Blackjack
Blackjack is widely regarded as the world's most popular casino card game. This table game, which has popularized the number 21, is one of the most recognizable, along with roulette, even to those who are not casino gamblers.
Blackjack Game Rules
Next to poker, blackjack tournaments are increasingly enjoying attention from both land-based and online casinos, expanding the game's following even more.
The Object of the Game
It is falsely believed by many that the object of blackjack is to have a hand that is as close as possible to 21, without exceeding it. But this is not so. The true object of the game is, in fact, to beat the dealer—that is, by having a higher hand without going over 21. This means you have as much of a winning chance with 14 as with 20, as long as it comes up higher than the dealer's hand, and equal to or lower than 21. If the dealer has a higher hand than yours, without exceeding 21, then he wins the game.
Understanding that your true goal in playing blackjack is to beat the dealer will come in handy once you start scheming your own game strategies. For his part, the dealer follows a separate set of blackjack rules that govern his card play, and having an understanding of these rules is equally key to winning.
General Blackjack Rules
In reality, blackjack rules are variated from one casino to another, whether land-based or online, according to a few variables that the house itself will have set. But there are a few too basic constants to get out of the way so you can move on to the meat of the game.
Blackjack uses a standard deck of 52 cards. The suits of the cards are irrelevant, only their numerical values matter. The card values are as follows:
10, J, Q, K = 10
Ace = 1 or 11
Other cards = face value (example: 7 = 7, 8 = 8)
Splitting, doubling down, and getting a natural blackjack are all only possible with a two-card hand. To split, the two-card hand must be a pair.
The common payoff of a natural blackjack is 3:2, or 150% of the original bet. If both the player and the dealer get a blackjack at the same time, it is known as a push. In a push, the player neither wins nor loses, he simply wins back his original bet.
After splitting two Aces, one of the two hands being played may make a blackjack (if a second card just happens to be a 10). Often in these cases, the blackjack resulting from a split is not considered a natural blackjack. Thus, its payoff is 1:1, and not 3:2 as would be for a natural.
As earlier mentioned, the dealer follows his own separate set of blackjack rules. As a standard, if the dealer's hand totals 16 or lower, he must hit; if his hand is 17 or higher, he must stand. These rules are set, which means the dealer does not get to bend the rules in order to gain an advantage over a player.
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