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Blackjack Rules
Object of the Game
In Blackjack the object is to draw cards totalling closer to 21 than the dealer's cards without going over
21. In Blackjack everybody at the table is playing one on one against the dealer. In other words it doesn't
matter what the other players do, it only matters what is happening between you and the dealer.
The cards 2 through 9 are valued at the face value of the cards. The cards 10, Jack, Queen and King have a
value of 10. The Ace is a special card and can have a value of either 1 or 11 depending on player preference.
Playing the Game
The dealer starts the game by dealing everyone at the table two cards him/herself included, the players cards
are face up while the dealer's cards are dealt one face up and one face down.
If the first two cards dealt you are an Ace and a card with a value of ten you have Blackjack and an
automatic win unless the dealer also gets a Blackjack to tie your hand. In the event you don't have a
Blackjack then you can either "stand" (do nothing, hoping you have a winning hand) or "hit" (draw another
card hoping to better your hand without going over 21). If you go over 21("bust") you automatically lose,
even if the dealer busts when it's his/her turn.
After the dealer has his/her turn bets are settled and the next game is played.
Blackjack Betting
All bets must be placed before the dealer starts dealing. Any player who busts loses immediately and his/her
turn is over. If the dealer busts all remaining players win by default. If he/she doesn't bust then when the
dealer finishes the remaining player hands are compared to the dealer's hand. Players with winning hands
(those that are closer to 21 than the dealer's) win even money and players with a Blackjack win 3 to 2 (a
$2 bet wins $3). Players with losing hands lose their bets.
There is one betting option available in Blackjack - The Insurance Bet. When the dealer's face up card is an
Ace the dealer will ask the table if anyone wishes to place an insurance bet. This is a side bet (it doesn't
change the original bet) that will pay off in the event the dealer gets a Blackjack (his/her face down card
has a value of 10). Winning insurance bets pay 2 to 1, however because the dealer has a Blackjack the best a
player can do on his/her original bet is to tie if he/she has a Blackjack of their own.
Blackjack Options
Splitting Pairs is an option available to players when the initial two cards are of the same value. The
player can split the pair double the bet and play each card individually. In the case where the pair to be
split is Aces some additional rules come into play:
- You can usually play only one additional card on each of the Aces.
- If the second card has a value of 10 the result is a count of 21 (it is not considered a Blackjack). This hand will win over a dealer's hand totalling 21 but not over a dealers Blackjack.
- Winning hands only pay even money.
Doubling down is an option that players can exercise if they feel that with the addition of one more card to
the original pair they can beat the dealers hand. Players double the initial bet and then receive one more
card. Some casinos allow doubling down on any hand, but some only allow you to double down if your initial
pair has a value of 9, 10 or 11.
Surrendering is an option allowed at some casinos. After a player looks at his/her initial pair and decides
they can't make a winning hand using them they announce "surrender". The dealer then stops playing with
him/her takes half of the original wager, collects the cards and moves on to the next player. In some casinos
you have to announce your decision to surrender before the dealer starts to deal the first hand.
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