Blackjack basics

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May 13, 2007 - Gunilla Larsen

Bellagio Blackjack Table (Credit: acaben)

What's blackjack all about?

Blackjack stands out from other casino games because your decisions actually have an effect on your chances of winning. Strategic considerations pay off, and a skilled blackjack player can actually increase the odds in his favour. Even if your blackjack skills aren't very advanced, you can reduce the house edge to a low 0.5%. This makes blackjack one of the best games in the casino, even if you don't count cards.

The objective of Blackjack is to accumulate a hand with a point total as close to 21 as possible, without going over 21. The value of a hand is the sum of the point counts of each card in the hand. The value assigned to cards is as follows:

- The cards from 2 through 10 are valued as indicated.

- Face cards (Jacks, Queens and Kings) are all valued at 10 points.

- An Ace counts as one or 11: If scoring 11 would cause hand value to exceed 21 ('bust'), an Ace will count as one.

- Soft total: A hand containing an Ace that can be counted as 11 without the total going above 21. For example, Ace-6 is soft 17.

- Hard total: A hand containing an Ace that can be counted as only one because counting it as 11 would make the hand go over 21. For example, Ace-6-10 is hard 17.

How to win blackjack

You can win blackjack in two ways: first, if your hand has a total higher than the hand of the dealer without going over 21; second, if the dealer goes bust by totalling over 21.

If you receive an ace and a ten-value card as your first two cards, you have blackjack and win 1.5 times your bet (if your bet was $10, you receive $25). If the total value of your cards is closer to 21 than the dealer's, you win your bet amount (if your bet was $10, you receive $20). If the total of your cards is more than 21, you "bust" and lose your bet. If you and the dealer have the same card total (17 and up) neither of you wins; your bet is returned to you in a "push". Blackjack beats a score of 21. For tips on how to win blackjack, click here.

How to play blackjack

There is a large variety of blackjack rule sets, e.g., Blackjack Switch, Spanish 21, etc., which vary according to the number of hands played, the rules for splitting and doubling hands, surrendering etc. To find out which game is played in the casino of your choice, check our reviews or the casino web site. For a definition of blackjack rules, have a look at our strategy articles. So before you get started playing blackjack online, you have to choose the table that suits you - think about which rule set you want to follow. The rules will dictate the number of decks played as well as the table limits (minimum and maximum bets). You ca also choose between multi-player tables (which can be private groups where you play with invitted members or public tables) and single-player games where you are up against the dealer on your own.

After you have selected a table and received chips, you have to place your bet before the dealer will deal you a hand. In most basic forms of blackjack, each player will receive two cards face up on the table and the dealer will receive one card face up and one card face down. If you are lucky, those first two cards will total 21 – that's when you have got a blackjack. But it could also happen to the dealer!

If the dealer has a 10 value card (10, J, Q, K) or an Ace, he will be forced to check his hole card (hidden card) to see if he has a blackjack. If the dealer discovers he has blackjack, he turns over his hand and removes all bets off the table and gets ready to deal the next hand. If a player is showing blackjack, the dealer will pay that player off immediately before continuing the rest of that hand with the other players at the table (if there are any).

After you have received your first two cards and any blackjacks at the table have been dealt with, the actual game can start. The most common player options in blackjack are:

Hit - Take another card. This action will increase the value of your hand. You can take as many hits as you like until you are satisfied with the total of your hand, or your hand has gone bust.
Stand - Take no more cards. This action allows you to keep your current hand without taking any additional cards. You can stand at any time.
Double Down - Double your wager, take one hit (one more card), and then stand. If, after you are dealt your first two cards, you think that the third card will allow you to beat the dealer's hand, you can double your bet. The bet amount becomes twice the original (with the difference taken out of your balance), and you are dealt one more card.
Split - Double your wager and use each initial card as the first card in two new separate hands. Possible if your hand contains two cards of the same value. Once the hands are split you are allowed to add a wager equal to your original bet. You will then draw additional cards to each hand. You may draw as many cards as you like on each split hand, but if you split two aces, you receive only one additional card for each ace. If you receive an ace and a ten-value card in a split hand, it is considered 21 and not Blackjack. The number of splits allowed varies by rule set.
Surrender - Forfeit half of your wager and give up your hand right then. You can only surrender at the start of the game before you decide to hit, split or double down. You have the option of surrendering except if the dealer's up-card is an Ace. Surrender is not allowed with every type of blackjack, so check your casino's rules.
Insurance - If the dealer's first card is an ace, you are sometimes given the option of placing a side bet. This is called insurance. When the dealer has an ace, he is considered to have a good chance of getting blackjack. If the dealer does get blackjack, this insurance pays 2 to 1. If you do buy insurance and the dealer fails to get blackjack you lose your insurance. Insurance bets are always half the value of your initial stake. Insurance is not available with every rule set, so check your casino's rules first.

Make sure you review and understand all of the player options before playing. You have the option of taking as many hits as you want, as long as you don't go over 21. When you finally have a total you are satisfied with, you tell the dealer you're going to stand, and the game moves along to the next player if there is one.

The dealer is the last player to act. After all players have gone, the dealer will flip over his under card, revealing his current total and he will continue to play his hand, according to house rules. In most casinos, the dealer must continue to hit until he is showing a total of at least 17, which is where he will stand. If the dealer starts out with 17, generally the house requires the dealer to stand.

After the dealer has finished, it's time to assess who wins and who loses. The dealer will pay the winning players and remove the bets of the losing players. Then a new hand can start.

Basic strategy

Experts from the gaming world have developed a basic strategy to help increase your chances of winning. This strategy can act as a guide when deciding on whether to ask for an additional card or not. The value of your hand is in the left hand column, the dealer's is on the top row. You can print this chart out and keep alongside as you play. The chart below is purely a guide to making decisions playing blackjack.