Online Blackjack Rules
Blackjack is the most popular casino card game in the world. It is very simple to play and has the lowest casino edge out of all online casino games.
The object of the game
In this article, casino games guide will cover the rules of blackjack. In blackjack you are trying to have a hand value that is higher than the dealers without going over 21. If the value of your hand goes over 21 then your hand has ‘busted’ and the dealer wins the hand.
Card Values
Cards 2 to 9 are valued as indicated.
Cards 10 through King are all valued as 10.
Aces can be valued as either 1 or 11, whichever is most advantageous to the players hand.
For example, (3,5,J) would be valued as 18.
An (A,5) would be valued as either 6 or 16.
The ace is always assumed to be whichever value is most beneficial to the hand.
If valuing the ace as 11 makes the hand over 21, then the ace will automatically be valued as 1.
When the ace can be counted as either a 1 or an 11 the hand is called a ‘soft’ total, whereas when the ace must be valued as a 1 the hand is called a ‘hard’ total. For example an (A,5) would be a ‘soft’ 16, whereas an (A,5,K) would be a hard 16.
Dealing the Cards
All the bets are made prior to receiving your cards. After all the bets have been made the dealer will deal 2 cards to every player. The dealer will then expose 1 card and the play proceeds around the table with each player deciding how to play their hand.
The Dealer’s Hand
The dealer must always play his hand the same way with no decisions allowed. The two common ways that dealers must draw cards are as follows:
- Dealer stands on all 17’s – This is the most common method.
The dealer must continue to draw until his hand is valued at 17 or higher.
The ace is counted as an 11 unless this makes the dealers hand bust in which case it’s counted as a 1.
- Dealer hits soft 17 – With this method the dealer must also hit on any soft 17. A soft 17 includes hands where the ace is currently counted as 11, but can be counted as a 1 if the dealer goes over, so there is no way for the dealer to bust if they hit. Just like the previous method the dealer must still hit on all hands below 17 and stand on all hard 17’s and higher.
Natural Blackjack
When you make a total of 21 with your first two dealt cards you have hit a blackjack, aka a natural. Therefore, a blackjack is an Ace and any card valued at 10. Blackjack always wins and pays 3:2 unless the dealer also makes blackjack, in which case the hand is a push and you get your original bet back. You should note that it is only blackjack when you make 21 with your first two cards. If you use more than two cards to make 21, it is not considered blackjack, it’s just considered a hand with a value of 21.
Players Choices
Surrender
At some casinos you will have the option to surrender. This means that you do not play the rest of the hand and you lose half of your original bet. This is the first decision you will make because once you make any other decisions in the hand, such as hitting or splitting you will not be able to surrender. There are two different types of surrenders:
“Late Surrender” – With this surrender the dealer marks that you have surrendered. Then if the dealer has blackjack you lose your entire bet, otherwise you just lose half.
“Early Surrender” – With this surrender the dealer just takes half or your original bet regardless of whether or not they hit blackjack. This is the best option for players because you can only lose half of your bet even if the dealer hits blackjack.
Hitting
When you want to add another card to your hand you choose to hit. You can hit until your hand is at or over 21.
Standing
If you don’t want any more cards and are happy with your hand you must choose to stand. You can stand at anytime.
Double Down
Doubling down is an option that allows you to double your bet and receive one more card. You are only allowed to double down when you have a two card hand. An example of a good time to double down would be when you have a two card hand with a value of 11.
Splitting Pairs
You have the option to split your pair into two different hands. To do this you must match your initial bet and tell the dealer you want to split. The dealer will then deal you two new cards to complete each of your hands. If you split aces you are usually only allowed to draw one more card to each hand. If you hit 21 after splitting aces, the hand is considered 21 and not a blackjack.
Insurance
When the dealer has an Ace showing you have the option of purchasing ‘insurance’. If you purchase insurance and the dealer has blackjack you are paid 2 to 1 on your insurance bet. Basic blackjack strategy says to never take the insurance bet because it increases the house edge.
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