Blackjack Card Rules

How to play Blackjack and What are the Blackjack card game rules? There are many misconceptions about the objective of the game of Blackjack, but the goal is to beat the dealer. It's also important to know that unlike Poker, the other player's playing the Blackjack has nothing to do with the winning of the game.

• 21 Blackjack Rules
• Poker Card Rules
• Rules For Playing Blackjack
• Blackjack Card Game Rules

A staple of casinos from Las Vegas to Monte Carlo, blackjack is arguably the world's most popular casino card game. Thanks to its popularity, almost every casino in the world has a blackjack table – or 10, or 100 – set up waiting for new players.

• BLACKJACK CARD VALUES. All cards count their face value in blackjack. Picture cards count as 10 and the ace can count as either 1 or 11. Card suits have no meaning in blackjack. The total of any hand is the sum of the card values in the hand. A hand containing a 4.
• Rules Blackjack is played with one or more standard 52-card decks, with each denomination assigned a point value. The cards 2 through 10 are worth their face value. Kings, queens, and jacks are each worth 10, and aces may be used as either 1 or 11.

You've probably played blackjack before, either online or in a casino. However, the game of blackjack is significant different when you're playing as the dealer instead of as one of the players.

In this blog post, you'll learn how to deal blackjack. From the order in which players are dealt cards to the hitting and standing requirements for dealers, read on to learn the blackjack rules you never learnt as a player.

Do you want to learn the fundamentals of blackjack strategy from an expert? Learn Blackjack and Counting Cards to learn how to play blackjack in any casino and maximize your average win rate.

Blackjack basics for players and dealers

The basic rules of blackjack are simple. Players try to score as close to 21 as possible without exceeding 21. In contrast to poker, where players compete with each other, blackjack is a one-on-one game between each player and the dealer.

As the dealer, the basic rules of blackjack still apply. Cards 2 through 10 are worth their face value. The jack, queen and king are worth 10 points each. The ace has a value of either 1 point or 11 points, depending on its usage in your hand.

The advanced rules of blackjack, however, are a little bit different. Since dealers are responsible for paying out bets, they obviously can't take insurance. They also can't split their hand, double down on a good hand or surrender for half their bet.

In addition to these rules, when you play as the dealer you face additional rules that limit how you can hit or stand. In most casinos, the dealer is required to hit on hands worth less than 17 points, regardless of the cards that make up their hand.

Hands worth 17 points, however, can't be hit on. If you're playing as the dealer and your hand is worth 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21 points, you can't hit any further and need to stand with whatever hand you've got.

These restrictions on additional rules, hitting, and standing are the only differences between the dealer's rules and the players' rules. In addition to the different rules, the dealer plays their hand after the players have played their hands.

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Before you start dealing cards

Are you ready to deal the cards? Don't act too quickly. Before you deal cards to the players, several things need to be done. First, you need to shuffle your cards and, if you're playing with several players, combine two or more decks together.

Once your cards are shuffled, make sure all players have placed their bets. All bets need to be placed before you start dealing cards – players can't bet once their cards are dealt unless they're doubling down or splitting their hand into two.

Remember, players are allowed to have basic strategy cards at the table. If you're interested in learning basic strategy (remember, you can't help the players) read our blog post on blackjack strategy.

Dealing cards for players

Start by dealing each player's first card face down. Deal the player on your left first, then move left to right down the remaining players. Finish by dealing yourself one card face down. Deal another card to each player, this time with the card facing up.

Finally, deal your final card. This time, it should face upwards. If your card is an ace, you need to ask the players if they want to purchase insurance. If they do, take each player's insurance (it should be half of their original bet) and flip over your second card to see whether or not you have a blackjack.

21 Blackjack Rules

If you have a blackjack, collect bets from anyone that didn't buy insurance. Players that did buy insurance receive their original bets back. Players with blackjack will receive their original bet, even if they didn't purchase insurance.

The players' turns

Poker Card Rules

If your face-up card isn't an ace, continue play as normal. Starting from your left, all of the players play their hand in turn. Players can stand, in which case you move on to the next player. They can also hit, in which case you deal them a new card face up.

If the player continues drawing cards until their hand exceeds 21, they're bust. You can collect their bet and move on to the next player. If they have blackjack on their first hand, pay back their bet with a 3:2 bonus (for example, a $20 bet receives $30, as well as the return of their original bet.)

Before players take additional cards, they can double down. In this case, deal them a new card face up after they have added their extra bet. Remember that players who choose to double down only receive one new card and cannot continue to hit.

https://acdt.over-blog.com/2021/01/sound-converter-free-mac.html. Players with matching cards can split their hand into two. Once a player splits their hand and matches their original bet, you should deal them two cards – one for each hand – both facing down. Players then play one hand followed by the other.

Finally, if a player splits a hand containing two aces, they are limited to one card per hand. Deal one card for each hand, facing down as usual, but do not let the player hit on their hand any more. Any split blackjacks should be paid out at 1:1 odds instead of the typical 3:2 bonus payment.

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Remember, players are allowed to have basic strategy cards at the table. If you're interested in learning basic strategy (remember, you can't help the players) read our blog post on blackjack strategy.

Dealing cards for players

Start by dealing each player's first card face down. Deal the player on your left first, then move left to right down the remaining players. Finish by dealing yourself one card face down. Deal another card to each player, this time with the card facing up.

Finally, deal your final card. This time, it should face upwards. If your card is an ace, you need to ask the players if they want to purchase insurance. If they do, take each player's insurance (it should be half of their original bet) and flip over your second card to see whether or not you have a blackjack.

21 Blackjack Rules

If you have a blackjack, collect bets from anyone that didn't buy insurance. Players that did buy insurance receive their original bets back. Players with blackjack will receive their original bet, even if they didn't purchase insurance.

The players' turns

Poker Card Rules

If your face-up card isn't an ace, continue play as normal. Starting from your left, all of the players play their hand in turn. Players can stand, in which case you move on to the next player. They can also hit, in which case you deal them a new card face up.

If the player continues drawing cards until their hand exceeds 21, they're bust. You can collect their bet and move on to the next player. If they have blackjack on their first hand, pay back their bet with a 3:2 bonus (for example, a $20 bet receives $30, as well as the return of their original bet.)

Before players take additional cards, they can double down. In this case, deal them a new card face up after they have added their extra bet. Remember that players who choose to double down only receive one new card and cannot continue to hit.

https://acdt.over-blog.com/2021/01/sound-converter-free-mac.html. Players with matching cards can split their hand into two. Once a player splits their hand and matches their original bet, you should deal them two cards – one for each hand – both facing down. Players then play one hand followed by the other.

Finally, if a player splits a hand containing two aces, they are limited to one card per hand. Deal one card for each hand, facing down as usual, but do not let the player hit on their hand any more. Any split blackjacks should be paid out at 1:1 odds instead of the typical 3:2 bonus payment.

Sound confusing? Learn how to play blackjack the right way from an experienced professional team that won over $4 million from casinos with our course, How to Count Cards for Profit at Blackjack.

The dealer's turn

Once each players has had their turn, it's your turn to play. Turn over your down-facing card. If your hand is worth 16 points or less, deal yourself another card and continue until it's worth 17 or more points.

If your hand is worth more than 17 points, don't deal any cards. If your second card is an ace, count it as 11 only until your total exceeds 21, at which point the ace has a value of 1 point.

If the value of your hand exceeds 21, you're bust and the remaining players win. If your hand is worth less than 21, pay any players with a higher value than you, and collect bets from players whose hands have a lower value than yours.

Finally, if you tie with a player, refund their bet. Once you've dealt with all of bets and finished playing, collect cards from all players and prepare for the next hand.

Do you need help learning how to play as the dealer? Learn Blackjack and review the basics of the game. In addition to learning how to deal, you'll master basic blackjack strategy and the secret art of card counting.

Having fun while you play

Once you know the basic rules of playing blackjack as the dealer, you'll be able to host players at home and have you own blackjack games. Most casinos require all dealers to have professional training, so if you'd like to make blackjack dealing a career, you'll need to attend a professional casino school.

If you're playing at home, why not spice up the game with some card tricks? Join over 1,000 students and learn simple card tricks that you can perform in between your blackjack games in our Hacking Perception: Cool Card Tricks course.

• Appendices
• Miscellaneous
• External Links

Rules

I overhear a lot of bad gambling advice in the casinos. Perhaps the most frequent is this one, 'The object of blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possible, without going over.' No! The object of blackjack is to beat the dealer. To beat the dealer the player must first not bust (go over 21) and second either outscore the dealer or have the dealer bust. Here are the full rules of the game.

1. Blackjack may be played with one to eight decks of 52-card decks.
2. Aces may be counted as 1 or 11 points, 2 to 9 according to pip value, and tens and face cards count as ten points.
3. The value of a hand is the sum of the point values of the individual cards. Except, a 'blackjack' is the highest hand, consisting of an ace and any 10-point card, and it outranks all other 21-point hands.
4. After the players have bet, the dealer will give two cards to each player and two cards to himself. One of the dealer cards is dealt face up. The facedown card is called the 'hole card.'
5. If the dealer has an ace showing, he will offer a side bet called 'insurance.' This side wager pays 2 to 1 if the dealer's hole card is any 10-point card. Insurance wagers are optional and may not exceed half the original wager.
6. If the dealer has a ten or an ace showing (after offering insurance with an ace showing), then he will peek at his facedown card to see if he has a blackjack. If he does, then he will turn it over immediately.
7. If the dealer does have a blackjack, then all wagers (except insurance) will lose, unless the player also has a blackjack, which will result in a push. The dealer will resolve insurance wagers at this time.
8. Play begins with the player to the dealer's left. The following are the choices available to the player:
   • Stand: Player stands pat with his cards.
   • Hit: Player draws another card (and more if he wishes). If this card causes the player's total points to exceed 21 (known as 'breaking' or 'busting') then he loses.
   • Double: Player doubles his bet and gets one, and only one, more card.
   • Split: If the player has a pair, or any two 10-point cards, then he may double his bet and separate his cards into two individual hands. The dealer will automatically give each card a second card. Then, the player may hit, stand, or double normally. However, when splitting aces, each ace gets only one card. Sometimes doubling after splitting is not allowed. If the player gets a ten and ace after splitting, then it counts as 21 points, not a blackjack. Usually the player may keep re-splitting up to a total of four hands. Sometimes re-splitting aces is not allowed.
   • Surrender: The player forfeits half his wager, keeping the other half, and does not play out his hand. This option is only available on the initial two cards, and depending on casino rules, sometimes it is not allowed at all.
9. After each player has had his turn, the dealer will turn over his hole card. If the dealer has 16 or less, then he will draw another card. A special situation is when the dealer has an ace and any number of cards totaling six points (known as a 'soft 17'). At some tables, the dealer will also hit a soft 17.
10. If the dealer goes over 21 points, then any player who didn't already bust will win.
11. If the dealer does not bust, then the higher point total between the player and dealer will win.
12. Winning wagers pay even money, except a winning player blackjack usually pays 3 to 2. Some casinos have been short-paying blackjacks, which is a rule strongly in the casino's favor.

Wizard's Simple Strategy

I've been preaching for years that to play blackjack properly requires memorizing the basic strategy. However, after pitching the basic strategy for 20 years, I've learned that few people have the will to memorize it. In my book, Gambling 102, I presented a 'Simple Strategy,' which is seven simple rules to playing blackjack. The cost due to incorrect plays with the Simple Strategy is 0.53%, under liberal Vegas Strip rules.

Ever since my book was published it has bothered me that the cost in errors to my Simple Strategy was too high. So in September 2009 I developed the following 'Wizard's Strategy.' The cost due to imperfect plays is 0.14% only, relative to liberal Vegas Strip rules. That is the cost of one hand for about every 12 hours of play. Compared to the 250 cells in the Basic Strategy, the Wizard's Strategy has only 21, as follows.

Let me be perfectly clear that this strategy is not right 100% of the time. I continue to get Emails saying that when this strategy was used with my practice game, the player was corrected for following it. For example, my simple strategy says to stand on 12 against a 2, when it is mathematically better to hit. If you want to learn a strategy that is correct all the time you should use the appropriate basic strategy for the set of rules you are playing.

Here are some comments of clarification.

• A 'hard' hand is one that either has no aces, or has aces that are forced to count as point, lest the hand bust. A 'soft' hand is one with at least one ace, which may still count as one or eleven points.
• With a hard 10 or 11, double if you have more points than the dealer, treating a dealer ace as 11 points. Specifically, double with 10 against a 2 to 9, and with 11 against 2 to 10.
• If the strategy says to double, but you have three or more cards, or table rules don't allow soft doubling, then hit, except stand with a soft 18.
• If the strategy says to surrender (16 vs. 10), but you can't for whatever reason, then hit.
• If the strategy says to 'not split,' then treat the hand has a hard total of 8, 10, or 20, according to the pair in question.

A reader named Jeff provided another table of my simple strategy, with exceptions in small print. Details about the Wizard's Simple Strategy can be found in my Blackjack appendix 21.

Basic Strategy

House Edge

See my Blackjack House Edge Calculator to determine the house edge under 6,912 possible rule combinations.

Rule Surveys

Rule Variations

Following is a list of some common rule variations and the effect on the player's expected return compared to standard U.S. rules (8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, double after split allowed).

Rule Variations

Beware Short Pays on a Blackjack

Rules For Playing Blackjack

More and more tables are showing up that pay less than the full 3 to 2 on a blackjack. Most of these tables pay 6 to 5, but some even money and 7 to 5 tables are known to exist. I would estimate that 10% of '21' tables in Las Vegas now pay less than 3 to 2. In my opinion, only games that pay 3 to 2 deserve to be called 'blackjack,' the rest fall under '21' games, including Super Fun 21 and Spanish 21. Regardless of the other rules, you should demand nothing less than 3 to 2 blackjack. You should always check the felt to be sure, and if the felt doesn't say, look for a sign. If nothing says the win on a blackjack, then ask.

Blackjack Card Game Rules

• Taking a hit: New blackjack odds further tilt advantage toward the house, Las Vegas Sun, Nov. 13, 2003.
• Tighter blackjack rules would hurt players' bankroll, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Feb. 4, 2011.

Bad Strategies

Three popular bad strategies encountered at the blackjack table are: never bust, mimic the dealer, and always assume the dealer has a ten in the hole. All three are very bad strategies. Following are my specific comments on each of them, including the house edge under Atlantic City rules (dealer stands on soft 17, split up to 4 hands, double after split, double any two cards) of 0.43%.

Never bust: For my analysis of this strategy I assumed the player would never hit a hard 12 or more. All other decisions were according to correct basic strategy. Zoc 7 terminal. This 'never bust' strategy results in a house edge of 3.91%.

Mimic the dealer: For my analysis of this strategy I assumed the player would always hit 16 or less and stand on17 or more, including a soft 17. https://cast-free.medium.com/office-mac-os-x-crack-6581bcdcbf28. The player never doubled or split, since the dealer is not allowed to do so. This 'mimic the dealer' strategy results in a house edge of 5.48%.

Assume a ten in the hole: For this strategy I first figured out the optimal basic strategy under this assumption. If the dealer had an ace up, then I reverted to proper basic strategy, because the dealer would have peeked for blackjack, making a 10 impossible. This 'assume a ten' strategy results in a house edge of 10.03%.

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