odds with practice.
A round of blackjack begins with two cards being dealt to each player. These cards may be face up or face down depending on the casino’s preference. If your cards are dealt face up, do not touch them. If they are dealt to you face down, you may pick them up to check them and make your playing decisions.
The dealer will also be dealt two cards, one face up, known as the up card, and one face down, known as the hole card.
To figure out your hand total, add up the value of the cards dealt to you. All number cards have the value of their number, meaning that a 2 is worth 2, a 3 is worth 3, and so on. Jacks, Queens and Kings are all worth 10. Aces are a little different. They can be worth 1 or 11 depending on what is best for your hand. You may start out counting it as an 11, but change its value to 1 depending on what cards you receive when hitting. Any hand with an Ace is known as a soft hand because of the value of the Ace, therefore the value of the hand, can change. All hands without an Ace are called hard hands because their value is not flexible.
Once all the players and the dealer have been dealt cards, players will one at a time play out their hands. In blackjack there are five plays that a player can make:
Hit: To hit is to take more cards in hopes of increasing the total of your hand closer to 21. There is no limit on how many times you can hit. You are allowed to hit until you choose to stand or until you bust.
Stand: To stand is to not take any more cards and to ‘stand’ with your hand total against whatever total the dealer has. You can stand after being dealt your first two cards or you can hit until you would like to stand.
Double Down: To double down is to double your original bet. When doubling down you will only receive one more card and then you have to stand.
Split: If you are dealt two cards with the same value, say for example two 2s or a King and a Queen, you can make another bet equal to your original bet and split your cards into two hands. Once you split you will receive another card for each new hand so that both hands have two cards again. After that you play each hand the same as you would any other hand, hitting or standing. Some casinos will allow you to double down on a split, others will not.
Insurance: When the dealer’s up card is an Ace you will be offered insurance on your bet. This is because an Ace is required to make a natural blackjack; and if the dealer has an Ace it is possible that he has that natural blackjack—in which case, you would lose. To insure you bet place half the amount of your original bet in the insurance spot on the table. If the dealer has a blackjack, insurance pays 2-1, meaning that you are essentially being returned the amount of your original amount, and losing the ‘cost’ of insurance. For example insurance on a $10 bet is $5, and if the dealer has a natural blackjack you would receive $10 and lose $5.
Once all players have finished with their plays, the dealer will play out his hand. Once his play is done, any player who has won will receive their payout while the losing bets are collected by the dealer. The spent cards are collected and the next round will begin.
It is recommended that players play according to basic strategy. This is a chart that shows the best statistical play that a player can make for any hand total versus any dealer up card. Basic strategy does not guarantee that you will win every single hand—this is not a scheme designed to beat the casino. But players who play according to basic strategy will win more hands than if they played without it. If you play perfect basic strategy, meaning that you play exactly how the chart tells you to, you can lower the house edge from the standard 2%-5% down to 0.5%. You just have to have the discipline to stick with the plays that the chart tells you.
