How to Play Blackjack

If you’ve ever seen movies about card counters making millions of dollars in Las Vegas casinos, blackjack was the game they were playing. Blackjack is one of the best games for your money because it’s one of the few games in which you can make decisions that affect the outcome of the game.

But before you can learn how to apply proper blackjack strategy, the first step is to learn how to play blackjack. The rules are fairly simple and after you play a few hands, you’ll probably have a solid understanding of the game. If you ever get confused, the dealer is usually more than happy to answer your questions.

How to Play Blackjack

• The object of the game is to get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over. Multiple players can play at the same table at the same time but each player competes individually against the dealer.

• At the beginning of each hand, each player must place a wager on the outcome of the hand. The amount can vary from anything between $0.50 to more than $50,000 at some casinos.

• The dealer deals one card face up to each player and one card face down to himself.

• The dealer deals one more card face up to each player and one card face up to himself.

• The players now have the option to hit or stand. To hit is to receive another card and the stand is to stop receiving cards. Each player may draw as many cards as he wishes. The goal here is to get as close to 21 as possible without going over.

• After the players have finished drawing, the dealer reveals his down card and plays his hand out. The dealer must hit with any total of 16 or lower and must stand with any total of 17 or higher.

• The dealer collects the bets from the losers and pays out the winners. A player wins if he gets closer to 21 than the dealer without going over. A player loses if he goes over 21 (also called going “bust”) or if the dealer gets closer to 21. If the dealer busts, all the other players who didn’t bust win. All ties are considered pushes and the players receive their bets back without any winnings.

• All bets are paid out at 1:1 except for natural blackjacks. We’ll explain those in the next section.

Natural Blackjack

Whenever a player receives an Ace and a card worth 10 points during the initial deal, it’s called a “natural” or a blackjack. This is considered an automatic win unless the dealer also gets a blackjack. In that case, the bet is a push. In all other cases, the player is paid 3:2 on his money. That means that if the player bet $10 on the hand, the player would receive $15 in winnings.

Card Values

• Numbered cards are worth face value. 2’s are worth 2 points, 3’s are worth 3 points and so on.

• Face cards (Jack, Queen, King) are worth 10 points each.

• Aces are worth 1 point or 11 points – whichever is more beneficial to the player.

Doubling Down

If a player is dealt a 9, 10 or 11 without aces, the player has the option to double down. When a player doubles down, that player may double his original bet. The caveat is that if a player doubles down, that player must receive exactly one more card. No more, no less.

Splitting

If a player is dealt two cards of the same value, that player has the option to split his hand. When a player splits his hand, each card is used to play a separate hand. That player must also place an additional wager on the second hand. In most blackjack games, players may split up to two times.

Insurance

Players may take insurance when the dealer’s up card is an Ace. The player places an additional bet and if the dealer has a blackjack, insurance is paid out at 2:1 odds. If the dealer does not have a blackjack, the insurance bet is lost. Insurance has a high house edge and should always be avoided.

Early Surrender

If a player doesn’t like the way a hand is going, that player may surrender half his original bet and quit the hand. Early surrender is offered before the dealer checks for blackjack. Out of the two types of surrender, this one is the most beneficial to the player.

Late Surrender

Late surrender is the same as early surrender except it is only offered after the dealer checks for blackjack. If the dealer has a blackjack, the player loses the chance to surrender.

Ready to Play?

The best place for blackjack is Bodog Casino. They offer the highest payouts, several blackjack variations and an overall great experience. If you want to practice for free, you can visit Bodog and play with play money. You don’t even have to sign up for an account.