Thanks to its simplicity and
its combination of skill and luck, Blackjack has become one of the world's
most popular card games, both in online Casinos and land based ones alike.
We advise players to also read our Blackjack strategies guide, in order to be assured of the best possible chance of winning.
Blackjack is also known as Twenty-One
or Pontoon but It shouldn't be confused with the British game of the
same name, Black Jack, which is a variation of Crazy Eights.
Blackjack has one
basic rule: the hand with the highest total wins the game except when
that total exceeds 21, which is known as a bust and is an automatic
loss. Face cards such as kings, queens and jacks are worth 10. Aces
can either be a one or 11, depending on the player. The rest of the
cards are worth their face value.
The
goal of each player is to beat the dealer's hand. It is important to
note that a player who busts automatically loses even if the dealer
also busts. If the dealer and player have the same value in their cards,
it's a "push" and neither wins.
When it comes to
winning, the player should only be concerned with his cards and the
cards of the dealer, not the cards of other players. Players are only
playing against the dealer, not the other players.
Minimum bets vary from casino
to casino and are usually displayed prominently near the blackjack table.
The game begins with players
placing their initial bets on the table. The dealer then begins to deal
the cards one at a time until everyone, including the dealer, has two
cards each. The dealer displays one of his two cards face up and lets
all the players see it. The card that he doesn't reveal is his hole
card. In Europe, the dealer does not get his hole card until all the
other players have played their hands.
If the dealer has
a Blackjack
(a 10-value card and an ace) right away in his first two cards, he wins
all the players' bets except those of players who also have a blackjack.
If a player achieves a Blackjack in his first two cards and the dealer
doesn't have one, the player wins automatically. In this instance, a
player usually wins a ratio of 3:2 on his bet.
If there are no Blackjacks,
the game goes on. Players can make any of five plays; They can hit,
which is to take another card, they can stand, which means they will
not take any more cards, They can double down or double their bet, which
allows them to take only one more card, they can split, which means
the player doubles his bet and splits his two cards into two hands,
but this is acceptable only if the cards have the same rank. Finally,
the player can surrender, which means he forfeits his bet.
A player's turn ends when he decides to
stand, doubles down or busts out. After all the players have finished
their turn, the dealer reveals his hole card. If it's below 17, the
dealer must hit, as a rule, until he gets a 17 or higher. If the dealers
busts, then the remaining players all win, usually at a ratio of 1:1.
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