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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.
How to play blackjack for beginners At an initial glance, this may come across as a simple casino game. For instance, there are far fewer fiddly pieces than there is in roulette, but sit in on a couple of rounds, and you’ll notice that there’s more to the game than you thought. Normally each player can only play one hand in blackjack. However, when you are dealt two cards of equal value you can tell the dealer you want to split them. That means you get to play another hand and the dealer hits you with two new cards to complete your hands. Some casinos limit how many times you can split per game. You can start playing internet blackjack by visiting a gaming site through your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Most online casinos require you to register for an account before playing. Some, however, let you play free online blackjack without an account.
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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
Free deposit casino games. 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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Welcome to our guide on how to play blackjack. Blackjack is a strategic game that lets you decide between multiple actions in each hand. This freedom makes blackjack exciting, but it can also lead to confusion.
You may have questions regarding when to split hands, double down, and more. This guide explains these concepts along with everything else you must know to play blackjack.
It also covers the most important blackjack rules and the different settings where you can enjoy this game.
Goals of blackjack
Beat the dealer’s hand
Your primary goal in blackjack is to top the dealer’s score. You win if your hand score is higher than the dealer’s and you avoid busting out (covered next).
Avoid going over 21
Aside from requiring you to beat the dealer, blackjack also calls on you to avoid going over 21. You bust out and lose your bet if your score exceeds 21.
The dealer can also bust out, but they hold a decided advantage by acting last. They automatically win if you go over 21, regardless of whether they also bust out.
Cash in on double-down and splitting opportunities
Blackjack would normally carry a high house edge due to the dealer acting last. However, the casino includes some player-friendly rules to improve your chances of winning.
Doubling down and splitting are two such rules. These actions help you capitalize on favorable opportunities and earn more money. We will cover them later in this guide.
Blackjack hand actions
All blackjack tables give you the ability to hit, stand on, double down, and split hands. Some tables also offer the surrender option.
You may struggle to sort these hand actions out in the beginning. However, you can quickly master each action by learning about them one by one.
Stand
You stand when you’re satisfied with the current score and don’t want to hit or take any other action. For example, you hold 17 against the dealer’s five upcard and feel confident about your chances.
Standing prevents you from risking a bustout. Your score is compared to the dealer’s total at the end of the round.
Hit
You hit when you want to improve your total. For example, you hold 15 compared to the dealer’s ten upcard and feel that the current odds are unfavorable.
You can hit as many times as you like. However, your chances of busting out increase as you continue hitting.
Split
Splitting refers to when you split a pair into two separate hands. For example, you hold a pair of nines and want to start a new hand with each nine.
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You must make a separate bet for each newly formed hand. Intertops casino no deposit bonus. After placing the separate wagers, you play each hand under the same rules that you would a single hand.
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Resplit
Most casinos allow you to resplit hands. The latter refers to when you split a hand that’s already been split once.
For example, you hold a pair of eights and split them. You receive another eight in one of the hands and can now resplit this hand.
Casinos limit you to three or four total hands per round. Also, some gambling venues prohibit you from resplitting aces.
Double down
Double down refers to when you double your original bet after receiving the first two cards. You receive one extra card and must stand on your three-card total.
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For example, you bet $10 and receive two cards totaling ten. You double down, increasing your bet to $20, and receive a nine for a total of 19.
Some casinos allow you to double down on any two cards, while others impose restrictions and only let you double down on totals between nine and 11.
Early surrender
Early surrender lets you surrender your hand before the dealer checks for a natural blackjack. You must give up half your bet to use this option.
Online games no deposit required. For example, you wager $10 and receive a total of 12 against the dealer’s ten upcard. You surrender your hand and $5.
Late surrender
Late surrender allows you to surrender your hand after the dealer peeks for a blackjack. You give up half your bet in this situation, too.
Insurance
The dealer offers you insurance when their upcard is an ace. In some casinos, dealers also offer this option if they’re showing a ten.
Insurance pays you 2:1 if the dealer gets a natural blackjack. You must wager half your original bet to take insurance.
Here’s an example:
- You wager $20.
- Your total is 18.
- The dealer’s upcard is an ace.
- You take insurance and wager an additional $10.
- The dealer gets a natural blackjack.
- Your original $20 bet loses.
- However, you win $20 back through insurance.
Steps to playing blackjack hands
Casinos offer a variety of blackjack tables that differ in their stakes and rules. Some establishments even feature unique variations, such as Blackjack Switch or Spanish 21.
If you’re new to blackjack, you should consider sticking with classic blackjack and low stakes. These tables help you learn the basics without forcing you to bet too much.