How to Play Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the easiest to play and most popular casino card games in the world. Anyone could learn the basic rules of Blackjack even by reading this article only. You should be advised however that because it is so widespread, Blackjack comes in many variations and you should therefore always inform about the specific rules in the gambling establishment where you intend to play it.

You might also have heard of Blackjack as Twenty-One, which is a pretty accurate name for the game considering the main goal of the players - to show the hand with the highest value not exceeding 21 and so beat the dealer's hand. All the cards from 2 to 10 are worth their face value, the Jack, Queen and King are worth 10, the Ace is worth 11, but only if it does not make your hand surpass 21, it is otherwise worth 1.

Each player is given two cards by the dealer, face up or down, depending on the type of Blackjack game that is being played. If you are not an experienced Blackjack player, you should perhaps consider the variation in which the hands are dealt face up, also known as a shoe game, so that you do not have to worry about handling the cards.

It is an important rule of the game that the dealer plays in a strictly defined manner - the most common rule is "dealer stands on all 17s", which means that the dealer must continue to take cards until his hand reaches a value of at least 17 or until he busts (his hand exceeds 21) without any other choices available. The dealer turns only one of his two cards up for the players to see, he keeps his other card face down until all the players have played their hands.

After receiving his two cards, a player has the following choices depending on his hand:

If he has blackjack (also known as a "natural") - a two-card hand with value 21, an Ace and another ten-value card, a 10, Jack, Queen or King - he wins automatically.
If the dealer has blackjack, the dealer wins automatically.
If both of them have blackjack, then neither of them wins. This is called a "push".

If the player does not have blackjack, he must take one of the next steps:

Hit (take another card). A player could continue to hit until he busts. If both player and dealer bust, the player loses the hand.
Stand (take no more cards). The player has to wait for the dealer to either hit or reveal his hand.
Double down. Doubling down means doubling the bet, taking exactly one more card and then standing.
Split pairs. Splitting pairs is possible only when the player has two cards of the same pair, he has the choice then to split them and play them as two separate hands.
Insurance. The basic strategy player should avoid accepting this option when offered to him by the dealer.
Surrender. It is a choice rarely offered to Blackjack players nowadays.

The basic strategy of playing Blackjack is based on the player's two-card hand value and the value of the dealer's visible card. This is a strategy widely available on the Internet, relatively easy to learn.

Now that you have some idea of the rules of Blackjack, you may wish to go to a casino and test your luck there. Find a table at which the minimal bet suits you and buy chips from the dealer. You should place your bet before the start of each game. After a game is over, the dealer pays you if you won and you should then place your next bet. If you have any questions concerning the game of Blackjack, the rules or else, do not hesitate to ask the dealer. After you decide you have finished playing, you can cash in your chips.