Blackjack is an easy game to learn how to play and an easy game to win. It is also a game wherein you can have an edge over the casino. The rules are quite simple. However, in order to win you need to play the game correctly and only place your bet whenever the odds are in your favor.
This game is usually played with six players. For this game, six decks of cards are used so that you cannot count the cards and thus win by cheating the casino. These decks of cards are shuffled together by the dealer who then places all of them into a card dealing box that is called the “shoe.”
Your goal here in this game is to take cards whose point totals are as close to 21 as you can get without going over that number. As such you are going to need to know that the face cards (i.e. King, Queen, Jack) are worth 10 points each. You can then choose to make an Ace count for either 1 or 11, whichever is more advantageous for the hand that you are playing.
Play begins when a bet is placed. The dealer then deals two cards to each of the players. These can be dealt either face up or face down but the dealer’s cards are dealt one up and one down. At this point each player decides whether they want to “stay” or “hit” which means that they get more cards so that they can try to get closer to 21 without going over and “busting.”
If the player and the dealer tie then there is a “push” and thus there is no winner. If you get and Ace and a ten when the first two cards have been dealt, this is called a “natural” or a “blackjack,” and you automatically win unless the house ties you.
In order to win at blackjack, you have to beat the dealer without having the cards in your hand total more than 21.
There is some other terminology that you need to know:
1. Double Down: This is when you double your first bet, which is good if you have a strong hand.
2. Early Surrender: This is when you surrender your cards before the dealer checks for blackjack.
3. Even Money: This is when you cash in your bet immediately because you have been dealt a “blackjack.”
4. Hard Hand: This is a hand that does not have an Ace or wherein you have said that the Ace totals one.
5. Late Surrender: This happens when you try to surrender your hand after the dealer checks for “blackjack,” and thus this is not permitted.
6. Soft Hand: This occurs whenever you have an Ace that you have said equals eleven.
7. Split Hand: This is when you split your original two-card hand into two different hands, which are to be played separately. You can only do this if the first two cards that you are dealt are of the same value. Your bet for both hands needs to be equal.
8. Surrender: This means that you give up your hand but only lose half of the bet.
When you do not have a strategy for this game, the casino’s odds are against you by about 7%. However, if you have a good strategy that you stick to then the casino’s odds are only against you by .5% or less.
Payoffs:
Result
Payoff
Winning Hand
1 to 1
Blackjack
3 to 2
Insurance
2 to 1
Basic Blackjack Chart:
Legend:
S = Stand
H = Hit
D = Double
Y = Yes, split
N = No, don't split
