Blackjack Rules
The blackjack rules are quite simple. The aim of Blackjack as well as online blackjack is to accumulate cards with point totals as close to 21 without going over 21. According to blackjack rules, face cards (Jacks, Queens and Kings) are worth 10 points and Aces are worth 1 or 11, whichever is preferable. Other blackjack cards are represented by their number. If player and the House tie, it is a push and no one wins. Ace and 10 (Blackjack) on the first two cards dealt is an automatic player win at 1.5 to 1, unless the house ties. By the blackjack rules a player may stand at any time.
Playing Blackjack
According to blackjack rules to win you need to beat the dealer without busting. You bust when your Blackjack cards total to more than 21 and you lose automatically. Both in Blackjack and online blackjack the winner is whoever has closest to a total of 21. You reach 21 by adding up the values of the cards. The Blackjack table seats about 6 players. Either six or eight Blackjack decks of cards are used and are shuffled together by the dealer and placed in a card-dispensing box called 'Shoe'. Before receiving any cards players must place a wager. Then the players are dealt two cards face up. The Blackjack dealer gets one face up, one face down. Each player in turn either stays or takes more cards to try and get closer to 21 without busting. Players who do not bust wait for the dealer's turn. When all the players are done, the dealer turns up the down card. By blackjack rules, on counts of 17 or higher the dealer must stay; on counts of 16 or lower the dealer must draw.
If you make a total of 21 with the first two cards (a 10 or a face and an Ace), you win automatically. This is called 'Blackjack'. If you have Blackjack, you will win one and one-half times your bet unless the dealer also has Blackjack, in which case it is a Push or a Tie (or a Stand-off) and you get your bet back according to blackjack rules. The remaining Blackjack players with a higher count than the dealer win an amount equal to their bet. Players with a lower count than the dealer lose their bet. If Blackjack dealer busts, all the remaining players win.
According to blackjack rules there are other Blackjack betting options namely Insurance, Surrender, Double Down, Even Money and Split. Insurance means side bet up to half the initial bet against the dealer having a natural 21 - allowed only when the dealer's showing card is an Ace. If the dealer has a 10 face down and makes a Blackjack, insurance pays at 2-1 odds, but loses if the dealer does not. Surrender is giving up your hand and lose only half the bet, while Early surrender is allowed before the dealer checks for Blackjack, finally in Late Surrender the dealer first checks to see if he has Blackjack and if he does, surrender is not permitted. Double Down means doubling your initial Blackjack bet following the initial two-card deal, but you can hit one card only. Even Moneymeans cashing in your bet immediately at a 1:1 payout ratio when you are dealt a natural Blackjack and the dealer's showing card is an Ace. Split Hand is to split the initial two-card hand into two and play them separately - allowed only when the two first Blackjack cards are of equal value, Hard Hand is a hand without an Ace, or with an Ace valued at 1 is said to be Hard in that it can only be given one value, unlike a Soft Hand that contains an Ace counted as 11. House advantage may vary with different blackjack rules, but approximately 7% average without basic strategy, 0.5% or less with basic strategy. Card counting can reverse the advantage up to 1% to the player.
Related links
- Best Casino Blackjack
The best casino has to provide the best blackjack experience to all players - Blackjack Strategy
The key to playing successful Blackjack and online blackjack is learning basic blackjack strategy