Blackjack, also known as twenty-one, is one of the most popular table games in the world. Blackjack is a comparing card game between a player and dealer, meaning that players compete against the dealer but not against the other players at the table. Blackjack is played with one or more decks of 52 cards. The object of the game is to reach 21 points or to reach a score higher than the dealer without exceeding 21.
Blackjack History
Blackjack's precursor was twenty-one, a game of unknown origin. When twenty-one was introduced in the United States, gambling houses offered bonus payouts to stimulate players' interest. One such bonus was a ten to one payout if the player's hand consisted of the ace of spades and a black jack (either the jack of clubs or the jack of spades). This hand was called a "Blackjack" and the name stuck to the game, even though the ten to one bonus was soon withdrawn. In the modern game, a Blackjack refers to any hand of an ace plus a ten or face card, regardless of suits or colours.
How to Play Blackjack
The players' objective is to win money by creating card totals which will turn out to be higher than the dealer's hand, but without exceeding 21 (going over 21 is called "busting" or "breaking"). On their turn, players must choose whether to "hit" (take a card), "stand" (end their turn), "double" (double the wager, take a single card and finish), "split" (if the two cards have the same value, separate them to make two hands) or "surrender" (give up a half-bet and retire from the game).
Number-cards count as their natural value; the jack, queen, and king (also known as "face cards") count as 10; aces are valued as either 1 or 11 according to the player's choice. If the hand value exceeds 21 points, it busts, and all bets on it are immediately forfeit. After all players have finished their turn, the dealer's hand is resolved by drawing cards until the hand busts or achieves a value of 17 or higher (a dealer total of 17 including an ace, or "soft 17", must be drawn to in some games and must stand in others). The dealer never doubles, splits nor surrenders. If the dealer busts, all remaining player hands win. If the dealer does not bust, each remaining bet wins if its hand is higher than the dealer's, and loses if it is lower. In the case of a tied score, known as "push" or "standoff", bets are normally returned without adjustment; however, a Blackjack beats any hand which is not a blackjack, even with value 21.
Blackjack vs. Blackjack is a push. Wins are paid out at 1:1, or equal to the wager, except for winning Blackjacks, which are traditionally paid at 3:2 (meaning the player receives three dollars for every two bet), or one and a half times the wager. Blackjack games almost always provide a side bet called insurance, which may be played when dealer's upcard is an ace. At least one further side bet is usually provided.
Vocabulary Explanation
Blackjack: A Blackjack, or natural, is a total of 21 in your first two cards. A Blackjack is therefore an Ace and any ten-valued card, with the additional requirement that these be your first two cards. Blackjack pays the player odds of 3 to 2.
21:Sum of more than 2 cards makes a total of 21.
Bust:Exceeding the hand total of 21.
Push:Both player and dealer have the same hand total - player keeps bet.
Hard Hand:A hand without an Ace, or with an Ace valued at 1 is said to be Hard in that it can only be given one value, unlike a Soft Hand (You can value an Ace 1 or 11 to suit you).
Soft Hand:A hand that contains an Ace counted as 11 is called a Soft Hand.
Player's Choices
Ante Bet: A basic bet before the cards are dealt.
Pairs: A side bet in Pairs before the cards are dealt. The same in first 2 cards pays the players odds of 11 to 1.
Hit: Take another card.
Stand: Take no more cards.
Insurance: side bet up to half the initial bet against the dealer having a natural 21 - allowed only when the dealer's showing card is an Ace. If the dealer has a 10 face down and makes a blackjack, insurance pays at 2-1 odds, but loses if the dealer does not.
Split: allowed only when the first cards are equal of value. Use each card as the start to a separate hand and place a second bet equal to the ante bet. No re-splitting is allowed. If you draw a ten valued card + ace combination on one of your split hand, it is not considered a Blackjack, it treated as a normal 21. Aftering splitting 2 Aces, no Double Down is allowed, and only one more card will be dealt to each hand.
Double Down: if the sum of initial two cards is hard 9, 10 or 11 (hard hand means none of the 2 initial cards is Ace), players can double the ante bet but hit one card only.
Surrender: This option is not available in all casinos. The player could decide to surrender only if he announces it at the beginning of his turn (after his first 2 cards are dealt and he hasn’t announced anything else), The player could retrieve half of his original bet.