Blackjack Rules Uk Casinos
2021年4月10日Register here: http://gg.gg/ozp7o
*Casino World Free Blackjack
*Las Vegas Casino Blackjack Ruleson
It’s easy enough to find how to play blackjack articles on the internet, but a lot of them ignore the subtler aspects of the blackjack card game’s rules.
This post is my attempt to correct that and focus more on the rules of play than the basic stuff.
At the same time, this post should be more useful for the blackjack beginner because it covers rules that other pages don’t cover.
Blackjack etiquette and rules Blackjack Rules. Most live casinos always “stand” on 17 or higher. Some casinos will hit a soft 17. Casinos might also require an ante as in poker. In this case, your chance of winning is greatly reduced. When you sit at a table, you can quickly gather the rules that apply as the rounds play out. The most variable rules seem to be on surrender and the dealer peeking for blackjack. Special mention should be made about the Ezugi game, where early surrender against an ace is allowed. The effect of this rule variation is a reduction in the house edge of 0.39% to a low 0.11%.A Broad Overview of Blackjack Card Game Rules
*Casino.com UK is the best Live Blackjack casino to play at thanks to a great selection of Blackjack games available. For a complete overview of the Blackjack variations, bonuses, and rules continue reading below. Number of Live Dealer Blackjack Games Available: 7. Platform: Playtech. Min-Max Bet Limits: £1-£10,000.
*The following outline explains the basic rules of standard blackjack (21), along with the house rules most commonly featured in casinos. Should bear in mind, though, that blackjack rules vary from casino to casino, and check. For local variations before playing. Blackjack is played with an international 52-card deck.
You play real money blackjack with the same standard 52-card deck that’s used for poker or other casino card games like baccarat. The joker is never used, and there are no wild cards in blackjack. Most casinos use multiple decks of cards, usually 2, 6, or 8 decks.
The dealer uses a blank card to signify when it’s time to reshuffle the decks, and if the casino is using more than 4 decks, the cards are dealt from a box called a “shoe.” In single deck or 2-deck games, the cards are dealt by hand.
The object of the game is to get a score as close as you can to 21 without going over. You have one opponent – the dealer. How the play of the other gamblers goes has nothing to do with your own outcomes.
The cards have point values based on their rankings. In other words, the 2 of spades is worth 2 points, the 3 of hearts is worth 3 points, and so on. The suit doesn’t affect the point scores for the cards.
Face cards – the jack, queen, and king – are each worth 10 points.
And an ace counts as 1 or as 11, depending on which is better for the player.Blackjack Betting Rules (Cash and Chips) – How to Bet on the Card Game
Before you can play, you must buy into the game. This usually means exchanging cash for chips at the blackjack table, but in many casinos, you can play cash, too. Usually you only play cash once when you first sit down at the table, though – as soon as that first hand is dealt, the dealer will want to convert your cash to chips.
It’s important that you don’t hand your cash directly to the dealer. Lay it on the table. The dealer doesn’t want to be accused of stealing your money, which is why they have such specific procedures in terms of counting your money on the table in such a way that it can be filmed by the camera above – the “eye in the sky.”
You’ll find a placard at the blackjack table which lists the betting limits. You’ll rarely find a casino offering a minimum bet of less than $5 per hand, and $500 per hand is often the maximum bet. High roller rooms often have higher betting maximums, but it’s important to know the minimum before sitting down.
You don’t want to buy in for $300 at a $100 minimum blackjack table and wind up with only 3 chips to play with.The Rules for Dealing Blackjack – How to Deal the Card Game
The cards get shuffled periodically at most casinos, usually when the deck has been dealt down to the cut card. In some casinos, though, a continuous shuffling machine is used. In this case, you can forget all about counting cards.The Dealer Has Specific Rules for How to Deal
She waits until everyone has placed their bets and the decks have been shuffled. Then she gives each player a card, one at a time, clockwise around the table. She also gives herself a card, face-up.
The players’ cards are dealt face-up in a game dealt from a shoe, but if the game is being dealt from the dealer’s hand, the cards are dealt face-down.
After everyone gets their first card, the dealer gives each player a 2nd card. The players either get both cards face-up or face-down, depending on the nature of the game. But the dealer’s 2nd card is always face-down.
That’s how the initial deal goes.
After that, it’s time to make game-play decisions.Blackjack Rules for Naturals
The first thing that happens after the deal in this card game is the adjudication of “naturals”, AKA “blackjacks.”
A blackjack, or natural, is a 2-card hand worth 21 points. To get a blackjack, you must have an ace, but you must also have a 10-point card. It doesn’t matter if it’s a face card or a 10, it still counts as a blackjack if it’s 2 cards that make up a total of 21.
If a player gets a natural and the dealer doesn’t, the player immediately gets paid off at 3 to 2 odds. In other words, if you bet $5 on the hand, you win $7.50 immediately. That’s it for the hand.Note:
Some versions of blackjack only pay off at 6 to 5 odds. You should avoid such games, as they give the house a much higher mathematical edge than the standard version of the card game.
If a dealer gets a natural and the player doesn’t, the player immediately loses. But you only lose the bet. You don’t pay a penalty or anything like that.
If both the player and the dealer get a natural, the result is a push. The player gets to keep his bet, but he doesn’t get any winnings. A push is basically the same thing as a tie.
A natural only happens about once out of every 20 of your hands, so it’s common enough that you’ll see it often.
But most of the time, you’ll still have to play your hand.Blackjack Gameplay Rules – How to Play the Card Game
So far there hasn’t been much gameplay to discuss – just betting, shuffling, dealing, and checking for naturals.
Once all that’s done, the gameplay begins, and that’s where the rules for this card game get interesting.
The player to the dealer’s left acts first, and play proceeds around the table. The dealer acts last.
The 2 basic moves in the game are to stand or to hit. To stand means to decline any additional cards and take the total you have to the showdown. To hit means to accept another card from the dealer to increase your total score.
You have no limit to the number of additional cards you can take, but you can also decide to stand at any time.
But, if at any time, you hit and get an additional card that makes your total 22 or higher, you immediately lose and the dealer collects your bet.
This is, in fact, where the house gets its edge. Even if the dealer also busts, you’re already out of the game if you’ve busted. What should be a tie in a “fair” game is a loss for the player.
But, if you play with basic blackjack strategy, the house edge for blackjack is one of the lowest in the casino. It’s less than 1% depending on the conditions of the game.
Also, this is a good time to point out the importance of an ace. Since it can count as 1 or 11, you have more flexibility in how aggressively you play your hand. That’s why your total number of points when you have an ace in your hand is called a “soft” total. It’s impossible to bust a soft total because you can always decide to count the ace as 1 instead of 11.The Card Game Rules for Other Player Options
Hitting and standing aren’t your only options. You can also do the following with your hand:
*Double Down – This means to double the size of your bet and take one – and only one – additional card.
*Take Insurance – This option is only available when the dealer has an ace. Insurance is a side bet that the dealer has a 10 for her face-down card, giving her a blackjack. The size of the insurance bet is half that of your initial bet, and it pays off at 2 to 1. Of course, if you win the insurance bet, you lose your main bet, breaking even for the hand. That’s why it’s called “insurance.” You’re insuring your hand against the possibility that the dealer has a blackjack.
*Split – When you have 2 cards of the same rank, like aces or 8s, for example, you can put up an extra bet and play 2 hands. The starting card for each of the 2 hands comes from your hand, and you get a new card on top of each of them. You play each hand independently from that point forward.Rules for How the Dealer Plays Her Hand
Once all the players have busted (gotten a total of 22+) or stood, the dealer plays her hand. The dealer doesn’t get to exercise judgment when playing her hand; she must play according to the house rules for the dealer.
This means the dealer must hit any total of 16 or lower. It also means the dealer must stand on a total of 17.
There’s one wrinkle, though – a soft total of 17 might force the dealer to stand, or it might force the dealer to hit. If the dealer must stand on a soft 17, that’s an advantage for the player. If the dealer hits a soft 17, the casino has a higher edge than in the other version of the game.
Once the dealer stands, the bets are paid off. If the dealer has a higher total than the player, the dealer wins the player’s bet. If the player has a higher total than the dealer, the dealer pays the bet off at even money.
If the dealer and the player stand on the same total, the bet is considered a push. The player gets his bet back, but he gets no winnings on top of it.Conclusion
That’s my best, most complete, and simplest explanation for blackjack card game rules.
If I left anything out, let me know in the comments.Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.on
Blackjack is one of the easiest games in the casino to play and understand. In fact, from a purely rules standpoint, it’s easy to follow the basics of what happens and how.
The purpose of this post is to give you enough information about the game of blackjack that you can sit down at a table and play without making a fool of yourself. In fact, if you can remember most of what’s written in this post, you’ll be facing some of the best odds in the casino without even having to memorize something called “basic strategy,” which is a subject I’ll cover later in this post.The Basic Rules for Playing Blackjack
The cards are worth their face value—a 9 is worth 9 points, a 2 is worth points, and so on. If a card has a picture on it—as the jacks, queens, and kings do—it’s worth 10 points. And an ace can count as 11 points or as 1 point. You get to decide.
If you have a hand with an ace in it where you can use it as 1 point OR as 11 points, then you have a “soft hand.” If the ace must be counted as 1 to avoid having a total of 22 or more, OR if you don’t have an ace, you have a “hard hand.”
Your goal is to beat the dealer. You have 2 ways of doing this:
*Have a higher scoring hand
*Still being in the game when the dealer busts
“To bust” is to get a total of 22 or higher. 21 is the best possible score you or the dealer can achieve.
If you get a 2-card total of 21 on your initial hand, you have a “blackjack.” This is also often called a “natural.” At most casinos, this pays off at 3 to 2. If you bet $100, you’d get a payoff of $150 for getting a blackjack.
But if the dealer also has a blackjack, your hand is considered a “push.” This is a tie, and there’s no action. You keep your bet with no winnings.
In some casinos, dealers win pushes. Avoid those games. The odds are terrible with that rules variation, which, luckily, is rare. The only exception is a variation of blackjack called Double Exposure, and the strategy for that game is different enough that it warrants its own post.The Action at the Blackjack Table
You’ll play the game at a table with room for another 5 or 6 players, although if you’re in the casino during a slow period, you can play heads-up with the dealer. You start by putting a bet in on the table in front of you. (The betting minimums and maximums are posted at the table.)
Once everyone has bet, the dealer gives each player 2 cards. In a single deck game, the dealer gives you these cards face down from a deck she holds in her hand. In multiple deck games, the dealer gives you these cards face up from a deck that’s contained in a box called a “shoe.”
The dealer also gives herself 2 cards, one of which is face up, and the other of which is face down. You make your decisions based on the cards in your hand and the dealer’s face up card.Your Decisions at the Blackjack Table
Once you get your first 2 cards, you decide whether to hit or stand. If you hit, you take another card from the dealer. If you stand, that means you’re satisfied with the total you have.
You can also decide to do any of the following:
*If you have a pair of cards with the same number, you can “split” your hand. You put up another bet, and you now play 2 hands. The first card of each hand is one of the 2 cards from your original hand. You automatically get a 2nd card for each of those new hands. You play these 2 hands out one at a time.
*You can also “double down.” This means you double the size of your bet and take one additional card from the dealer. You cannot hit your hand any more after that additional card. And some casinos only allow you to double down on certain totals.
*You can “surrender” if you think you’re done for. This option isn’t available in all casinos or at all tables, but basically, you give up half your bet and keep half your bet. Surrendering is similar to folding in a game of poker.
*You can “take insurance” if the dealer has an ace as her face up card. This means you place a 2nd bet that’s half the size of your original bet in the “insurance” spot on the table. This bet pays off at 2 to 1 if the dealer has a blackjack, but if the dealer doesn’t, you lose that bet. This is a side bet and a sucker bet you should never make—unless you’re counting cards, in which case it might be profitable to take insurance when the deck is rich in 10s.
The way you signal these decisions to the dealer vary based on how many decks are in play. In a game where the cards are dealt face down, you’re allowed to touch the cards, but you can only hold them in one hand. And you use the cards to signal your decisions, as follows:
*To hit, you gently scrape the cards on the table.
*To stand, you slide your cards underneath your bet.
*To double, turn your cards face up. Put up a 2nd bet next to your original bet, and hold up one finger to signal that you’re doubling down.
*To split, turn your cards face up. Put up a 2nd bet next to your original bet, and hold up 2 fingers to signal that you’re splitting.
In a multiple deck game, where the cards are dealt face up, you’re not allowed to touch the cards. You still use your hands to signal your decisions, though:
*To hit, you point at the table or at your cards.
*To stand, you wave your hand over the cards, keeping your palm horizontal and parallel to the table.
*To double, you put up a 2nd bet and hold up a single finger.
*To split, you put up a 2nd bet and hold up 2 fingers.
You are allowed to use your words and say things like “hit” or “stand,” but the dealer will ask you to use the hand signals. That’s because if there’s a dispute about the action, a camera in the ceiling above the table will have a record of your decisions that can’t be argued with. (That camera is called “the eye in the sky,” by the way.)
If your total hits 22 or higher, you’ve busted and you lose your bet immediately. Even if the dealer busts later, you’ve still lost. This is the main reason the house has an edge against the player.The Dealer’s Actions During the Game
Once you and the other players finish playing your hands, the dealer plays her hand. But she doesn’t get to make decisions about what to do. These decisions are pre-made based on the house rules at the casino.
The dealer is required to hit any hand with a total of 16 or less. The dealer stands on all hands with a total of 17 or more.
But totals of soft 17 might sometimes require a hit, depending on the casino’s house rules. If the dealer stands on a soft 17, that’s better for the player.
After the dealer finishes playing her hand, she pays off the players’ bets or collects them, depending on who won the hand.Basic Strategy for First Time Players
Every situation in a game of blackjack has one mathematically optimal way to play it. This is based on the total you have and the dealer’s face up card. The closer you stick to this optimal strategy, the lower the house edge. The more you deviate, the higher the house edge.
This optimally mathematical way to play is the called “basic strategy.” Serious blackjack players should memorize basic strategy and use it every time they play. You can buy a laminated card with correct basic strategy on it from the casino gift shop and use it to inform your play, too.
The casinos don’t mind you doing this, because they still have an edge, even if the edge is smaller. They’re more concerned about the speed at which the game progresses at the table. This does more for their bottom line than a higher house edge on a slower game. So don’t hold up the game while you’re checking your card, or the dealer will say something to you. (The other players might get irritated too.)
But basic strategy changes based on the rules conditions in place. Single deck games have a different appropriate strategy than multiple deck games. Other rules variations have an effect, too, especially whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17. The differences in basic strategy are marginal, though—you’re better off using the wrong basic strategy than no basic strategy at all.
I don’t recommend playing blackjack at all unless you’ve learned basic strategy first or at least bought a basic strategy card to consult during the game. The difference in the house edge is just too high otherwise. In fact, you might have better odds at craps if you make the right bets than if you play blackjack without basic strategy.
When it comes to basic strategy, you compare your total with the dealer’s face card to determine your next move. The number of cards in your hand is irrelevant. A hard total of 12 that’s composed of a 9 and 3—a 2 card hand—is played the same way as a hard total of 12 that’s composed of a 5, 4, and 3.
Some of the strategies for playing individual totals might be uncomfortable if you’re not used to basic strategy. For example, if you have a total of 12 and the dealer has a 3, you might be tempted to stand. After all, you might bust—16 of the cards in the deck are
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*Casino World Free Blackjack
*Las Vegas Casino Blackjack Ruleson
It’s easy enough to find how to play blackjack articles on the internet, but a lot of them ignore the subtler aspects of the blackjack card game’s rules.
This post is my attempt to correct that and focus more on the rules of play than the basic stuff.
At the same time, this post should be more useful for the blackjack beginner because it covers rules that other pages don’t cover.
Blackjack etiquette and rules Blackjack Rules. Most live casinos always “stand” on 17 or higher. Some casinos will hit a soft 17. Casinos might also require an ante as in poker. In this case, your chance of winning is greatly reduced. When you sit at a table, you can quickly gather the rules that apply as the rounds play out. The most variable rules seem to be on surrender and the dealer peeking for blackjack. Special mention should be made about the Ezugi game, where early surrender against an ace is allowed. The effect of this rule variation is a reduction in the house edge of 0.39% to a low 0.11%.A Broad Overview of Blackjack Card Game Rules
*Casino.com UK is the best Live Blackjack casino to play at thanks to a great selection of Blackjack games available. For a complete overview of the Blackjack variations, bonuses, and rules continue reading below. Number of Live Dealer Blackjack Games Available: 7. Platform: Playtech. Min-Max Bet Limits: £1-£10,000.
*The following outline explains the basic rules of standard blackjack (21), along with the house rules most commonly featured in casinos. Should bear in mind, though, that blackjack rules vary from casino to casino, and check. For local variations before playing. Blackjack is played with an international 52-card deck.
You play real money blackjack with the same standard 52-card deck that’s used for poker or other casino card games like baccarat. The joker is never used, and there are no wild cards in blackjack. Most casinos use multiple decks of cards, usually 2, 6, or 8 decks.
The dealer uses a blank card to signify when it’s time to reshuffle the decks, and if the casino is using more than 4 decks, the cards are dealt from a box called a “shoe.” In single deck or 2-deck games, the cards are dealt by hand.
The object of the game is to get a score as close as you can to 21 without going over. You have one opponent – the dealer. How the play of the other gamblers goes has nothing to do with your own outcomes.
The cards have point values based on their rankings. In other words, the 2 of spades is worth 2 points, the 3 of hearts is worth 3 points, and so on. The suit doesn’t affect the point scores for the cards.
Face cards – the jack, queen, and king – are each worth 10 points.
And an ace counts as 1 or as 11, depending on which is better for the player.Blackjack Betting Rules (Cash and Chips) – How to Bet on the Card Game
Before you can play, you must buy into the game. This usually means exchanging cash for chips at the blackjack table, but in many casinos, you can play cash, too. Usually you only play cash once when you first sit down at the table, though – as soon as that first hand is dealt, the dealer will want to convert your cash to chips.
It’s important that you don’t hand your cash directly to the dealer. Lay it on the table. The dealer doesn’t want to be accused of stealing your money, which is why they have such specific procedures in terms of counting your money on the table in such a way that it can be filmed by the camera above – the “eye in the sky.”
You’ll find a placard at the blackjack table which lists the betting limits. You’ll rarely find a casino offering a minimum bet of less than $5 per hand, and $500 per hand is often the maximum bet. High roller rooms often have higher betting maximums, but it’s important to know the minimum before sitting down.
You don’t want to buy in for $300 at a $100 minimum blackjack table and wind up with only 3 chips to play with.The Rules for Dealing Blackjack – How to Deal the Card Game
The cards get shuffled periodically at most casinos, usually when the deck has been dealt down to the cut card. In some casinos, though, a continuous shuffling machine is used. In this case, you can forget all about counting cards.The Dealer Has Specific Rules for How to Deal
She waits until everyone has placed their bets and the decks have been shuffled. Then she gives each player a card, one at a time, clockwise around the table. She also gives herself a card, face-up.
The players’ cards are dealt face-up in a game dealt from a shoe, but if the game is being dealt from the dealer’s hand, the cards are dealt face-down.
After everyone gets their first card, the dealer gives each player a 2nd card. The players either get both cards face-up or face-down, depending on the nature of the game. But the dealer’s 2nd card is always face-down.
That’s how the initial deal goes.
After that, it’s time to make game-play decisions.Blackjack Rules for Naturals
The first thing that happens after the deal in this card game is the adjudication of “naturals”, AKA “blackjacks.”
A blackjack, or natural, is a 2-card hand worth 21 points. To get a blackjack, you must have an ace, but you must also have a 10-point card. It doesn’t matter if it’s a face card or a 10, it still counts as a blackjack if it’s 2 cards that make up a total of 21.
If a player gets a natural and the dealer doesn’t, the player immediately gets paid off at 3 to 2 odds. In other words, if you bet $5 on the hand, you win $7.50 immediately. That’s it for the hand.Note:
Some versions of blackjack only pay off at 6 to 5 odds. You should avoid such games, as they give the house a much higher mathematical edge than the standard version of the card game.
If a dealer gets a natural and the player doesn’t, the player immediately loses. But you only lose the bet. You don’t pay a penalty or anything like that.
If both the player and the dealer get a natural, the result is a push. The player gets to keep his bet, but he doesn’t get any winnings. A push is basically the same thing as a tie.
A natural only happens about once out of every 20 of your hands, so it’s common enough that you’ll see it often.
But most of the time, you’ll still have to play your hand.Blackjack Gameplay Rules – How to Play the Card Game
So far there hasn’t been much gameplay to discuss – just betting, shuffling, dealing, and checking for naturals.
Once all that’s done, the gameplay begins, and that’s where the rules for this card game get interesting.
The player to the dealer’s left acts first, and play proceeds around the table. The dealer acts last.
The 2 basic moves in the game are to stand or to hit. To stand means to decline any additional cards and take the total you have to the showdown. To hit means to accept another card from the dealer to increase your total score.
You have no limit to the number of additional cards you can take, but you can also decide to stand at any time.
But, if at any time, you hit and get an additional card that makes your total 22 or higher, you immediately lose and the dealer collects your bet.
This is, in fact, where the house gets its edge. Even if the dealer also busts, you’re already out of the game if you’ve busted. What should be a tie in a “fair” game is a loss for the player.
But, if you play with basic blackjack strategy, the house edge for blackjack is one of the lowest in the casino. It’s less than 1% depending on the conditions of the game.
Also, this is a good time to point out the importance of an ace. Since it can count as 1 or 11, you have more flexibility in how aggressively you play your hand. That’s why your total number of points when you have an ace in your hand is called a “soft” total. It’s impossible to bust a soft total because you can always decide to count the ace as 1 instead of 11.The Card Game Rules for Other Player Options
Hitting and standing aren’t your only options. You can also do the following with your hand:
*Double Down – This means to double the size of your bet and take one – and only one – additional card.
*Take Insurance – This option is only available when the dealer has an ace. Insurance is a side bet that the dealer has a 10 for her face-down card, giving her a blackjack. The size of the insurance bet is half that of your initial bet, and it pays off at 2 to 1. Of course, if you win the insurance bet, you lose your main bet, breaking even for the hand. That’s why it’s called “insurance.” You’re insuring your hand against the possibility that the dealer has a blackjack.
*Split – When you have 2 cards of the same rank, like aces or 8s, for example, you can put up an extra bet and play 2 hands. The starting card for each of the 2 hands comes from your hand, and you get a new card on top of each of them. You play each hand independently from that point forward.Rules for How the Dealer Plays Her Hand
Once all the players have busted (gotten a total of 22+) or stood, the dealer plays her hand. The dealer doesn’t get to exercise judgment when playing her hand; she must play according to the house rules for the dealer.
This means the dealer must hit any total of 16 or lower. It also means the dealer must stand on a total of 17.
There’s one wrinkle, though – a soft total of 17 might force the dealer to stand, or it might force the dealer to hit. If the dealer must stand on a soft 17, that’s an advantage for the player. If the dealer hits a soft 17, the casino has a higher edge than in the other version of the game.
Once the dealer stands, the bets are paid off. If the dealer has a higher total than the player, the dealer wins the player’s bet. If the player has a higher total than the dealer, the dealer pays the bet off at even money.
If the dealer and the player stand on the same total, the bet is considered a push. The player gets his bet back, but he gets no winnings on top of it.Conclusion
That’s my best, most complete, and simplest explanation for blackjack card game rules.
If I left anything out, let me know in the comments.Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.on
Blackjack is one of the easiest games in the casino to play and understand. In fact, from a purely rules standpoint, it’s easy to follow the basics of what happens and how.
The purpose of this post is to give you enough information about the game of blackjack that you can sit down at a table and play without making a fool of yourself. In fact, if you can remember most of what’s written in this post, you’ll be facing some of the best odds in the casino without even having to memorize something called “basic strategy,” which is a subject I’ll cover later in this post.The Basic Rules for Playing Blackjack
The cards are worth their face value—a 9 is worth 9 points, a 2 is worth points, and so on. If a card has a picture on it—as the jacks, queens, and kings do—it’s worth 10 points. And an ace can count as 11 points or as 1 point. You get to decide.
If you have a hand with an ace in it where you can use it as 1 point OR as 11 points, then you have a “soft hand.” If the ace must be counted as 1 to avoid having a total of 22 or more, OR if you don’t have an ace, you have a “hard hand.”
Your goal is to beat the dealer. You have 2 ways of doing this:
*Have a higher scoring hand
*Still being in the game when the dealer busts
“To bust” is to get a total of 22 or higher. 21 is the best possible score you or the dealer can achieve.
If you get a 2-card total of 21 on your initial hand, you have a “blackjack.” This is also often called a “natural.” At most casinos, this pays off at 3 to 2. If you bet $100, you’d get a payoff of $150 for getting a blackjack.
But if the dealer also has a blackjack, your hand is considered a “push.” This is a tie, and there’s no action. You keep your bet with no winnings.
In some casinos, dealers win pushes. Avoid those games. The odds are terrible with that rules variation, which, luckily, is rare. The only exception is a variation of blackjack called Double Exposure, and the strategy for that game is different enough that it warrants its own post.The Action at the Blackjack Table
You’ll play the game at a table with room for another 5 or 6 players, although if you’re in the casino during a slow period, you can play heads-up with the dealer. You start by putting a bet in on the table in front of you. (The betting minimums and maximums are posted at the table.)
Once everyone has bet, the dealer gives each player 2 cards. In a single deck game, the dealer gives you these cards face down from a deck she holds in her hand. In multiple deck games, the dealer gives you these cards face up from a deck that’s contained in a box called a “shoe.”
The dealer also gives herself 2 cards, one of which is face up, and the other of which is face down. You make your decisions based on the cards in your hand and the dealer’s face up card.Your Decisions at the Blackjack Table
Once you get your first 2 cards, you decide whether to hit or stand. If you hit, you take another card from the dealer. If you stand, that means you’re satisfied with the total you have.
You can also decide to do any of the following:
*If you have a pair of cards with the same number, you can “split” your hand. You put up another bet, and you now play 2 hands. The first card of each hand is one of the 2 cards from your original hand. You automatically get a 2nd card for each of those new hands. You play these 2 hands out one at a time.
*You can also “double down.” This means you double the size of your bet and take one additional card from the dealer. You cannot hit your hand any more after that additional card. And some casinos only allow you to double down on certain totals.
*You can “surrender” if you think you’re done for. This option isn’t available in all casinos or at all tables, but basically, you give up half your bet and keep half your bet. Surrendering is similar to folding in a game of poker.
*You can “take insurance” if the dealer has an ace as her face up card. This means you place a 2nd bet that’s half the size of your original bet in the “insurance” spot on the table. This bet pays off at 2 to 1 if the dealer has a blackjack, but if the dealer doesn’t, you lose that bet. This is a side bet and a sucker bet you should never make—unless you’re counting cards, in which case it might be profitable to take insurance when the deck is rich in 10s.
The way you signal these decisions to the dealer vary based on how many decks are in play. In a game where the cards are dealt face down, you’re allowed to touch the cards, but you can only hold them in one hand. And you use the cards to signal your decisions, as follows:
*To hit, you gently scrape the cards on the table.
*To stand, you slide your cards underneath your bet.
*To double, turn your cards face up. Put up a 2nd bet next to your original bet, and hold up one finger to signal that you’re doubling down.
*To split, turn your cards face up. Put up a 2nd bet next to your original bet, and hold up 2 fingers to signal that you’re splitting.
In a multiple deck game, where the cards are dealt face up, you’re not allowed to touch the cards. You still use your hands to signal your decisions, though:
*To hit, you point at the table or at your cards.
*To stand, you wave your hand over the cards, keeping your palm horizontal and parallel to the table.
*To double, you put up a 2nd bet and hold up a single finger.
*To split, you put up a 2nd bet and hold up 2 fingers.
You are allowed to use your words and say things like “hit” or “stand,” but the dealer will ask you to use the hand signals. That’s because if there’s a dispute about the action, a camera in the ceiling above the table will have a record of your decisions that can’t be argued with. (That camera is called “the eye in the sky,” by the way.)
If your total hits 22 or higher, you’ve busted and you lose your bet immediately. Even if the dealer busts later, you’ve still lost. This is the main reason the house has an edge against the player.The Dealer’s Actions During the Game
Once you and the other players finish playing your hands, the dealer plays her hand. But she doesn’t get to make decisions about what to do. These decisions are pre-made based on the house rules at the casino.
The dealer is required to hit any hand with a total of 16 or less. The dealer stands on all hands with a total of 17 or more.
But totals of soft 17 might sometimes require a hit, depending on the casino’s house rules. If the dealer stands on a soft 17, that’s better for the player.
After the dealer finishes playing her hand, she pays off the players’ bets or collects them, depending on who won the hand.Basic Strategy for First Time Players
Every situation in a game of blackjack has one mathematically optimal way to play it. This is based on the total you have and the dealer’s face up card. The closer you stick to this optimal strategy, the lower the house edge. The more you deviate, the higher the house edge.
This optimally mathematical way to play is the called “basic strategy.” Serious blackjack players should memorize basic strategy and use it every time they play. You can buy a laminated card with correct basic strategy on it from the casino gift shop and use it to inform your play, too.
The casinos don’t mind you doing this, because they still have an edge, even if the edge is smaller. They’re more concerned about the speed at which the game progresses at the table. This does more for their bottom line than a higher house edge on a slower game. So don’t hold up the game while you’re checking your card, or the dealer will say something to you. (The other players might get irritated too.)
But basic strategy changes based on the rules conditions in place. Single deck games have a different appropriate strategy than multiple deck games. Other rules variations have an effect, too, especially whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17. The differences in basic strategy are marginal, though—you’re better off using the wrong basic strategy than no basic strategy at all.
I don’t recommend playing blackjack at all unless you’ve learned basic strategy first or at least bought a basic strategy card to consult during the game. The difference in the house edge is just too high otherwise. In fact, you might have better odds at craps if you make the right bets than if you play blackjack without basic strategy.
When it comes to basic strategy, you compare your total with the dealer’s face card to determine your next move. The number of cards in your hand is irrelevant. A hard total of 12 that’s composed of a 9 and 3—a 2 card hand—is played the same way as a hard total of 12 that’s composed of a 5, 4, and 3.
Some of the strategies for playing individual totals might be uncomfortable if you’re not used to basic strategy. For example, if you have a total of 12 and the dealer has a 3, you might be tempted to stand. After all, you might bust—16 of the cards in the deck are
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