The basic premise of Blackjack is that you want to have a hand value that is closer to 21 than that of the dealer, without going over 21. The rules of play for the dealer are strictly dictated. The dealer must continue to take cards ("hit") until her 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.
Values of
the cards
In blackjack, the cards are valued as follows:
The value of a hand is simply the sum of the point counts of each card in the hand. 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. A hand that contains an Ace is called a "soft" total if the Ace can be counted as either 1 or 11 without the total going over 21. For example (Ace, 6) is a soft 17. The description stems from the fact that the player can always draw another card to a soft total with no danger of "busting" by going over 21. The hand (Ace,6,10) on the other hand is a "hard" 17, since now the Ace must be counted as only 1, again because counting it as 11 would make the hand go over 21.
The deal
of the cards
Once your bet is made, the dealer will deal the cards so that you have two cards
each. The dealer will flip one of her cards over, exposing its value. After
you have finished your hand, the dealer will complete her hand, and then pay
or collect the bet.
What is
a 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. If you split a pair of Aces for example,
and then draw a ten-valued card on one of the Aces, this is not a blackjack,
but rather a total of 21. A player blackjack beats any dealer total other than
a dealer's blackjack, including a dealer's regular 21. A winning blackjack pays
the player odds of 3 to 2. If both a player and the dealer make blackjack, the
hand is a tie or push.
Hitting/Standing
The most common decision a player must make during the game is whether to draw
another card to the hand ("hit"), or stop at the current total ("stand").
Doubling
Down
Among the more profitable player options available is the choice to "double
down". This can only be done with a two card hand, before another card
has been drawn. Doubling down allows you to double your bet and receive one,
and only one, additional card to the hand. A good example of a doubling opportunity
is when you hold a total of 11, say a (6, 5) against a dealer's upcard of 5.
In this case, you have a good chance of winning the hand by drawing one additional
card, so you might as well increase your bet in this advantageous situation.
You are allowed to double down for any amount up to the original bet amount,
so you could double down "for less" if you wanted. Just remember that
you do give up something for being allowed to increase your bet: the ability
to draw more than one additional card.
Splitting
Pairs
When you are dealt a matching pair of cards, you have the ability to split the
hand into two separate hands, and play them independently. Let's say you are
dealt a pair of eights for a total of sixteen. Sixteen is the worst possible
player hand, since it is unlikely to win as is, but is very likely to bust if
you draw to it. Here's a great chance to improve a bad situation. Note that
you must bet the same amount on a split, unlike a double-down, where you are
allowed to double for less. The dealer will separate the two cards, and treat
them as two independent hands. In this game you are only allowed to split once.
Insurance
OIf the dealer turns an up-card of an Ace, she will offer "Insurance".
Insurance bets can be made by betting up to half your original bet amount. The
dealer will check to see if she has a 10-value card underneath her Ace, and
if she does have Blackjack, your winning Insurance bet will be paid at odds
of 2:1. You'll lose your original bet of course (unless you also have a Blackjack),
so the net effect is that you break even (assuming you bet the full half bet
for insurance.) This is why the bet is described as "insurance", since
it seems to protect your original bet against a dealer blackjack. Of course,
if the dealer does not have blackjack, you'll lose the insurance bet, and still
have to play the original bet out. In the simplest description, Insurance is
a side-bet, where you are offered 2:1 odds that the dealer has a 10-valued card
underneath.
Have fun !