The game blackjack, or 21, originated from the French card game, vingt-et-un.  There are several variations of the game today: pontoon, vingt-et-un and California aces.  Blackjack is one of the most popular table games in any casino because of its solid payoff odds and simplicity.  As well, there is enough strategy involved to make the game very interesting.

    Current statistics indicate that the average gambler spends about thirty percent of his or her gambling time at a blackjack table.  This popularity has a solid rationale: blackjack is one of the only casino games where the player can have an advantage over the house.  To make use of that slight advantage, a player must know how to play every possible hand and the strategies involved with proper play.

   Some skilled players have the ability to shift the odds further in their favor by following a strategy of card counting.  Casinos despise card counters, and whenever they spot one, they simply remove him from the premises.  Some casinos even bar card counters from returning. 

    You would probably think that this method of winning is unlawful, but it really is not.  Card counters simply memorize cards played, then adjust the odds according to the cards remaining in the pack.  At a certain level, this is just smart play  but it puts all the other players at a disadvantage.  Casinos now use multiple decks of cards and shuffle often to cancel out any advantages enjoyed by counters.
 

WHAT IS BLACKJACK?

    Blackjack is a card game played with one, two, four, six or eight decks.  In some casinos, if there are only one or two decks being used, they are held in the dealer's hand.  If there are for or more decks being used, then the cards are dealt from a card shoe (a device that holds cards).  The fewer the decks, the fewer the cards, the easier it becomes for card counters to keep track of what has been played.
 

    A typical blackjack table can accomodate up to seven players.  Each player plays against the dealer, not against other players. The blackjack table itself is important because it gives information to the players concerning the house rules.  The payoff odds are printed on the felt of the table.  Often they will say: "Blackjack pays 3 to 2" meaning that if you are dealt a natural 21, you will receive three dollars for every two dollars bet. "Dealer must stand on all 17's," meaning that if the dealer's hand has a total of 17 or more he or she is not permitted to take a hit; and "Insurance pays 2 to 1" meaning that if you accept the insurance bet when the dealer has an ace showing and it turns out that the dealer has blackjack, then you double your bet.  You'll sometimes see that ties between the player and the dealer are a standoff. To find out other rules whict are not posted, simply ask the dealer.

OBJECT OF THE GAME

    The object of the game is for you to have a higher total of cards than the dealer, but not to exceed a total of 21.  Put another way - the total value of the cards must be 21 or less or the hand automatically loses (busts).  The most straightforward way of getting a 21 is to be dealt an ace and a card worth 10 - this is called blackjack.  A total of 21 can obviously be achieved with many other card combinations.

THE CARDS

    It's important to know the value of the cards prior to playing any card game.  All face cards, which include jacks, queens and kings, have a point value of 10.  Aces in blackjack are worth either I or I I depending on the preference of the player (or dealer in regards to his cards).  For example, if a player has an ace and an 8, the total could be either 9 or 19 (in this case, the player should choose the latter).  All the other cards, which include 2, 3,4, 5,6,7,8,9 and 10, are worth their face value.  This means that if you have a 4 and a 6, the total is 10. Jacks, queens and kings all have a value of 10 and are part of play in the game of Blackjack.  The colors of the cards (black or red) and the suits of the cards (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades) are not important.

    The terms "hard" or "soft' are also used to refer to the total value of the cards.  This is based on whether there is an ace in the hand.  For example, if a player has an ace and a 6, the term for this hand would be "soft 17." If the player had a 10 and a 7, however, the term for this hand would be "hard 17."

DID YOU KNOW...
    In the early days of blackjack, players were awarded more if they got the jack of spades and the ace of spades, hence the name blackjack.  Today some casinos still offer higher payoff odds if a player gets this jack/ace combination.

GETTING STARTED

    To begin, take a seat at any open spot at a table, but watch for the minimum and maximum bets accepted.  There are usually up to seven seats per table.  Minimum bets may range from $5 to $100.  As a beginner, you'll likely want to start at the $5 table.  A few casinos in Las Vegas and Reno still have a few tables that offer a minimum bet of $1, but most Canadian casinos require at least a $5 bet.

    Next, place your chips or money on the circle before you.  If the hand is already in progress when you sit down, the dealer will deal you in the next round after you place your bet in the designated spot.

    When a new game begins, the dealer will shuffle the cards, place them in front of a player and ask that person to cut the deck. if he does not want to cut, he can pass the opportunity onto the next player.  Usually players cut the deck by inserting a "cut card" (a plastic card that is of a different color from the deck and which has no images or writing on it) near the middle of the pile of cards.  The dealer then removes the top card and places it into the discard tray.  This card is called a 'burn card' and remains out of play.

    Then the dealer starts to deal.  He deals from the closest player to his left all the way around the table.  The position closest to the left of the dealer is called "first base" and the closest place to the right of the dealer is called "third base". The dealer will either deal the players their cards face-up or face-down (depending on the rules of the casino) and he will deal one card face-up and one card face-down to himself.

    The card dealt face-down to the dealer is called the hole card.  If the dealer has an ace as his face-up card, the dealer will ask all players if they want to buy "insurance" Insurance is a bet that says that the dealer has a 10 as his hole card.  The cost of buying insurance against the dealer having blackjack (and winning all the hands) is half of your original bet.  The dealer then checks to see if he has blackjack.  If his hole card is a 10 or a picture card, he pays all players twice the amount insured.  If not, then all insurance bets go to the house and play continues.
 

HOT TIP
    Never place the insurance bet.  The odds work only in favor of the house and not the player
 

PLAY AND STRATEGY

    When everyone has two cards, the players calculate the total value of the two cards and decide what to do.  There are several options:

1. surrendering your hand
2. taking a hit
3. standing pat
4. splitting a pair
5. doubhng-down your bet
6. taking even money

    Surrendering your hand is an option that most casinos offer There are two variations of surrendering: early and late surrendering.  Early surrendering is when you surrender before the dealer checks for blackjack. late surrendering is when you surrender after the dealer checks for blackjack.  In both scenarios, you throw in your hand and lose only half of your initial bet.  To surrender, throw in your cards in the middle of the table and say "surrender"

    Generally, you should restrict surrendering only to situations which are utterly hopeless.  For example, if you are dealt a hard 15 or l6 with the dealer showing a 10, then surrendering would be in order.  Surrender is a useful option to the player because it allows you to save half of your bet when the dealer appears to have a winning hand.

    Taking a hit is done when the count of your two cards is less than 21, and you hope to approach that total by taking another card.  Remember, if your total exceeds 21 you bust and lose that hand and your entire bet.  For example, if your total equals 13 and the dealer is showing a 9, you would hit to get your total close to 21. To take a hit, either tap the felt in front of your cards, scratch the felt with your finger or cards, or simply say "hit" Most casinos require hand (scratch) signals that are visible to the "eye in the sky" (the hidden surveillance camera which oversees almost all casino operations).

    You can hit as many times as you like until you bust (when the total of your cards exceeds 21) and then the dealer will sweep away your bet. if your hand exceeds 21, you cannot keep betting or attempt to bluff (sometimes permitted in private games of blackjack).

HOT TIP
    Use the tables at the end of this page to determine when to hit and when to stand pat.

    Standing pat is used when you think you have a good enough hand to beat the dealer.  You can stand with your original two cards or at any time after hitting so long as you have not busted (total of cards over 21).  For example, if you are dealt a 10 and a 9, you would then stand pat.  You have little chance of drawing a 2 or an ace.  To stand pat or "stay," either wave your hand horizontally above your cards or tell the dealer that you would like to stand or stay.

    Splitting a pair is another option.  If you receive a pair, you are allowed to place an amount equal to your initial bet in the circle before you and tell the dealer that you would like to split your pair.  Then you play out both hands by taking hits until you are satisfied or bust.  You are sometimes allowed to re-split if you are dealt another card with the same value as the cards in your pair, depending on casino rules.  For example, if you are dealt a pair of 8's, and split them and then receive another 8, you are permitted to re-split that second pair of 8's.  Each re-split requires an additional bet equal to the initial bet. (Note: Many casinos restrict splitting aces to one time only.  Sometimes there are other restrictions as well.  Check the rules before you play.)

HOT TIP
    If the chance arises, more often than not it is advisable to split.  Do not, however, split every pair you receive.  For instance, if you are dealt a pair of jacks (total 20), it would be pointless to split them up.  The table at the end of page chapter indicates when it is most advantageous for you to split.

    Doubling-down is when you double your initial bet to receive only one more card.  This is quite a good bet when the initial cards total 11, especially because it permits you to increase your bet after you have seen the dealer's up card.  On the other hand, the disadvantage is that you receive only one card.  This option can work both ways for you.  For example, if you are dealt a 5 and a 6 with the dealer showing a 5, it would be in your best interests to double-down. if the next card given to you is a 9 or 10, then you have a very good chance to win with your total.  But if you receive a 2 as your hit, then you are in quite a predicament with only 13.

HOT TIP
    Always double-down with a total of 11.

    Many casinos have restrictions on when you can and cannot double-down, so be sure to ask the dealer of the rules prior to playing.  Most casinos permit you to double-down even after splitting a pair.  If appropriate, use this option after referring to the chart at the end of this page.

    Even money is when you are dealt a blackjack and the dealer's face-up card is an ace.  If you say "even money," you take 1 to 1 odds prior to the dealer checking his hole card, instead of the 3 to 2 usual odds for getting a blackjack.  You forfeit a chance at the 3 to 2 payoff if the dealer does not have a blackjack, but avoid a push (or tie) if the dealer does have a blackjack.

    After all the players have finished with their hands, it is the dealer's turn to complete his hand.  First, the dealer flips over his hole card to expose it to everyone.  Next, he will keep taking hits until his card count reaches at least 17.  If the dealer's count exceeds 21, the dealer busts and has to pay all remaining players an amount equal to their bet.  The dealer does not have the option to surrender, split, take insurance or double-down.

    After this stage is complete, the dealer will compare his hand to every player's hand.  If his hand has a higher point total than yours, he will collect your bet and the house wins.  If his hand's point total is equal to yours, it is called a "push," and your bet is returned.  If his hand has a lower point total than yours, you win and he will pay you one dollar for every dollar you wagered.  If he busts, then every player still in the game will also be paid one dollar for every dollar wagered.

    When all the bets are collected and paid, the dealer removes the cards from the playing surface and places them into the discard tray.

HOT TIP
    The even money bet should never be exercised.  The odds are better for you to play for the full blackjack payoff.
 
 

IMPROVING YOUR ODDS

    While card counting is not permitted at many casinos, some awareness of the cards played (and those still in the deck) might well improve your odds.  For instance, the deck is more favorable to you when there is a greater number of high cards remaining in it.  Conversely, the deck favors the dealer when it has an abundance of low cards.

    Card counting can be quite difficult if you attempt to keep track of the cards played; but many players get a feel for the number of "paints" (10-value cards) played and most players can keep count of the aces.  This can affect your strategy.
For instance, suppose the dealer is showing a king and you have 11. The basic strategy would be to double-down.  But if you know that there are few picture cards and 10's remaining in the deck, you may simply draw one card.

    Or, suppose the dealer is showing an 8 and you have a miserable 15. If you know the deck is full of low-value cards, should you hit or stand?  The odds tables say hit, but your information on the deck says stand.  And the best solution might be to surrender, if you have that option.

    Counting or keeping track of 10-value cards may not make you a winner, but it will help your strategy throughout the game.

5 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES AT BLACKJACK

1. Double-down in most circumstances (refer to charts at the end of this  
    page)
2. Never take insurance or even money.
3. Hit on a hard 16 or less when the dealer's face card is a 7 or more.
4. Hit on a soft 17 or less.
5. Split aces and most 7, 8 and 9 pairs (refer to the charts at the end of 
    this page) Never split 10-value cards or 5's
 
 

    The term "soft" simply means that the total value of cards (for example, soft 16) contains an ace (the other card would therefore be a 5)

    Example: If you are dealt a soft 18 and the dealer's face-up card is a 9, it is in your best interest to take a hit.

Legend

- *10 + 10 means two cards worth 10 each (say a jack and a king)
- DD means to double-down
- split, stand and hit are above

Example: If you are dealt two 9's and the dealer's face-up card is a 6, then you would definately split your pair. Or if you are dealt two 7's and the dealer's face-up card is a 10, then it would be most advisable to play the cards you have.

Example: If you are dealt a 6 and a 4, to give you a total of a 10, and the dealer is showing a 6, it would be most advantageeous to doube-down.

Choose the game you want the winning strategies for...

Blackjack
Poker
Roulette
Craps
Baccarat
Slot machines
Keno
Red Dog

World's Largest Jackpots

Bookmark this page
 

Click here to win $100 NOW