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In this game, the player and the dealer (the computer) are
each dealt two cards. The player and the dealer both try to
get their hands to equal twenty-one without going over. The
hand that gets closer to twenty-one without going over wins
the bet. In blackjack, you are competing only against the
dealer, not against the other players. The rules of play for
the dealer are strictly dictated, leaving no decisions up
to the dealer.
Values of the cards
In blackjack, the cards are valued as follows: An Ace can
count as either 1 or 11, as demonstrated below. The cards
from 2 through 9 are valued as indicated. The 10, Jack, Queen,
and King are all valued at 10.
The value of a hand is simply the sum of the point counts
of each card in the hand. For example, a hand containing (5,7,9)
has the value of 21. The Ace can be counted as either 1 or
11. You need not specify which value the Ace has. It's assumed
to always have the value that makes the best hand.
How the dealer plays his hand
The dealer must play his hand in a specific way, with no choices
allowed. There are two popular rule variations that determine
what totals the dealer must draw to. In any given casino,
you can tell which rule is in effect by looking at the blackjack
tabletop. It should be clearly labeled with one of these rules:
"Dealer stands on all 17s":
This is the most common rule. In this case, the dealer must
continue to take cards ("hit") 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. For example,
(Ace,8) would be 19 and the dealer would stop drawing cards
("stand"). Also, (Ace,6) is 17 and again the dealer
will stand. (Ace,5) is only 16, so the dealer would hit. He
will continue to draw cards until the hand's value is 17 or
more. For example, (Ace,5,7) is only 13 so he hits again.
(Ace,5,7,5) makes 18 so he would stop ("stand")
at that point.
Hit:
Request another card. You can request a hit as many times
as you like, but if your total goes over twenty-one, you will
Bust and lose the hand.
Stand:
If you have two cards of the same denomination, a Split button
will appear. You can split the cards into two hands and play
each hand separately. Your original bet will be duplicated
for the new hand, and each hand will be played out as usual.
The number above the currently active hand will turn yellow.
The split option can only be used once per hand -- you cannot
split part of a split hand.
Double:
If you select this option, two things will happen: you will
get exactly one more card and then your turn will end, and
your bet will be doubled. When you use this option, you are
betting more money that you will get a good score with just
one more card added to your starting two.
Insurance:
Whenever the dealer's up-card is an ace, the player has an
option of taking insurance. If the player believes that the
dealer's down-card is a 10 ranking card, then the player is
permitted to place a side bet of up to half the original wager
as insurance. If the dealer does have a 10 ranking card, the
player is immediately paid 2-to-1 on the insurance bet, but
the original wager is lost unless the player too have blackjack
and tie the dealer. Here player is not insuring anything,
the player is simply betting that the dealer's unseen card
is a 10 ranking card.
Note:
Double Down and Split options will only be available immediately
after you receive your first two cards. If the dealer has
an ace showing, you will be offered a chance to buy Insurance
for half of the amount you bet. When you buy insurance you
are, in effect, making a second bet. You are betting that
the dealer has a natural blackjack. If the dealer does have
a natural blackjack (in other words, his down card is a ten
or a face card), you will collect a payoff of 2 to 1 on your
insurance. You will also lose your original wager, unless
you have a natural blackjack too. If the dealer does not have
a natural twenty-one, the rest of the hand is played out as
usual and you will lose your insurance money.
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Basics
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