Blackjack is one of the most played card games in the online casino, other than poker. Inherently holding one of the lowest Casino Advantages of any card game, blackjack also happens to be one of the simplest games to learn. Learning the basic blackjack strategy or card counting is an entirely different matter, which some gamblers have made a career of. However, there is no doubt the simple and quick nature of blackjack is the basis of appeal for many gamblers - both novices and veterans alike.
There are derivations of the game, which I will not get into now - but will at the very least recognize their existence. If you desire to learn the game of blackjack, it is best to start with the truest form of the game, and then move on to unchartered waters with a foundation of understanding the inherent rules of the game. To begin, I will describe the overall structure and objective of the game. Following this brief and simple overview, I will describe the few actions that a player can take during the game. As I said, the rules of the game are simple and few.
The game is between the dealer and the player. Whoever comes closest to a card value total of twenty-one without going over is deemed the winner. All numbered cards are worth their numeric value, with no precedence given to suits. Face cards (Jack, Queen and King) are worth ten points, whereas the Ace is worth either eleven or one point. Whichever value puts the card total closest to twenty-one is the default value. For example in a hand with an Ace, ten and five, the Ace would be worth one point since 10 + 5 + 11 goes over twenty-one. Therefore, the Ace would have to be played as a one, and the hand would be worth sixteen (10 + 5 + 1 = 16). If an Ace is played as an eleven the hand is commonly called a soft hand, while a hand with an Ace serving as a one is called a hard hand.
To begin a game, the player is dealt two face-up cards and the dealer is dealt one face-up card and one face-down card, also called a hole card. From this point on, the player decides whether to receive more cards or not, one at a time. The dealer will deal face-up cards to the player at the players request. If the the players hand goes over a card value of twenty-one the dealer automatically wins and does not need to play out their own hand. If the player gets as close to twenty-one as he or she thinks is safely possible without going over 21, the player will request to cease drawing cards, and the dealer will commence to draw. Most casinos require a dealer to keep drawing cards so long as their hand is under seventeen, and to cease drawing cards if their hand value is at least a seventeen. For instance if the player's hand value is fifteen, the dealer is still required to draw if their own hand is a sixteen. Similarly, the dealer must draw if the player's hand value is a nineteen, and the dealer has accumulated a hand value of sixteen - The dealer must keep drawing, for their hand value has not reached seventeen yet. After the dealer either goes over twenty-one or gets closer to twenty-one (with at least a seventeen) than the player's hand, is the game over.
At this point, you should understand how the game operates . Here a few terms, or actions, that players can take during the unfolding of a blackjack game:
Hitting
Hitting is the action of requesting a card. After a player is dealt their initial two face-up cards, he or she must decide whether to be dealt a third card. If so, they would request a hit, or say to the dealer, "Hit me". As long as the player does not go over twenty-one, they can keep taking hits on their blackjack hand.
Standing
Standing is the action of denying any more cards, and playing the hand as is. When the player sufficiently feels their hand is as close to twenty-one without going over, they will request to stand. At this point, the players hand total is established, and the dealer will begin to play out their own hand.
Busting
Busting is the act of going over twenty-one. If a player decides to take a hit on their hand, and the resultant card causes their hand to go over twenty-one, the player is said to have busted, and consequently automatically loses. Likewise, if the dealer busts, the player wins.
Doubling Down
Doubling down is the act of placing an additional wager on a primary bet, up to the same value as the original bet. After a player is dealt the two initial face-up cards, he or she must decide whether to double down. At no other point in the game is doubling down permitted. To do so, a player must place an additional wager on top of the original wager before declaring to hit or stand. After so doing, the player is dealt one more card, after which the hand must stand as is. Regardless of the hand value, when a player doubles down he or she is only afforded one hit and nothing more.
Splitting
Splitting is the act of turning one blackjack hand into two. It can only be done when a player's first two initial face-up cards are equal in value. If a player elects to do so when such is the case, he or she must put down an additional wager equal in value to the original wager. Thereafter, each card of the original hand becomes the first card of two separate hands. The dealer will commence to deal each card another face-up card, after which the player will play out the first hand until standing or busting. The second hand will then be played in the same way. If both hands are still standing, the dealer will then play out their hand according to normal rules. A quick note: This manner of play is similar to multi-player blackjack, during which each player will play out their hand, one at a time, until the hand either busts or the player calls it to stand. After the last player is finished doing the same, the dealer will then play out their hand until it either busts or stands. If the dealer's hand stands, all players hands who are still standing are individually weighed against the value of the dealer's hand. Never will two players compete against each other - It is always the dealer against the dealer. Therefore, in multi-player blackjack, there can be several winners in one round.
Taking Insurance
Taking insurance is a little trickier than the other actions at the blackjack. However, it can work one of two ways in one kind of scenario. This scenario is when the dealer's original face-up card is an Ace. If this happens, the dealer will ask the player whether he or she would like to take insurance on their hand, before declaring to hit or stand. What this essentially means is the player who takes insurance is betting the dealer has a twenty-one. (The face-down hole-card must have a value of ten for such to be the case) If the player decides to take insurance, he or she must put down an additional wager equivalent to half of their original wager. The dealer will then expose the face-down card. If their hand is indeed a twent-one (Natural), the player wins a 2 to 1 payout. If the hole card is not worth ten, then the dealer's hand is consequently not a Natural twenty-one, and the player loses the insurance bet. The player will then play out his or her hand as normal (with the original bet) followed by the remainder of the dealer's hand as normal.
Such are the rules of blackjack - Not too much to remember and stress out over. That, you should save for a blackjack strategy. But in all earnestness, practicing sound blackjack habits consistently will suffice to help you become a strong player - and successful one at that.
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