Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games in the world. It is an easy game to learn for the beginner. Blackjack is one of the few casino games that is dependent on skill which is one of the reasons for its popularity. House rules are important in blackjack since they can vary from establishment to establishment but as long as the player knows the basic game rules, the house rules will be simple to pick up.
The game table can usually accommodate five to seven players and the game usually begins when there is one player. Remember, each player is playing against the house, not against the other players. There will be a sign somewhere on the table indicating the rules regarding the minimum and maximum bets, the payoffs for blackjack and insurance, whether or not the dealer stands on seventeen, number of decks in use, etc. The value of the cards is an ace is one or eleven, tens and picture cards are ten points, and two through nine is valued at face value. Blackjack only occurs in the first two cards with an ace and a card with a value of ten. That is when it has the highest payout, usually 3:2. After that it is counted as twenty-one. If you overdraw and Bust, you lose no matter what the dealer’s hand is. Turnover your cards and the dealer will take them. You are then out of the casino until the next hand. Anytime time the dealer busts, the pays off the players and the game ends.
Blackjack can be played with one or more decks. If the game is being played with more than one or two decks, the cards will be placed in a ‘shoe”. First the dealer will shuffle the cards, then have a player “cut” by sliding a yellow or other colored card into the deck. The shuffled and cut cards are then placed in the “shoe” for dealing. The dealer will burn the first card and deal from his left, called first base, to his right, with the dealer receiving the last card. His is up. The second card is dealt in the same manner with the dealer’s hold card down. If you are playing in a jurisdiction where the players can’t touch the cards, then all of the cards will be dealt face up. If you are playing in a jurisdiction where the players can touch the cards, then always keep the cards on the table where the dealer can see them. Players can play bingo online or at casino.
The dealer cannot take money from your hands or acknowledge verbiage. All actions must be signaled for the casino security cameras. When you want change, you ask for it verbally and place the money on the table and the dealer will give you chips. When you bet, you place the stack of chips in front of you on the table. When you want a hit, you scrape the cards on the felt table in front of you or you point at your cards or tap your fingers on the table. If you want to stand, you also have to use a signal. Wave your hand, palm down, over the cards. Sometimes players will slide their cards under their chips. If you have blackjack, turn your cards face up and wait. The dealer deals with players from his left to his right. When he reaches you he will give you your winnings unless he also has blackjack. Then it is a push and you just keep your original bet. If the dealer has blackjack he will turn his cards up immediately.
If the dealer has an ace up on the table, players are asked if they want insurance. This is a special bet. When the player takes insurance he is betting that the dealer has blackjack. If the dealer has blackjack, the player wins twice the insurance bet but loses his original bet. So the player comes out even. If the dealer doesn’t have blackjack, the player loses the insurance bet and the game continues.
A player dealt a pair can split the pair. He places the cards face up on the table with his original bet in front of one card and a second bet equal to the original in front of the second card. Both cards are then played as separate hands with the card to the player’s right being the first hand played. When he wins, loses or stands on the hand to his right, then the second hand is played in the same way. If aces are split, the player can only take one hit on each ace. Suppose you draw a pair on one of the split cards. You may or may not be allowed to split the second pair. If you can, then you have three hands that you are playing. Check the house rules for allowing splits after the first pair is split. Some allow the practice, some don’t.
Another rule concerns Doubling Down. This is a situation where the player doubles his original bet when he thinks he has a particularly good hand. The player signals his intention by placing his cards face down on the table and placing the second stack of chips next to the original bet. In this situation the player can only take one hit. Again, check the house rules regarding Double Down betting. There is some variation as to when the player can place a Double Down bet. Some casinos allow the bet on any two cards, other require a total of ten or better for a Double Down bet.
Another rule that varies from establishment to establishment regards surrender. Surrender can be used in situations where the player thinks the dealer’s hand is better than his. If the play surrenders, the dealer takes half the bet. The player only loses half his bet instead of his total bet. Surrender is a way to minimize losses.
Always check the house rules whenever you play blackjack. Read the placard on the table and ask questions of the staff. |
