How to Play Blackjack

Blackjack is probably the most famous of all casino card games and originated in France around the 1700's. The object of the game it to get as close to 21 as possible without going over 21 and then beating the dealers hand. In order to win a bet your hand must add up to more than the dealers hand without going over 21. The value of the face cards, the King, Queen and Jacks have a value of 10 and aces can equal either 1 or 11 depending on your needs in that particular hand. The other numbered cards are worth their face value e.g 2 is worth 2, 5 is worth 5 etc.

The game commences with the placing of your bet, after which the dealer deals you two cards, and one to himself. These cards are usually dealt face-up and the dealer deals himself another card face-down. This fourth card is called the hole card. At this point you have to make a decision to either take another card (hit) or pass the card to the dealer (stand or stay). If you decide to hit the dealer deals you another card and will again ask you if you want to hit or stand. You can go on hitting until you are satisfied with the total you get or until you bust your hand by going over 21. The dealer keeps on taking cards until he reaches a total of 17 or more. In most games the dealer must stand on 17's and twist on all 16's

Having a total value of more than 21 on your cards causes you to bust and hence lose your bet. The dealer can also bust his cards if he goes over 21 and you automatically win your bet. In the case where neither of your totals exceeds 21, then the person with the highest hand total wins. Whenever the dealer and player get the same card totals regardless of the number of cards twisted or used the hand is declared a Tie or draw and the hand is pushed, meaning your bet is returned to you in full, so you can play again in the next hand.

When playing blackjack, you should be aware of some basic rules. The first rule is Blackjack. In blackjack, you get a blackjack when the first two cards that are dealt to you consist of an Ace and a ten-count card (10, Jack, Queen or King). You are immediately declared the winner when you have a blackjack unless, of course, the dealer too has a blackjack!. Then your just damn unlucky and this again is a push or 'tie'. A good thing about blackjack, you are paid 3 to 2 where you win hit it, you will win $3 dollars for a $2 bet. Also another name for blackjack is a "natural"

Natural blackjack 21

How to Play Blackjack

Extra.

Other blackjack options available to you are "double down" or "splitting". Doubling down occurs when you fancy your chances against the dealer's hole card. Lets say the dealer is holding a 4, 5 or 6 in his starting card and you are holding 2 cards totaling 10 or 11. You can double down your bet by doubling the amount of your initial bet on the hand. The dealers starting card 4, 5 or 6 is considered pretty weak in blackjack and has a good percentage of busting when he plays his hand. When doubling; the dealer will deal one more card to you so you can get as close to 21 as you can. But remember once you've doubled down the cost of your bet is doubled hence twice the risk and you only get one double down card. You give up your right to twist any more cards after that. So if you started with 10 doubled down and hit a 4 its going to be a nail biting race to the finish and a hope that the dealer will bust.

Splitting occurs when you are dealt 2 identical starting cards. When splitting, you have to place another bet that is the same value of your original bet. In such cases, the two cards are split and you play them as individual hands. In case you get a second pair of similar cards you are allowed to re-split in some casinos. However, there are special rules for splitting Aces. Here, you only receive a single card for each hand and if you do get 21, it will not be considered as blackjack but only that you reached the maximum value of 21. Personally i would always split Aces and advise you to do the same.

Insurance is the choice you can make if you find that he dealers face-up card or starting card is an Ace. The insurance you place costs half the amount of your original bet. This insurance bet pays 2 to 1 in case the dealer gets a blackjack. This is equal to the money you will lose on the original bet. So if your first bet was $10, and the dealer has an ace, you place an insurance for $5. Supposing the dealer gets a blackjack, you then lose your original $10 bet but in the process win $10 through the insurance bet you made. This makes you both even. However, if the dealer does not have a blackjack, you lose the $5 insurance and then play the hand following normal blackjack rules so use it wisely.

There is no fixed number of cards to use in blackjack; the casino may use a single deck of cards or multiple decks of 8, 12 or more. No matter how many cards are used to play blackjack, the dealer always discards or burns the top card after shuffling. Different casinos have different blackjack rules. Some rule variations that you may find are that the dealer is considered to be standing soft when he has a total of 17. Sometimes the player gets to double down on any first two cards. Some casinos permit one to double down on any number of cards. Sometimes, the player can also double down with split pairs. ha ha so many rules ! but really its not that hard when you start to play you soon get the hang of it. Also you should always check the rules of any casino before playing so that you are familiar with any rules and regulations governing your game.

Once you have a basic understanding of the game of blackjack there is nothing to stop you downloading and playing at your leisure. What's more if you are still a little confused then fear not !. As every casino on this site offers free play to all its customers so you can download and play blackjack to familiarise yourself with the way it works before you risk any of your hard earned money! - pretty cool ay!