Blackjack Variations > Blackjack
Blackjack is a casino table game in which players try to make hands which score as close to 21 points without going over. In order to win, players must make a better hand than the dealer. While it may sound simple, blackjack is an exciting game of strategy, luck, odds and risks, which has made blackjack one of the most popular gambling games in the world.
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The Basics of How to Play Blackjack
Every game of blackjack starts in the same way: each player makes a bet. In any given game of blackjack, there can be anywhere from one to several players competing against the dealer; however, each player plays against the dealer independently, and in any given hand, some players may win while others might lose. For the sake of simplicity in this article, all examples will feature just a single player.
The player and the dealer are both dealt initial two card hands out of a shoe, which contains some number of standard 52-card decks – usually, between one and eight decks. Both of the player’s cards are face up, while the dealer will have one card face up (known as the up card), and one card face down.
Scoring Blackjack Hands
Each card in blackjack is worth a different number of points. Numbered cards – those of ranks between two and ten – are worth a number of points equal to their printed rank. For instance, a seven is worth seven points. Face cards – jacks, queens and kings – are each worth ten points.
Aces can be worth either one or eleven points. Essentially, aces are worth eleven points unless that would result in the hand going over 21 points, in which case they can count as one point instead. Hands with an ace that still counts as eleven points are known as “soft” hands, as opposed to those in which aces must count as one point, which are known as “hard” hands. The difference is that a soft hand cannot go over 21 with an additional card, since the ace may simply go from counting as eleven to being worth a single point.
Blackjacks and Insurance
If the player starts with a hand that is worth 21 points – in other words, an ace and a ten or face card – then the player has a blackjack. This will almost always result in the player immediately winning. The odds paid for a blackjack are normally 3-2, though some tables may only offer 6-5 or other unusual odds.
However, it is also possible for the dealer to have a blackjack. If the dealer’s up card is an ace or a ten-point card, the dealer will check to see if they have a blackjack (under some rules, the dealer will only check at this point if the up card is an ace). If the dealer has a blackjack, all players immediately lose, unless the player also has a blackjack, in which case they push.
In addition, if the dealer is showing an ace, the dealer will offer insurance to players. Players may purchase insurance for half the price of their initial bet. If the dealer has a blackjack, the insurance bet pays 2-1; the net result of winning the insurance bet but losing the original bet is for the player to come out even for the hand. If a player has a blackjack, most dealers will over “even money” for the blackjack, offering a 1-1 payout as an alternative to risking a push if the dealer also has blackjack. This is simply the insurance bet under another name.
Hitting and Standing in Blackjack
Assuming the neither the player or dealer has a blackjack, the player now has some choices to make regarding their hand. In making these decisions, the player should take into account both his own hand, as well as the dealer’s exposed card.
If the player is happy with his hand and doesn’t wish to risk taking any additional cards, he may stand. This ends their options and locks in their hand on whatever score they currently have.
Alternately, the player can “hit.” If a player hits, the dealer deals another card to them. If this card takes the hand over 21 points, the player “busts,” and loses all bets immediately. Otherwise, the player again has the choice of hitting or standing. A player may hit as many times as they like, provided they do not exceed 21 points. Once a player chooses to stand, they are done playing their hand.
The Dealer’s Hand
Once all players have played their hand, the dealer reveals their second card. The dealer may now attempt to improve their hand, based on rules that should be printed on the table. In most cases, the dealer must hit with a hand of 16 or less, and must stand with a hand of 17 or greater. The dealer will continue hitting until the rules tell the dealer to stand, or the dealer busts.
If the dealer busts, all players remaining in the hand immediately win even money on their bets. If the dealer stands, the player’s hand is compared to the dealer’s hand. If the player’s hand is higher, the player wins even money on all bets. If the player’s hand is lower, the player loses all bets. If the player and dealer tie, all bets push.
Example Hand #1
The player is dealt 5/3, for a hand worth 8 points. The dealer is showing a K. The player chooses to hit, and receives a Q, making his hand worth 18 points. The player now chooses to stand.
The dealer reveals his down card, showing a 6. The dealer now has K/6, worth 16 points. The rules say that the dealer must hit with 16, and therefore takes another card. He receives a 7, bringing his hand to 23 points. This means that the dealer busts, and the player wins even money on his bet.
Splitting and Doubling Down
Players also have two other options that they may invoke when they receive their initial two card hand. If the player has two cards of the same rank, they may choose to split their hand into two. This is done by making a second bet of equal size to the original bet. The two cards are separated into two separate hands, each of which is dealt a new second card. Under many rules systems, players are allowed to split their hands additional times if they receive a pair after splitting. For instance, if a player starts with 44, then chooses to split, they may end up with two hands of A4 and 44. The player may then split the new 44 hands, resulting in a total of three hands, each being played for a single bet. Each of these hands wins or losses individually, so it is possible to win some hands and lose others after splitting.
The player may also choose to double down on their first two cards. By doubling down, a player agrees to take only one more card, after which they will stand, meaning they are stuck with whatever hand they have after receiving their third card. If a player wishes to do this, they will need to make a second bet of equal size (if they do not have enough money to do this, they may double down for less than the original bet size). This option allows the player to wager more money when the odds are strongly in their favor, with the accompanying risk of ending up with a bad hand that they normally would have continued hitting with.
Example Hand #2
The following hand covers many possible situations in blackjack. Follow it carefully; if you understand what has happened in this hand, you should feel comfortable playing blackjack online or at a casino!
The player begins with the hand of 8/8 (16 points), while the dealer begins with an ace showing (11 points). The dealer first offers the player the option to purchase insurance, which the player declines. The dealer checks for blackjack; he does not have blackjack, and therefore the hand continues as normal.
The player now has many options. The player chooses to split his hand of eights by making a second bet. The dealer deals two additional cards to the player, resulting in the player now having the following hands:
8/K (18 points)
8/3 (11 points)
First, the dealer asks what the player would like to do with their hand of 8/K. The player chooses to stand with this hand.
Next, the dealer asks what the player would like to do with their hand of 8/3. In this case, the player chooses to double down by making an additional bet. The player is dealt a J, giving their hand a total value of 21 points.
The dealer now reveals their hand, showing a 9. This gives the dealer a hand of A/9, worth 20 points.
The player’s hands are compared to the dealer’s hand. The hand worth 18 points loses, causing the player to lose one bet. However, the hand worth 21 points wins, winning two bets, since the player doubled down on this hand. Overall, the player ends up winning one bet.
Online Blackjack Rules – Common & Alternate
Blackjack Rules – There are many variations of blackjack online & offline. We have broken down common blackjack rules along with alternate blackjack rules that you may run into while playing blackjack.
Now that you have learned how to play blackjack we suggest next you check out our basic blackjack strategy article which will help you play with optimal strategy minimizing the house edge and therefore allowing you to potentially win more!
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Table Of Contents
This is everything you ever wanted to know about how to play Blackjack like a pro but were too ashamed to ask.
Bryce Carlson, Edward O. Thorp, Arnold Snyder, Russ Hamilton, Don Johnson.
If these names don't ring any bells, then you're probably here to pick a trick or two before your next beer-and-Blackjack session with the guys.
Though gambling is not necessarily your passion in life, you certainly deserve to see their baffled faces as you show them how to play Blackjack.
And who knows?
Maybe in time, you'll get to sit at the big shots' table and make some serious dough.
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Blackjack 101
Since this is a guide on demand – made especially for rookies without any real experience or proper Blackjack skills – I'll start by introducing the game.
Blackjack might not the easiest way to spend your free time, but it is a good choice when you play Casino games.
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Play NowOf course, you can always host a Blackjack party at your home - if your friends share your passion. Some Casinos chips and a few decks of French playing cards are all you need to get the game going.
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Whatever your choice is, you'll need a solid knowledge the basics of Blackjack, of the rules, and of the best strategy to play and to increase your winning odds.
Which One Is the Spade Again?
Like you can not learn a language before you studied its alphabet, you need to start from the basics if you really want to learn how to play Blackjack.
That's why this Blackjack guide starts from the A-B-C of the game.
I'm going to call this 'first lesson' How to Play Blackjack and What the Cards Mean.
This may be the last chance for you to clear any confusion surrounding card symbols and to finally learn to read them right.
Don't miss it.
Let's start from a classic deck of French cards because that's what you need to play Blackjack.
Yes, these are the same cards your grandfather use to play Slapjack, Crazy Eights, and Three-Card Poker.
In total, the deck features 52 cards divided into four different suits:
- Clubs (♧)
- Diamonds (♢)
- Hearts (♥)
- Spades (♤)
Spades and clubs are coloured in black while diamonds and hearts are coloured in red.
But since we are on PokerNews, I'm assuming you knew that already.
A traditional deck has 13 ranks and each suite has one card per each rank.
How To Play Blackjack Tutorial
The first card is the ace (A), but it's not exactly the equivalent of a 1. In fact, this card can be the highest-ranking card of the deck.
The following ten cards form a string from two (2) to ten (10/T), while the last three are the Jack (J), Queen (Q), and King (K).
These last three cards are called the face cards.
Oh Wait, How Much Did I Just Score?
But 'I just want to learn how to play Blackjack', you say?
'I don't need you to remind me of my grandpa and his dusty old cards!'
I hear you, but be patient.
I'll get to that in less than a minute.
The reason I needed to dust off your grandfather's old deck of cards is that Blackjack has some restrictions when it comes to using suits.
In fact, suits are of value only in some variants of this game.
Since this is a Blackjack for dummies guide, you are free to ignore them now.
What's Really Important Here Is Getting to Know Your Ranks.
Since there are four suits, and each suit has one card of each rank, the math says that there are only four cards of each rank in the deck, right?
Scoring in Blackjack depends on the ranks a player holds in his or her hand, and his or her ability to count them according to the rules:
- Each ace is worth either 1 or 11 points.
- For all cards that belong to the two-to-ten string, the rule is the same – their rank equals their point value. If you hold a 5, for example, you hold exactly 5 points.
- Every face card, be it a Jack, a Queen, or a King, is worth 10 points.
So - let's see now how much did you just score.
Translate the ranks of cards you hold to their point value and add it all up.
That's really as easy as that. Your score in Blackjack is the sum of the value of your cards - not one point less than that.
And Now for the Easy Blackjack Rules (Finally).
When you play a game of Blackjack, you always play against the dealer.
Don't think about the other players at the table. Regardless of how many of you sit to play at the same time, there are always only two hands in play – the player's hand versus the dealer's hand.
And the winning hand in Blackjack is, you guessed it, the higher hand. Which, if you are lucky enough to get it, is also the one that gives its name to the game: a Blackjack.
A Blackjack is a hand 2-card hand that totals 21 points.
This is not an easy one to get, be sure of that. But it is also the one you'll be always hoping to receive. Every. Single. Time. You play.
But What about the Losing Hand?
The losing hand, the dead hand, or the bust, is every hand with a total sum of 22 or higher.
That's because as soon as you geo over the 21-point limit, you are out of the game. Regardless of the dealer's score.
Unfortunately, that's not the only losing hand in Blackjack. Because each hand that is one point short compared to the dealer's score…it's a losing one.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how to play Blackjack for dummies.
Blackjack 102
Your typical casino Blackjack table has enough space for seven players plus a dealer and includes the following phrases and/or signs:
- Blackjack plays x to y
- Dealer must draw to 16 and stand on all 17s
- Pays 2 to 1
- The table limits (min / max bet allowed)
What's That Nonsense on the Table?
Remember how a Blackjack – which is a hand with 2 cards that total 21, and is higher than the dealer's – automatically wins the game?
Well, that's almost true.
If the dealer also holds a 21, then the result is a so-called Push, meaning that your initial bet is returned to you and you neither win nor lose.
Blackjack pays 3 to 2, or in some Casinos, Blackjack pays 6 to 5, refers to payoffs and odds.
If you win against the dealer's hand, your initial bet is paid off 3 to 2, or in some casinos, 6 to 5.
With Insurances pays 2 to 1, you're offered to put an additional bet on whether or not your dealer will get a Blackjack.
Your hand can lose against the dealer's hand, but then you might cover your lost bet with a win on an insurance bet. Word to the wise, you can drop them both.
$5 minimum, $500 maximum is simply a reminder of the smallest and the largest amount of money you can put on the table.
A good guide on how to play Blackjack online should always direct you to play your first games on websites where the minimum bet is small enough to be beginner-friendly.
That's why I want to give you two choices:
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Should I Hit or Should I Stand?
Blackjack begins after all players have exchanged their money for chips and placed them on the designated spot on the table as their bets.
The dealer then deals the cards – two of them for each player, including himself.
The cards can be dealt either face down or face up, apart from the dealer's own two cards, of which one is always dealt face up and another face down.
The dealer then peaks to check if he's been dealt a Blackjack.
If not, the players are invited to hit or stand, though there are three more options to choose from – splitting, doubling down, or surrendering.
How you play your hand depends on the cards both you and the dealer have.
When you go for hitting, you're dealt one additional card.
If you choose to stand instead, you're keeping the cards you have.
To qualify for splitting, you need to have two cards of the same rank.
You'll receive two cards more, one for each of the cards you've originally been dealt, pay a side bet, and then start playing with two independent hands.
Both their bets and their payoffs are independent too.
When you double down, you need to place an additional bet, after which you'll receive one card more to add to your original hand.
The rules for surrendering vary from one casino to another, in a sense that some offer an early surrender option – to drop out of the hand before the dealer checks his cards for a Blackjack – and others a later surrender option, in which you must wait until after he's done that.
Either way, you agree to give up a half of the bet and are free to walk away with the rest.
How Do I Choose to Play a Hand?
The basic Blackjack strategy for beginners relies on knowing how to discern a hard hand from a soft one. The simplest way? Look for the aces!
If there's no an ace in it, or if that ace counts not as 11, but as 1, then you've got yourself a hard one, and you don't have much wiggle room.
Hard hands cannot count on aces to lower the total down and can be dangerously close to surpassing the limit of 22, which automatically makes them bust. Hitting is here quite a risk.
In a soft hand, however, you can count an ace either as a 1 or 11. It means that if another card is, say, a 9, you have either a total of 10, which makes you eligible for hitting or a total of 20, which could make your hand a bust if you choose to hit and receive anything but another ace.
But wait, there's more.
All this would be of little value if you were to leave without these Blackjack tips for beginners:
- Always check the dealer's face up card before you take action.If it's anything between 2 and 6, there's a good chance the dealer's hand will go bust, so don't take unnecessary risks. If it's 7 through ace, take your chances and play the hand aggressively.
- Skip placing the side bet for insurance pays 2 to 1.Experts calculate that this bet gives the house the advantage of almost 6% over the player. It's dumb because even if you score a Blackjack, your hand will pay off only the original bet.
- Be smart enough to take your time and don't get burned.The dealer might be rushing, so avoid the first base chair. Also, start small and give yourself a moment to assess the situation. Blackjack is only fun if you know how and when to move on.
- Oh, and take a primer from a Blackjack expert.When asked how to play Blackjack for beginners, gambling expert John Marchell spilt the following pearls of wisdom:'When your hand is 12-16 and the dealer shows 2-6, stand. In the same situation, hit only if the dealer has 7-ace. Always split aces and 8s and double 11 versus the dealer's 2-10, and hit or double aces-6.Also, blow off the guy who claims to be a Blackjack expert.'
That's how Bryce Carlson, Edward O. Thorp, Arnold Snyder, Russ Hamilton, and Don Johnson began counting their cards, after all.
Memorize this, try it on your friends, and stop if you're losing.
And though it won't save you if you're bad at math, we wish you good luck.
Where Can I Practice Blackjack Online?
Now, to the million dollar question:
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