How Do I Play Blackjack?

Blackjack is a game of skill. Although the basic rules are easy to learn, there is a multitude of different techniques and betting strategies that you can use to enhance your potential of winning. The value of each card is the same as in other games; the only difference being, the ace, which can be worth either one or eleven, depending on what better suits your hand that you are holding at the time.

Before you are dealt any cards, the player must make a bet, by placing chips in the circle directly in front of the player's seat. If you wish to tip the dealer, you can place a chip in front of your circle. The dealer deals the player two cards, both face up, while the dealer gets two cards as well, with one being face down and one being face up.

The goal of blackjack is to get as high of a value as possible without going over 21. If you go over 21, you bust and the dealer wins the hand. You obtain the value of your hand by adding together the cards that are face up in front of you, remembering though that the ace is worth either 1 or 11. So if you had two 10's and an ace, you would have a hand worth 21, because obviously you would want the ace to count as 1.

Blackjack is a solo game. Even though there might be 8 players at a table, there can be no teamwork between the players. It is strictly a one on one game between the player and the dealer. If you beat the value of the dealer's hand without busting, then you win the hand, no matter how well any of the other player's hands did. If the dealer busts and you don't bust, then you win the hand as well.

After the player's have fully finished making their hands, then the dealer flips over his face down card. If the total value of his hand is less than 17, then he must hit again.

There are no explicit rules against card counting, though it is actively discouraged at casinos and you can get banned for doing so.

If you beat the dealer straight up, then you receive your original bet back, plus the amount of the original bet as your winnings. If you receive a blackjack (21), then you receive 1.5X the amount of your original bet as your winnings.