Understanding The Rules Of Blackjack
Blackjack is a very popular game that can be played in most casinos. When you play blackjack, the goal is simple: get a hand with a point value as close to 21 as possible without going over 21. You win by getting a hand that is closer in value to 21 than the banker's hand. While some rules vary from casino to casino, the general rules are the same no matter where you play.
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When you start the game, you have two cards. The dealer has one card hidden. Each numbered card is worth its number, and face cards are worth 10. Aces can be worth either one or 11; you can choose whichever one is best suited to your current hand.
Depending on where you are playing, there may be up to seven other players at your blackjack table. However, you do not play with or against other players. You each play individually against the dealer. Play usually starts with the player to the dealer's left and moves clockwise from there. Most casinos have side rules you can take advantage of during your first turn. You cannot use them at any other point of the game. Side rules include:
• Surrender: if your hand is very bad and you feel that you are unlikely to win, given what you can see of the dealer's hand, you can surrender and receive 50% of your initial bet back
• Insurance: you can bet whether or not the dealer has a blackjack if he has an ace card face-up. This bet usually pays out 2:1.
• Splitting: if you have two cards of the same face value, you can split the hand in two, place another bet, and play with two hands.
• Double down: on the other side of surrendering is doubling down. If you feel very confident that your hand will beat the dealer's, you can double your bet. If you choose this, you only get one more card from the dealer.
When it gets to be your turn, you have to either say "hit" or "stand." When you hit, you ask for another card. When you stand, you stay with your current hand and end your turn. It's important to be careful about when you hit, because if you go over 21, you bust. The dealer then wins no matter what his hand holds.
Dealers decide whether to hit or stand based on rules, rather than instinct or strategy. If a dealer's hand is less than 17, he must hit. Once his total is 17 or higher, he stands. At the end of the game, if the dealer goes bust (has a point total over 21), everyone still playing wins. Otherwise, those with a point total higher than the dealer's—but no higher than 21—win the hand, while those with a point total lower than the dealer's lose.
Game Results
Each hand results in winning or losing, but there are other events that can change how much you win or lose.
• Win: you get to keep your bet, plus you get the amount of your bet paid out to you.
• Lose: you do not get your bet back.
• Blackjack: when you get blackjack (21), you get 1 1/2 times your bet. If you bet $10, you get your original bet back and then $15 on top of it.
• Push: this is a neutral end to the game. If the dealer has a blackjack and other players have a blackjack as well, those players receive their bet back. However, they do not get any additional winnings.
If you play at one of our recommended legal bitcoin blackjack sites, there may be additional rules that you need to know in order to play. You can look for betting limits and important rules printed on the table or on a sign near the table. However, these basic rules can carry you through blackjack games at most casinos.
Know that you've acquainted yourself with the basic rules of blackjack, head over to our blackjack tips article and learn a few advanced techniques to up your game.