How to win at Blackjack

In land-based casinos, up to seven players play against the dealer, independently from each other. The way dealer plays is covered by strict rules and does not involve any decision-making at all.

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The object of blackjack is to beat the dealer by getting a higher card total. The total has to be 21 or less – going over 21 is a “bust”.

At the start of each round, the player makes a bet and gets two cards. The dealer plays last. Since every player plays independently against the dealer, it is possible for the dealer to win against some players and lose against the others in the same round.

The cards in the play are 2 to 10, jack, queen, king and ace. 2 to 9 count at face value, 10, jack, queen and king all count as 10, and the ace can be either 1 or 11.

Depending on the total at hand, the player can take additional cards (“hit”). If he goes over 21, it is a “bust” and the hand is lost. There are three possible outcomes of a round:

• The player wins
• The dealer wins
• A tie (no-one wins) – the hand is a “push”

The dealer deals the cards either from hand-held decks or from a box called a “shoe”. After getting the first two cards, you may decide from the following options:

• Hit
  The dealer deals you another card.
• Stand (or Stay)
  You require no more cards.
• Double down
  You double your bet and receive another card, face down.
• Split a pair
  If your first two cards are of the same value, you can double your bet and split pair into two separate hands.
• Surrender (if allowed)
  If the dealer does not have a blackjack, you may surrender your hand and only lose half of your bet.

If you are playing cards in a land-based casino, here is how to signal your decisions:

• Hit: touch the table if your cards are face up. If you’re holding the cards, use them to scrape the table.
• Stand: move your hand parallel to the table. If you’re holding the cards, slide them under the bet.
• Double down: add chips to your bet, move your finger up.
• Split a pair: add chips to your bet, move two fingers up.
• Surrender (if allowed): say “Surrender” or “I surrender”. No hand signal.

Depending on the casino rules, the dealing may vary a little. Then the cards are dealt from a shue, they are usually face-up. Otherwise, players normally receive 2 cards face-down, and the dealer gets the first card face up (the “upcard”) and the second one face-down (the “hole card”).

Whether the cards are face-up or face-down is irrelevant because the dealer’s play involves no decision-making. In important rule to check before commencing play is whether the dealer stands on 17 or not. “S17″ (soft 17) means that the dealer stands whenever the score is 17, and “H17″ (hard 17) means that the dealer always draws another card on 17. Soft 17 changes the odds by adding extra 0.2% in favor of the casino.

Blackjack online

First, make sure you read How to win at Blackjack – this will give you an edge over all players who rely on “intuition” or “gut feeling”, and frequently an advantage over a casino too, depending on the bonus and the conditions to claim it.

Like everyone else, online casinos are in a competitive business and may offer special promotions for new players and/or loyalty incentives for existing players. Check out online Blackjack offers for the best deal.