Blackjack is one of the most popular card games used by online and brick-and-mortar casinos. The game is played on the player-dealer line, and the goal of each party is to collect a total of 21 (a hand with a higher total than 21 is said to bust). Blackjack can be played socially, but most of all, it is a type of gambling that can only be played for money in casinos. Blackjack has also appeared in some legal bookmakers, so we explain the rules of this game. Learn the rules of blackjack in casinos, as well as in card games at bookmakers.
How to play blackjack?
The rules of blackjack may seem difficult to learn at first, but once you’ve got all the symbolism of the cards and all the moves, the game goes on naturally. In blackjack, the player has less room for maneuver than in other card games, such as poker. In this case, the idea is to carefully observe the cards and know when to say “pass” to avoid going too far.
Blackjack rules – what is the game about?
When you sit down at a blackjack table (stationary or online) you play against the dealer and not against other players as in poker. In blackjack, the game is all about making a hand that will give you the number 21 or something close to 21. The fun is playing against the dealer to win the game. Each time you exceed the number 21, you fail (bust).
The player who completes 21 has the blackjack. There can be more than one person at a blackjack table, but each player individually compares their cards to the dealer and not to the other players. Before the starting deal, i.e., two cards, each participant places a bet, i.e., a bet. Then the dealer turns over two cards for each, in turn, shows only one card in his hand, and the other remains face down. Then the participants decide whether to draw another card or wait. After all, players have made a decision, and the dealer reveals the second card and decides whether to draw or wait. If the dealer has a hand over 21, the game ends, and the participants receive a win, i.e., the equivalent of the initial bet (100% win).
Participant completing blackjack in the first two cards – collects the win 2: 3, which is 150% of the bet placed.
Blackjack – cards markings
Blackjack is played with a deck of 52 cards. As a rule, there are several decks on the market, which are replaced regularly, which is to make it difficult for participants, for example, to effective card counting.
As you learned earlier, the main rules of blackjack are to draw cards that will add up to the total sum of 21 or a number lower than 21. In this case, it is worth knowing the values of the cards from the entire deck:
- AS – 11 points or 1 point (whichever is better for the player)
- Jack, Queen, King – their value is 10
- Cards 2-9 have the same value as their number
Such combinations as: complete blackjack
- AS – Jack
- AS – King
- AS – Lady
Blackjack rules – player and dealer moves
When sitting at a blackjack table, it is worth knowing immediately the rules that the dealer will follow. There is no room for autonomous decisions in the dealer game, and he plays according to a predetermined pattern. Typically, dealers have a rule that they draw a card on a score of 16 and stop when they are on 17. These numbers may vary in specific situations.
The participant of the game has more options. For example, if in the first hand he receives two cards of the same value, e.g. 5 clubs and 5 spades, he has the right to split them, i.e. to split. He creates two boxes this way, but has to make another bet with the value of the starting stake.
HIT means drawing a card to get a “blackjack” in blackjack. STAND is a stop/fold when a participant decides not to draw another card. DOUBLE means doubling the stake and taking only one card.
Additional rules for playing blackjack are Insurance and Surrender moves.
Blackjack, how to win?
When it comes to winning strategy in blackjack, its rules are mainly focused on playing particular hands. The point is that over the years of playing blackjack, several systems have developed to behave when your hands are hard or soft. What is it about? Of course, you won’t predict a deck of cards, and you won’t know what the dealer will put on the table. Everything is focused on probability, so the more cards left in the game, the greater the player’s advantage over the dealer. When the dealer deals the cards and your calculation shows that there are lower cards in the battle, your rival (dealer) has an advantage over you.
The scoring of blackjack cards is crucial. That is why general patterns of movements have been created when you have an ace (known as a hard hand) and also when you do not have a card of this denomination. An important element of the fight is also a pair on the table – then you can split. However, you need to know when it is profitable.
First of all, remember that blackjack is one of the most popular gambling games. As a participant in this battle, you are doomed to failure to a large extent. Treat it as entertainment, not as a way of earning money.
Blackjack strategy
The advantage of the casino is that several decks of cards are used to play the game. This significantly hinders the counting of cards, which are not prohibited in blackjack. These kinds of math skills help in a successful game. However, the casino does a lot to ensure an advantage over the player. How? Apart from a few decks, the house’s advantage is that the dealer always has one card, which is hidden. This puts the player at a disadvantage for most of the game.
In the 1960s, the book Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One made a sensation in the United States. The author, Edward O. Thorp, was a professor of mathematics who revealed several systems on how to win against the casino by playing blackjack. This item was so loud that it entered the bestseller list. This method of counting cards was presented in the popular movie “21”, in which it appears, among others, Kevin Spacey. What is this strategy about?
The whole game is about assigning additional values to individual cards. The game participant must carefully observe the hands to properly estimate the present value of the cards. If this result is higher than zero, there are higher cards to deal with – then the player’s advantage over the dealer increases. It can involve a more risky game on the player’s part. What are the values of the cards in the Hi-Lo counting method? Here are the details:
- cards 2,3,4,5,6 = value +1
- 7,8,9 cards = 0 value
- cards 10, J (Jack), Q (Queen), K (King), A (Ace) = -1
So, good luck with blackjack!
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