Blackjack Classroom

Basic Game Play

The game of Blackjack is a fairly easy one. You play against the dealer, not against the other players at the table. The object of the game is to get a higher card total than the dealer without going over 21. Face cards are worth 10, non-face cards are worth what they say (a 3 is worth 3). Aces are worth 11 or 1. They are worth 11 until your total goes over 21 and then they drop down in value to 1. For example if you have an Ace and a 5, your total is 16. If you take another card and that card is a 7, that puts you over 21 so the Ace becomes a 1 and your total is 13. The game starts with you placing your bet and then you are dealt two cards face up. The dealer being dealt two cards, one face up and one face down. At this point you make your decisions. You can "hit", or take another card to try to increase your total. You can hit any number of times and once you are satisfied with your total you can "stand", meaning you want to keep your current total. You can also "split" or "double down" which we will discuss later. After you are satisfied with your total and you "stand", the dealer reveals his hidden card and then plays his hand. The dealer has no choice in the matter. He must hit until he has 17 or higher or he busts. If you bust or the dealer has a higher total than you, you lose. If the dealer busts or has a lower total than you, you win. If you have the same total, you "push" and get to keep your bet.

Splitting

If your first two cards have the same value, it is possible for you to "split". This means that you double your original bet and get to play two hands. Each hand consists of one of the split cards and another card. You then play each of these hands as you would a normal hand. When splitting have a chance to win double your money or lose double your money. If you win one and lose the other, it is essentially a push overall. There are a lot of situations in which splitting is the best bet and are discussed later.

Doubling Down

Another way to play your first two cards is to "double down". This means you double your bet and receive only one more card. There are a lot of situations in which doubling down is the best bet and are discussed later.

Strategy

The general strategy in blackjack is to make your decision on a hand based on what the dealer is showing. If the dealer is showing a 7, it is usually good to base your decision on the dealer having a 10, meaning in this case the dealer would have a 17. So if I have a 13, I take a hit. On the other hand, if the dealer is showing a 6 and I have a 13, I stand. In this case if the dealer's hole card is a 10, the dealer has a 16 and must take a hit. This means there is a good chance the dealer will bust, so it is not worth it for me to take a hit. Assuming the dealer's hidden card is a 10 is a good way to make decisions when you are just learning the game. A better strategy is "Basic Strategy", which is what is taught on this site. Basic Strategy is the correct decision in each situation to give you the highest probability of winning the hand.

Blackjack

The title of the game is an outcome of a hand that is always good to see. When your first two cards are an Ace and a King, Queen, Jack, or 10, you have "blackjack". This means in most casinos that the dealer will automatically pay you 3 dollars for every 2 dollars you have bet.

Even Money

Of course there is always a catch with everything. Blackjack is not a guaranteed winner. If the dealer also has blackjack, you push. But before you know if the dealer has blackjack or not, if the dealer is showing an Ace he will ask you if you want "even money". If you take even money, the dealer will pay you 1 to 1 (like on any regular blackjack win). If you have bet $5, you will make $5. If you don't take even money and the dealer does not have blackjack, you make $7.50. If you don't take even money and the dealer does have blackjack, you push and make nothing. Taking even money is the wrong move. Less than 31f the cards give the dealer a blackjack when you stand to win 50ore. Even money doesn't pay off.

Insurance

If a dealer is showing an Ace, he will ask the table if anyone wants "insurance". Insurance is a side bet, usually costing half of your original bet. If you take insurance, you are betting that the dealer has blackjack. If the dealer does have blackjack, you lose your original bet but win the side bet. So if the dealer does have blackjack you only lose half of what you normally would. If the dealer does not have blackjack, you lose your side bet and play your regular hand normally. It is really easy to deal with in the game. Just never take it, it is a bad bet.