Blackjack (sometimes referred to as 21) is the most popular casino
card games in the world. In blackjack you play against the house
with the goal of getting the best hand closest to 21 without going
over. The game is believed to be of Spanish origin originating as
far back as the early 1600’s.
How To Play Blackjack
Before you get started, the most important thing to know for
blackjack is that aces can be valued at either 1 or 11. If you are
dealt an ace and a face-card then you have been dealt blackjack (or
21) and the only way you can avoid being paid out is if the dealer
also has blackjack (this will be treated as a tie or push and you
will just get your bet back).
1) Players sit down at a table that will hold from 1 to 7 players in
a half-moon shape.
2) Players place their bet (which can vary based upon the table
limits set forth by the casino)
3) The dealer deals 2 cards to every player at the table (face-up)
and 2 cards to themselves (1 face-up and 1 face down)
4) Players then have the option to request more cards (hit), stand
pat with their hand (stand), split their cards if they have 2 of the
same card (split), or double their bet and receive 1 more card
(double down). The goal is to get closer to 21 than the dealer
without going over (busting).
5) The dealer then has to flip their other card over. If they have
less than 17 they must hit until they reach 17 or higher. If the
dealer goes over 21 (busts) then all players still in the hand at
the table will be paid out on their bets.
Blackjack Rule Variations and Other Rules
Several Casinos offer many different variations to either give the
house or the player a higher advantage. Some things you may see are:
Dealer hits on soft 17 – Typically most casinos the dealer will
stand if they are showing a soft 17 (which means they have an Ace
plus a 6 (A hard 17 would be any other combination of 2 cards that
add up to 17 without an ace).
Surrender – Some casinos have an option where players can surrender
their hand and take half of their bet back.
Insurance – If the dealer is showing an ace players are given the
opportunity to buy insurance on their hand. It is a side bet of up
to half of your original bet that pays 2 to 1. Most blackjack
experts will say that it is typically a bad idea to take insurance
unless you are counting cards and are quite sure the dealer has
blackjack.
Blackjack Switch – This is a fun variation of blackjack where you
are dealt 2 hands to start off. You then have the option to switch
your second 2 cards between the hands to improve your starting
hands.
Tie Goes To The Dealer – Some charity casinos have rules where a tie
or push goes in the dealers’ favour and counts as a win for the
house.
Dealer Pushes on 22 – This is commonly seen in blackjack switch
(where the player has a slight advantage) they will occasionally add
a rule to reduce this advantage by saying that the dealer pushes on
22.
Side Bets – In some variations of blackjack you can bet on certain
things happening in the hand. For example, in one variation of
blackjack if you make 21 with 3 7’s you will win a large jackpot.
Blackjack Basic Strategy
Blackjack is a very mathematical game which has been studied for
many years. There is something called “basic strategy” which tells
you how you should play your hands based on the mathematical odds.
Here is an example of a blackjack basic strategy chart provided by
Bodog:
