A Basic Guide to Casino Blackjack

How To Play Blackjack

The target of each game of blackjack is to build a hand with a value as close to 21 as possible. The numbered cards are worth their face values, Jacks, Queens, Kings are worth 10 and the Ace is valued at either 1 or 11. The Ace can count as 11 if the value of the hand is under 21, otherwise it is likely to be valued at 1.

The player must first place their bet. Once a stake is set, the dealer will deal out two cards face up to the player, and two cards to the house with one face up and the other face down. Once the cards have been dealt, the player can choose whether they want to stand or hit.

If the value of the cards is close to 21, such as 17, 18, 19 or 20, the player can choose to stand, in which case they their hand remains as it is. The dealer will then reveal the face down card, and play their hand. Generally, the dealer will hit until their hand is worth at least 17.

The player can choose to hit if the sum of their cards' value is low, and when they hit a new card will be drawn from the deck and added to the player's cards. They can continue to hit until they either reach 21 or go over. If the player goes over 21 then they lose the round.

There is a third option, Double Down. This is when the player chooses to double their bet and receive just one more card to their hand.

At the end of the round, the person whose hand is closest in value to 21 wins and the bets are paid.

Of course, a player can form 21 with just two cards. If the first two cards are an Ace, and any card that is valued at 10, such as 10, Jack, Queen or King, then they have a blackjack. Normally blackjack is at 3:2 while all other winning hands pay even money.

Splitting is also another option that is allowed in traditional blackjack games, but may not be available in all variants of blackjack. If the first two cards of a player have the same value then a player can choose to split the cards into two hands, in which case the player has to double their original bet. The hands are then played independently with players choosing to hit or stand for each one. In the vast majority of blackjack games, hands such as a Jack and a Queen cannot be split, they must be the same type of card in order to split.

Blackjack Strategies

One of the main reasons for Blackjack’s popularity is that it is possible to use mathematics to work out the best move in every situation. No matter which version of the game you are playing, it is possible to look up a strategy chart. These are very easy to use, you simply look up your hand value and cross reference it with the dealer’s face up card. The chart then tells you whether you should hit, stand, double, and so on. By carefully following the strategy charts it is possible to bring the house edge down to less than 1%. Better yet, strategy charts are completely legal to use and it is even permissible to have them with you at a table in a land casino.