To overcome the built-in bias of the blackjack game, a player must follow a strategy that departs from house rules when the dealer will bust, encouraging the player to stand on a total of less than 17. How to play blackjack? Blackjack rules are not as simple as they may look and it is a game which is played with 4 or 6 decks depending on the rules in the casino where the blackjack table is. Blackjack is a simple game, but there are a lot of details among the rules. We break this down into steps which will teach you what to expect at the casino. In order to understand how the best strategy is computed, lets have a look at the Blackjack rules. With a soft hand You can't bust, so there is no.
The basics
The object of the blackjack game is to accumulate cards with point totals as close to 21 without going over 21. Face cards (Jacks, Queens and Kings) are worth 10 points. Aces are worth 1 or 11, whichever is preferable. Other cards are represented by their number.
If player and the House tie, it is a push and no one wins. Ace and 10 (Blackjack) on the first two cards dealt is an automatic player win at 1.5 to 1, unless the house ties. A player may stand at any time.
Playing blackjack
To win you need to beat the dealer without busting. You bust when your cards total to more than 21 and you lose automatically. The winner is whoever has closest to a total of 21. You reach 21 by adding up the values of the cards.
The blackjack table seats about 6 players. Either six or eight decks of cards are used and are shuffled together by the dealer and placed in a card dispensing box called 'Shoe'.
Before receiving any cards players must place a wager. Then the players are dealt two cards face up. The dealer gets one face up, one face down. Each player in turn either stays or takes more cards to try and get closer to 21 without busting. Players who do not bust wait for the dealer's turn. When all the players are done, the dealer turns up the down card. By rule, on counts of 17 or higher the dealer must stay; on counts of 16 or lower the dealer must draw.
If you make a total of 21 with the first two cards (a 10 or a face and an Ace), you win automatically. This is called 'Blackjack'. If you have Blackjack, you will win one and one-half times your bet unless the dealer also has Blackjack, in which case it is a Push or a Tie (or a Stand-off) and you get your bet back.
The remaining players with a higher count than the dealer win an amount equal to their bet. Players with a lower count than the dealer lose their bet. If the dealer busts, all the remaining players win. There are other betting options namely Insurance, Surrender, Double Down, Even Money and Split.
- Insurance: side bet up to half the initial bet against the dealer having a natural 21 - allowed only when the dealer's showing card is an Ace. If the dealer has a 10 face down and makes a blackjack, insurance pays at 2-1 odds, but loses if the dealer does not.
- Surrender: giving up your hand and lose only half the bet.
- Early Surrender: surrender allowed before the dealer checks for blackjack.
- Late Surrender: the dealer first checks to see if he has blackjack. If he does, surrender is not permitted.
- Double Down: double your initial bet following the initial two-card deal, but you can hit one card only. A good bet if the player is in a strong situation. Most casinos will allow you to double down on any two cards. Some casinos will let you double down after splitting and some will limit your doubling down to hands that total ten or eleven. However, there is one condition: When you double down, you must take one additional card and you cannot receive more than one.
- Even Money: cashing in your bet immediately at a 1:1 payout ratio when you are dealt a natural blackjack and the dealer's showing card is an Ace.
- Split Hand: split the initial two-card hand into two and play them separately - allowed only when the two first cards are of equal value. Use each card as the start to a separate hand and place a second bet equal to the first.
- Hard Hand: A hand without an Ace, or with an Ace valued at 1 is said to be Hard in that it can only be given one value, unlike a Soft Hand. (You can value an Ace 1 or 11 to suit you).
- Soft Hand: A hand that contains an Ace counted as 11 is called a Soft Hand.
House advantage (approximate, may vary with different rules)
Without basic strategy 7% average.
With basic strategy 0.5% or less.
Card counting can reverse the advantage up to 1% to the player.
Some blackjack variations
Using different number of decks: all other conditions being the same, as a general rule the fewer the decks, the better for the player.
Allowing the dealer to hit a soft 17: a disadvantage to the player. It gives the dealer a chance to improve.
Allowing a double down after splitting pairs: can be advantageous to the player if used wisely.
Allowing re-splitting of Aces: a clear advantage to the player.
No dealer hole card: common on cruise ships, this variation is a disadvantage to the player. The dealer does not deal himself a second card until the players have played and they can lose the doubles and splits.
Las Vegas and Atlantic City variants
Las Vegas blackjack:
Las Vegas games are played with two decks and the House must hit on hands less than soft 17 (17 involving an Ace) and must stand on hands of 17 or greater.
Atlantic City blackjack:
Atlantic City games are played with four decks and the House must hit on 16 and stand all 17's.
Perfect Pairs blackjack
Perfect Pairs is a blackjack side bet. It can be played on a standard blackjack table and does not require the main game rules to be changed. All Perfect Pairs wagers are decided and dealt with at the completion of the initial deal.
Perfect Pairs bets are made prior to any cards being dealt and must be supported by a regular Blackjack bet on the same betting box. A Perfect Pairs bet wins if the first two cards dealt to a players Blackjack hand are a pair and it loses if they are not a pair.
There are 3 different types of pairs and the payout odds vary accordingly:
- Mixed pair (A pair that is made up of 1 red suited card and 1 black suited card - example 2 of clubs + 2 of hearts)
- Coloured pair (A pair that is made up of 2 same cards of the same colour but are of different suits - example 6 of clubs + 6 of spades)example 8 of spades + 8 of clubs)
- Perfect pair (An identical pair - example K of diamonds + K of diamonds)
Perfect Pairs rules
- A player may place a Perfect Pairs wager on any box on which the player has placed a Blackjack wager
- A Perfect Pairs wager must be placed before any cards in the round of play are dealt
- A Perfect Pairs wager wins if the first 2 cards dealt to the player are a pair
- A Perfect Pairs wager loses if the first 2 cards dealt to the player are not a pair
- Winning Perfect Pairs wagers must be paid as per the displayed paytable
- After each player has been dealt the first 2 cards, the dealer must take all losing Perfect Pairs wagers and make a payout to each player who has a winning Perfect Pairs wager
- The dealer then goes on to deal with each player in the usual way for Blackjack
Perfect Pairs payouts
- Perfect Pair pays 30 to 1
- Coloured Pair pays 10 to 1
- Mixed Pair pays 5 to 1
The house edge on Perfect Pairs blackjack side bet is 6.76%.
21+3 - Blackjack and Three-card poker side game
Play Blackjack and 3-card Poker at the same time. 21+3 is a European-style Blackjack game with a high-paying side bet opportunity similar to the very popular Pairs Plus bet in the Three Card Poker game. No special poker skill is required.
The 3-card side bet, which pays relative to the combination of your first two cards and the dealer's up card, is optional. You receive two cards, both face up, and, the Dealer receives one face up card. If you made a 3-card bet and these first three cards form a winning outcome, you are immediately paid according to the side bet pay table. This side bet is independent of your subsequent Blackjack play.
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Blackjack rules are important to understand when playing. If played properly by using a simplebasic strategy, thehouse edge is very low.
Blackjackis played on a table with a house dealer. Cards are dealt from a device calleda “shoe” or a “CSM” (continuous shuffle machine) containing multiple decks. Thegames objective is for a player to have a completed hand totaling 21 or closerto 21 than the dealer’s hand. Any player’s or dealer’s hand with a sum over 21is a “bust” and therefore loses.The card values are:
2through 9 – count as their face value
10through K – count as a ten value
Aces– count as eleven or one
How to Play Using Proper Blackjack Rules
Playingis simple. After wagering, two cards are dealt face up to each player. Thedealer also takes two cards, one face up and one down, known as a “hole card.” Here are the blackjack rules for good play:
Basedon the “strength” of the player’s hand and the “value” of the dealer’s up card,the player must make one of five options:
Stand – If the player has a strong handsuch as a 10, 8 totaling 18, s/he would stand by taking no additional cards.
Hit – If the player has a weak handsuch as 8, 5 totaling 13, s/he may hit by requesting additional card(s).
Split – If the two cards are of equalvalue such as an 8, 8 the player can split by playing two hands for anadditional wager.
Double Down – Player may elect todouble down by requesting only one card after doubling his/her wager. Oneexample would be a 7, 4 totaling 11. The player would hope to receive a 10value card to make a total of 21.
Surrender - (Where permitted.) When aplayer has a very weak hand against a dealer’s strong hand, he/she maysurrender the hand for ½ of the wager. One example would be a player with 15and a dealer showing a 10 or ace up.
Two Card Hand Jargon
Stiff – A total of 12 through 16.(These are potential bust hands.)
Pat – A total of 17 through 20.(Players should always stand with these.)
Soft – Any hand containing an Ace. AnA, 7 would count as 8 or 18.
No Bust Blackjack Rules Free
Allwinning hands, except for Blackjack pay even money. A Blackjack is a two cardhand containing an Ace and any ten value card. That payout is 3 to 2. Somecasinos have reduced the BJ payout to 6 to 5. Stay away from these games ifpossible.
No Bust Blackjack Rules Chart
Priorto playing, it is important to learn basic strategy. It is easy to comprehendand with a little practice the house edge can be reduced to less than 0.5%. BJbasic strategy cards are available. You can findthem on-line at Amazon. You can link to view and purchase them on this page.Most casinos do not object to any player using the cards forreference while playing.
Before You Play
Blackjack rulesdo vary between casinos so players should first “scout” the tables to look forliberal rules. In many jurisdictions the rules are posted at the table. If youdo not see them, ask. Here is what to look for:
Blackjack pays 3/2
Splitany pair
Double down on any two cards
Re-splittingallowed
Doubleafter split allowed
Dealerstands on all 17’s
Otherblackjack games called variants are increasingly popular in casinos today.Among them are and Three Card Blackjack. Strategy for these games does differ from basic strategy for the traditional game.
Remember that the house always has the edgeover the long term. The benefit of applying proper blackjack strategy is to increase yourchances for short term gain.
Books, games, and strategy cards about blackjack can be found on Amazon. Direct link from this page to purchase.
Additional publications and videos about casino gaming and other products can also be found on Amazon. Click on the link(s) below to purchase.
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