Blackjack is essentially a game of adding and is extremely easy to learn how to play. Playing against the dealer, or the house, players basically try to draw a hand that has a total value that reaches as close to 21 as possible without going over.
Blackjack is known around the world as not only one of the easiest casino games to play but also as a game that gives players a very high chance of winning. You don't have to be an expert casino goer at all for this worldclass game, you simply have to have the desire to play, which is not at all hard given the entertainment value it provides.
The first thing to take notice when playing blackjack is how the table is laid out and how players are positioned. A blackjack table is usually semi-circular, consisting of 5 or 7 positions where people are seated.
On the table in front of each player is a small circle. This is where each player places his or her wagers. One thing that makes Blackjack unique among casino games is the vocabulary of strange terminology and slang that is used during a game, and one such example of this is THE SHOE.
The shoe is the word used to describe the Deck of cards from which all cards are dealt from during a game. The shoe may contain anything from a single 52-card deck, to 6 or sometimes 8 decks.
NOTE: Jokers are not used in the game of blackjack.
Online Blackjack differs from that of Casino blackjack in the way that the 5 playing positions at the table can all be played at the same time by a single player. In other words, a player can play 5 hands at a time.
This Step by step rundown of a typical round in blackjack will explain exactly how to handle yourself during a game and what to do at every stage of the process. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the procedure and feel free to take notes for later reference if you are a beginner.
- First the player is dealt two cards for each of the active playing positions. (A position on which the player has placed a bet).
- The Dealer is dealt two cards. Only one of the dealer's cards is dealt face up. The other is face down. This card is called the HOLE CARD. The dealer must hit on all hands totaling 16 or less and stand on all hands totaling 17 or more.
- Judging by the value of the card that the dealer has turned up you must now decide on the best possible action to take based on the hand that you have.
- Taking a STAND. You do this when you believe that the value of your two cards is as close as possible to 21.
- HIT. If you feel that getting another card will bring you closer to 21 without going over you can take a HIT, and the dealer will give you another card.
- If you are dealt an Ace and a 10 or face card this is called a BLACKJACK, and your hand will STAND automatically. If you beat the dealer with a BLACKJACK you are paid out at 3 to 2.
- One you take your desired action, The dealer turns over his Hole card, and the two hands are compared. If the Dealer has 21 or a value higher than your hand you lose. If you have a value higher than the dealer you win. If both you and the dealer have a 21 than it is called a PUSH and you win back the same amount that you bet.
- If you are dealt a pair you may SPLIT your hand. Your pair will be divided into two separate hands with a second wager that is equal to your first wager. The four cards are now played as two separate hands.
- If the dealers face up card is an ace there is a possibility that the second card may make a natural blackjack. In this situation the player make an INSURANCE bet. This is basically a bet that the dealer does in fact have a natural blackjack. This allows you to come out even if the dealer does in fact have a blackjack.
- If the value of your first two cards is 9, 10 or 11 you can take the DOUBLE action. This is a wager that your hand total with your next card will be higher than the dealer's completed hand. The wager is always the same as your original wager but you will be paid double should you turn out to be correct.
- If you have SPLIT a pair of aces and then draw a card with a value of ten, this is not a BLACKJACK. Such a hand would have a value of 21. It beats the dealer's hand value less than 21 and ties - called a PUSH - against the dealer's hand value of 21, except if the dealer's hand is a blackjack.
If you are unsure of the rules be sure to review the rules of the specific blackjack game you are playing before you start. In the blackjack software the rules can usually be found in the HELP menu. This section will explain everything you need to know about the blackjack game you are playing, allowing you to ensure you are not playing a blackjack game with different rules without your knowledge.
top |
