Blackjack is a classic casino game. It’s easy to learn the rules, but a little bit harder to actually organize and lead a game. In case you are a total blackjack beginner, have a look here.
Blackjack is a casino game, so you will be playing against the dealer. No matter how good you are(you can learn to play optimally), the odds will never be in your favor and you will lose money in the long run. With this in mind, play only for fun and only with money you can afford to lose.
How to play Blackjack
Object of the game
The object of the game is to get a better hand than the dealer. The closer the value of your hand gets to 21 the better it is (21 being blackjack). If you exceed 21 points you lose automatically.
Card values:
- Ace = 1 or 11 points (the player decides)
- King, Queen and Jack = 10 points
- 2-9 of all suits = their face value
Bets
There is a fixed minimum bet that all players post before the deal, but they can also bet more, if they want. Usually there is a maximum bet as well.
The Deal
The dealer will first deal out 2 cards to each player face up and 2 cards to himself. One of his cards is face up and the other face down.
Your options:
Stand or Hit
After the deal you will be asked whether you want to Stand or take a Hit. Hitting gets you another card and Standing just passes the action along.
Double down
When it’s your turn, you can double your original bet and take exactly one more card.
Splitting
You can also split, if you have two cards of the same value. If you do this, you have to post another bet. Now you are playing with two hands instead of one(like you are two players) The dealer will give you two additional cards(one for each hand).
Surrender
In case you think you have a really terrible hand, you can surrender. You are allowed to take half your bet back and you are out of that hand.
The Showdown
After all players make their choices (they all stand, surrender or exceed 21 (in which case they lose automatically)) the dealer turns over his face down card. If the value of the dealers hand is 17 or lower, he takes cards until it exceed 17.
Possible outcomes:
- If the dealer exceeds 21 points, then all the players win and get double their money.
- If the dealer hits 21(blackjack), then all the players that don’t have a blackjack lose. The players that do have a blackjack get a Push, which means they get their bets back.
- If the dealer has a hand between 17 and 21, then the players that have a better hand (closer to 21, but not over 21), get double their bet, and all the players that have a worse hand lose their bets.
- Any player that hits a blackjack also gets a bonus from the house.
That’s it! Blackjack rules made easy:)