Blackjack is a fast-paced and thrilling classic casino card game that requires a winning combination of skill, strategy and luck. Although it’s easy to grasp the basic rules and play a round, blackjack is a sophisticated game and learning all its intricacies can take time.
To begin with, you need to have an understanding of the game’s basic betting strategy. You will generally find information and tips on online casino sites themselves. Take time to examine these and get all the advice you can. Playing will be much more fun and rewarding once you know how to make the right moves!
The aim of the game is to finish up with a hand that’s value is closer to 21 than the hand of the dealer, without either of you going bust (exceeding the value of 21). You play against the dealer and are not competing with other players around the table. The dealer has the advantage of taking his turn after all the players, meaning that there is a higher chance that players will go bust before the dealer needs to act.
Cards values are as follows: cards 1-10 are simply counted according to the number on the card; face cards (Jacks, Queens and Kings) are each valued at 10 points; and the ace card can be valued at 1 or 11, depending on the player’s choice.
The game starts with the dealer dealing two cards to each player face down, with his own hand showing one card face-up. Next, players have the option to either:
Hit – receive another card
Stand – remain with the cards dealt
Double Down – double the bet and receive only one more card
Split – when the two cards dealt have the same value, players can separate the cards to form two hands and play at the same stakes.
After all the players have taken their turn, it’s the dealer’s turn to play. The dealer follows a clearly defined set of hit and stand rules, and can never double down or split pairs. If players go bust, their losing bets get collected by the house and even if the dealer goes busts after, players have still lost their bets.