Below the heading of Blackjack Basics you will find subfolders which are the beginning of our introduction to blackjack pages. This should provide you with a good grounding in the basics before you move on to basic and advanced strategy.

House rules will vary from casino to casino and even from table to table, for instance, table to table rules would vary depending on the number of decks used. Many casinos use what is called �Las Vegas Strip Rules�. They are as follows:

a.) single deck
b.) dealer stands on 17
c.) double on any first 2 cards
d.) no doubling after splits
e.) split up to 4 hands
f.) split aces and receive only one card
g.) no surrender

Variations of these rules will impact the odds of the player�s game. Some of these rules will benefit the player and others will benefit the house. It is important to know which work to the players advantage in order to play on the correct tables. The following table shows the impact on Las Vegas Strip Rules, which if found offers less than half a house edge:

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A player can place a bet in as many boxes as they wish, or as table etiquette dictates. The following also applies when placing bets:

a.) single bets: chips are placed inside the boxes

b.) split bets: chips are placed on the side lines of the box

c.) double bets: chips are placed behind the original bet

d.) double split bets: chips are placed behind the original bet on the line

e.) two bets: chips are placed side-by-side inside the bets

f.) two split bets: chips placed behind one another on the line

g.) two split bets doubled down: chips are placed on top of the existing split

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Once the dealer has dealt the initial cards the player may be faced with several options depending on the hand dealt to them.

1.) Hit

If the player wants an additional card this is called a hit

2.) Stand

If the player is satisfied with their total score they will stand by showing the dealer a palms down waving signal.

3.) Doubling Down

In the United Kingdom you can make an additional bet equal to your initial stake if the total of the player’s first two cards totals 9, 10, or 11. In the United States the player may double down on any score of the initial two cards as long as it’s not a blackjack. When the player opts to double down they may only receive one more card. For a player to decide whether or not to double down they must look at the dealer’s card. See the chart under basic strategy for more guidance on this.

4.) Pair Splitting

After the player’s initial two cards have been dealt they may split them if they are a pair. When the two cards are split into two hands the player must then match the his initial bet for the second hand created. In Great Britain pairs of 4, 5, and 10 are excluded from the possibility of a split. A player familiar with Blackjack strategy would not think it wise to split these cards anyway. If aces are split only one additional card can be received by the player. If the player splits aces and receives a 10 this is not considered Blackjack as this can be attained only on the first two cards received. This is considered a score of 21.

5.) Insurance

The player may obtain insurance when they have a Blackjack and the dealers face card up is an ace. Here the player makes an additional bet of half the original stake. If the dealer has Blackjack you lose your original bet but insurance pays out at 2/1. If the dealer doesn’t have blackjack he loses the insurance bet but is paid out at 3/2 for his original bet. Insurance bets have a 6% house edge and is considered a bad bet. Some casinos may offer even money instead of the insurance. Therefore, don’t take insurance or even money.

6.) Surrender

This is a good option for the player where offered, but unfortunately not many casinos offer this. There is early and a late surrender meaning before and after the dealer has looked at his second card. The player must state to the dealer directly surrender. The player may surrender when their cards are:

a.) 9-7 or 10-6 againsts the dealers 9, 10, or ace.

b.) 10-5 against dealers 10.

The player with a 15 or 16 with the dealer possessing a 10 has the two worst hands available with more than a 75% chance of loosing that hand. Therefore, surrender is a good option under these surcumstances.

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Today Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games played. Played on a half circular table with 5-7 betting squares to place your bets. The game uses the normal 52 card deck but, the house usually plays with 4-6 decks placed in a “shoe” for the purposes of dealing the cards. In modern Blackjack the four suits, diamond, spade, hearts, and clubs have no significance. In the past larger payouts were given for the attainment of a “blackjack” card and an ace, which is where the name for Blackjack has derived, however, this is no longer the case.

Card Values

The numbered cards 2-10 are scored according to their face value. The face cards, for example, Jacks, Queens, and Kings are all valued at 10, and aces can be worth 1 or 11 depending on how the game unfolds.

Starting the game

After a player places their initial bet in the square(s), each player is dealt 2 cards face up. In the United States the dealer is dealt 2 cards but 1 is placed face down. In Great Britain only one card is dealt to the dealer face up.

Game Objective

The objective is to gain a higher score than the dealer without going over 21 (called going “bust”). Therefore, at this point in the game the player will be asked if they want another card. A request for a card by the player is done with a scratching motion, and a refusal of any more cards is done by a waving motion. The player can request as many cards as they wish to improve their score unless your score exceeds 21, whereby, the player automatically loses and the player’s cards are then cleared. If the player exceeds 21 they will still lose even if the dealer exceeds 21. A tie (called a push) occurs when both the dealer and the player have the same score. Blackjack, any card with the denomination of 10 accompanied by an ace is superior to any hand and beats a 3 card score of 21.

Once the player believes that they have enough points to beat the eventual outcome of the dealer’s score they will stand, accepting no more hits (cards) from the dealer.

Once all the players have sequentially been dealt their cards the dealer will then deal his own cards. With a score of 16 or less the dealer is obligated to take a card. At 17 the dealer must stand. If the dealer exceeds 21 he has lost and all remaining players in the game are paid out their winnings. If the dealer does not go bust and obtains a score of 17 or higher a comparison is done to the players still in the game and the dealer or players with the higher score wins.

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