Blackjack Rules

Blackjack Rules

To many, blackjack seems to be a game for the super smart players that understand how to play each hand in any given situation. It is true that you need to play the game a lot to become good but the basic blackjack rules are simple to understand. As long as you understand what choices you and the dealer need to make and how the cards are valued you’ll be able to get to work and practice your blackjack.

Object of the Game
Blackjack is also called 21 which better describes the object of the game. You need to get maximum 21 points out of two cards. If you get 21 this is called a natural or blackjack and it means that you won the game. You can also win with a lower sum but then you need to take into consideration what the dealer has on hand.

How to Play
The blackjack game starts by all players making their bets. Remember that you are only playing against the dealer and therefore the other players have no influence on your game as competitors. The dealer then deals each player around the table two cards. The dealer himself also gets two cards and one of them will be left open for all to see. If you are playing in a shoe game you won’t be allowed to touch the cards and they will both be visual to all. When the cards are dealt the game starts with the player sitting to the left of the dealer.

The Value of the Cards
In blackjack the suit or color has no meaning. The Ace is worth 1 or 11 and the King, Queen, Jack and 10 are worth 10. All other cards are worth according to their face value. If you have an Ace on your hand that can be counted both as 1 and 11 without you busting, getting more than 21, it is called a soft hand. If you have a hard hand the Ace can only be counted as 1 or you will pass 21 and lose the game.

Player Choices
The player has three choices to make. You can hit, stand or surrender. If you hit it means that you request another card. This can be signaled to the dealer by tapping the table but online you will simply press the button for this request. When you stand you stick to the hand you got. Sometimes the best decision is to surrender. This means that you quit. If the game comes with early surrender it means that you can quit before the dealer checks if he has a blackjack.

Dealer Rules
The dealer’s rules can vary depending on what casino you are playing in. A very common blackjack rule is that the dealer must stand on 17. This means that the dealer has to continue to take cards till he has 17 or more. The Ace is always counted as 11 unless this will make the dealer hand worth more than 21.