Blackjack, also known as 21, is by far the most popular gambling
game after slot machines.
To win you need to have a hand value that is closer to 21 than
that of the dealer, without going over 21.
You play your hand against the hand of the dealer only. Your
cards are always dealt face up since it doesn't matter that
other players or the dealer see your hand.
The rules the dealer must play by are very simple. You win automatically
if you receive a total of 21 in the first two cards. That requires
a ten-value card and an Ace. This is refered to as a natural
or a blackjack.
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Card values:
Aces can count as either 1 or 11, as demonstrated below.
Cards (2 - 9) are valued as indicated by their ranking.
The 10, Jack, Queen, and King are all valued at 10.
The value of a hand is the sum all the cards in the hand.
For example:
J-J-A = 21
but
A-A-9 = 11 otherwise you go over 21
A hand that contains an Ace is called a SOFT total if the Ace
can be counted as either 1 or 11 without the total going over
21.
2 ways of playing blackjack:
DEALER STANDS ON ALL 17S: (the rule used by
most casinos and blackjack players)
This means the dealer must continue to take cards until his
total is 17 or greater. An Ace in the dealer's hand is always
counted as 11 if possible without the dealer going over 21.
In recap,if the dealer's hand is 16 or less, he/she must take
a card. If the dealer's hand is 17 or more, he/she must stand.
DEALER HITS SOFT 17:
It's the same as the other one except for what occurs when the
dealer has a soft total of 17.
Hands such as A-6, A-A-5, and A-2-4 are all examples of soft
17.
The dealer hits these hands, and stands on soft 18 or higher,
or hard 17 or higher. This rule gives a slight advantage to
the house against the players.
PAYOUTS and SIDE BETTING:
When you get a blackjack you win a bonus. Usually all bets are
paid off at even money at blackjack, but when you get a blackjack,
you receive a 3 to 2 payoff.
You don't get paid if the dealer also has a blackjack then
it's a push. You can take insurance to prevent this is called
side bet. It isn't advised to use side betting unless you count
cards. This side bet is half the value you bet originally. If
the dealer has a blackjack you get the 2 to 1 for your side
bet but lose the original bet money. If the dealer doesn't get
a blackjack you lose the side bet but keep the original bet.
