Blackjack
Blackjack is the most
popular casino card game in the world. The name Blackjack
arose when an American casino decided to popularise
the game by paying a bonus to any player holding the
ace of spades and either the jack of clubs or jack
of spades. The object of the game is simple –
obtain a total card count higher than that of the
dealer without exceeding 21.
Let's
Play! | Rules
|Tips
| You Win!
| Blackjack
Terms and Lingo
 Let's
Play!
Before receiving any
cards, you must place a wager.
- Select a chip value of either
$1, $5, $10, $25, or $100.
- Click the betting circle until
the number of chips displayed equals the amount
you wish to bet.
- To reduce your bet amount,
right-click the betting circle to remove chips.
Your bet will be reduced by the amount of the
currently selected chip.
- Click Deal.
You and the dealer will each be dealt two cards.
Both of your cards will be face up, but only one
of the dealer's cards will be face up.
- Review your cards.
- To receive another card,
click Hit.
- If you are satisfied with
your hand and wish to double your initial wager,
click Double.
- If you receive two cards
of equal value and wish to split them into two
new hands of one card each, click Split.
- If you are satisfied with
your hand and your wager, click Stand.
Rules
Blackjack uses a six
deck shoe.
The face cards - jack,
queen and king, all have a value of 10, aces count
as either 1 or 11, and the remaining cards are worth
their face value.
If your hand exceeds
21, you bust
and automatically lose the hand. If you have the same
card total as the dealer, from 17 and up, no one wins
and you get your wager back in a push.
The dealer must stand
on 17 and above and draw on 16 and below.
If the dealer's face-up
card is an ace, you will be asked if you wish to buy
insurance.
Tips
Here are some tips
and advice for playing Blackjack.
Should I hit
or stand?
| If the dealer's face-up
card is: |
Hit on: |
Stand on: |
| 3, 4, 5, or 6 |
11 and lower
Soft
17 and lower |
12 and higher
Soft
18 and higher |
| 7, 8, 9, 10, or ace |
16 and lower
Soft
17 and lower |
17 and higher
Soft
18 and higher |
Should I split?
| If the dealer's
face-up card is: |
Split: |
| 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 |
2s, 3s, 8s, and aces |
| 8, 9, 10, or ace |
8s and aces |
Should I double?
| If your first
two cards total: |
Double if the
dealer's face-up card is: |
| 11 |
Anything except an ace |
| 10 |
Anything except a 10 or
an ace |
| 9 |
2 to 8 |
| 7 or 8 |
3 to 6 |
You
Win!
If you get Blackjack
(21), the payout is 3:2. If your hand beats the dealer's
hand but does not equal 21, the payout is 1:1.
| Hand |
Who wins? |
| Dealer busts (hand exceeds
21) |
Player wins |
| Player's hand is closest
to 21 |
Player wins |
| Player busts (hand exceeds
21) |
Dealer wins |
| Dealer's hand is closest
to 21 |
Dealer wins |
| Hands are equal or a push
is achieved |
No loss or gain |
Blackjack
Terms and Lingo
| Term |
Definition |
| Bust |
A hand in blackjack that
goes over twenty-one. If you bust you lose. |
| Double |
Allows you to double your
initial wager. The bet is placed after the first
two cards are dealt. Only double your bet when
you are reasonably sure you will only need one
more card to win. Your bet will be placed automatically
and you will be dealt one last card. Your hand
will always consist of only three cards when
doubling. Also known as doubling down. |
| Face-up card |
The card in the dealer's
hand that is face up for you to see before you
play your hand. Also known as open card or up
card. |
| Hard hand |
Any hand that does not contain
an ace. Or a hand that contains one or more
aces that count as only one point. |
| Hit |
To ask the dealer for another
card. |
| Insurance |
A side bet that equals
half of the original wager. Insurance gives
you a chance to protect yourself from the
dealer's Blackjack.
If the dealer's card is
an ace, there is the possibility of blackjack.
When this happens you will be asked whether
you would like to buy insurance. If you believe
the dealer has blackjack, you can buy insurance
to protect yourself. If the dealer gets blackjack,
the insurance will pay 2:1, which equals your
original bet. If you have insured yourself
and the dealer does not obtain blackjack,
then you lose your insurance but retain your
original wager. |
| Natural |
A two-card hand of 21 points.
Sometimes referred to as blackjack. |
| Push |
A tie hand between you and
the dealer. Occurs when you and the dealer have
unbusted hands with the same total points. |
| Soft
hand |
Any hand that contains an
ace that can be counted as 11. For example,
an ace and a 6 is called a soft 17. |
| Split |
If you are dealt two cards
of identical value you can split them into two
new hands of one card each. Each hand would
then be played out in turn. You may only split
a hand once. The wager placed on each new hand
will be equal to the original bet. You may double
down on one or both of the new hands. When aces
are split, only one card will be dealt to each
hand. A split hand resulting in blackjack pays
out a ratio of 1:1 rather than the normal 3:2.
|
| Stand |
Stand is to be satisfied
with your hand and refuse another card. |
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