To triumph at Blackjack you have to have a hand that totals closer to 21 (without exceeding 21) than the dealer has.  It is important to remember this; you just have to beat the dealers set of cards, don’t try to get as near to 21 as you can.  If you hold a good hand and you have a better than average chance that the dealer can’t better it, stop; don’t continue to acquire playing cards and chance busting (exceeding 21).

Playing cards displaying 2 to 9 have the value that is shown on the playing card.  The playing cards showing 10, Jack, Queen and King have a value of ten.  An Ace is the most valuable playing card and can have a worth of either 1 or 11 based on what the participant wants.  A Blackjack is whenever a player is holding two playing cards totaling 21 (an Ace and another card of value ten) and is a automatic win for the player in possession of it.

Playing Blackjack

Casinos in an effort to prevent cheating don’t let the players to handle the playing cards; also to suppress card counting the casinos employ multiple sets of cards.  At the beginning of the game the dealer gives everybody playing (plus her/himself) one playing card dealt face up.  After this the dealer deals another card face up to everyone else playing and finally deals another playing card to his/herself, but this playing card is placed face down.

Remember that Blackjack is not played as a group.  While the table will have a number of players at it the participants aren’t playing against each other.  A participant is playing by him/herself competing with the dealer; the success or failure on their part has no bearing on your game.

Participants must go before the dealer; they have a couple of alternatives, they may take another card or not (stand). When a participants total exceeds 21 they bust (a loss) and the dealer wins by default.  When all the players have finished the dealer plays his/her hand.  A dealers play is narrowly ruled by a set of rules (posted for anyone to see).  Typically the rules stipulate that a dealer must take one more card if their cards total 16 or less and stands on hand totals of 17 or greater.

Whenever the dealer is finished playing she/he pays out on hands that are superior to theirs, collects the wagers from any participant with a worse hand than theirs and pushes (neither collects or pays off) any player with a tying set of cards.

Betting

All of the wagering is completed previous to the playing cards being dealt.  Victorious set of cards receive even currency.  A participant making a Blackjack will receive $3 for every $2 bet (3 to 2).

Player Options

Splitting Pairs – If the first pair of cards obtained are of equal worth the participant holding the cards has the option of splitting the cards.  The player now holds two hands to play separately instead of one set of cards.  Following split Aces the casino usually allows a player one additional playing card to pair with each Ace; in the event that the additional playing card has a value of 10 she/he is credited with a pair of value 21 (rather than a Blackjack) if the dealer gets a Blackjack the dealers set of cards will be the winning set of cards.

Doubling Down – If players that feel their hand will be better than the dealers after receiving one (and only one) more playing card you are able to double your bet prior to receiving this last card.

Insurance – Insurance bets are side bets placed whenever the dealers face up playing card is an Ace.  Participants may wager that the dealers face down card has a worth of ten.  In the event that the card is in reality a 10 the dealer will have a Blackjack and the insurance wager will pay 2 to 1.  The participants original bet is still in effect and the player will lose except when they are lucky enough to tie by getting a Blackjack.

Surrender – A few venues have the surrender option.  When after looking at the first pair of cards dealt the player thinks that she/he can’t beat the dealer set of cards the player is able to  verbally tell the dealer they surrender.  With the declaration of the surrender the participants turn is over and they give up half of their wager.