Blackjack Rules

Whether you've played Blackjack at land-based casinos or try your hand at Blackjack by playing at online casinos, you have to admit it is a game in which knowledge, acuity, and a bit of luck play an important role in winning. Blackjack is a game where the player competes against the dealer. The game is played on a semi-circular table with 5 playing positions. Bets are placed in the circles provided. Cards are dealt from a deck of cards called a shoe, and contain anywhere from one standard 52-card deck to 6 or sometimes 8 decks. No jokers are included.

Blackjack Buttons

There are several buttons on the blackjack table. To begin the game you first have to click on the Coin button to make a bet with the chips by placing them in the circle on the table. Click on Deal and the cards are dealt. Depending upon the hand you are dealt, four or more buttons appear: Hit, Stand, Split, or Double. After the hand is over, two buttons appear: Rebet and Clear. Rebet begins another hand with the same bet you made previously, and clear erases your bet on the table.

How to Play Blackjack

The dealer gives out two cards to the player and two to himself; except the second card is face up. The player receives both cards face up. The object of Blackjack is for the total of your two cards to be closer to 21 than the dealer's cards, without exceeding 21. In Blackjack, aces count as either 1 or 11, face cards as 10, and number cards as their face value. The dealer must draw on 16, and stand on 17.

If you receive an ace and a ten-value card as your first two cards, you have Blackjack and win one and a half times your bet (if you bet was $10, you receive $25). If the total value of your cards is closer to 21 than the dealer's, you win as much as you had wagered (if your bet was $10, you receive $20). If the total of your cards is more than 21, you "bust" and lose your bet. If you and the dealer have the same card total (17 or higher) neither of you win, and your bet is returned to you in a "push". Blackjack beats a score of 21.

Blackjack Rules

Online Blackjack follows the standard "Las Vegas Strip" rules, with the following exceptions:

1. After each round, used cards are returned to the deck and the deck is shuffled.
2. The player may not split a split hand.
3. The player may double after splitting.
4. The dealer will not check for Blackjack in any case.
5. If the player doubles and the dealer's first card has a value of 11 (ACE), and the dealer gets blackjack, the player loses both his bets.

Split

If your first two cards have the same point value, you may split them into two separate hands by placing a second bet equal to the original bet. You then proceed to draw cards. You may draw as many cards as you like on each split hand. But if you split two aces, you receive only one additional card for each ace. If you receive an ace and a ten-value card in a split hand, it is counted as 21 and not Blackjack.

Double

After you are dealt two cards, and you think that another card will allow you to beat the dealer's hand, you can increase your bet by an amount up to your original bet or "double" your bet. Your wager is doubled, and you are allowed to receive one more card.

Insurance

Insurance is considered to be a game of its own within Blackjack. If the dealer has an Ace as his up card, you'll be given a chance to buy insurance. When you buy insurance, you're betting that the dealer has a blackjack. It allows you to protect yourself in the event the dealer may have Blackjack. When buying insurance, you place half of your initial bet by pressing the Insurance button. If the dealer does have Blackjack, you are paid 2 to 1 on your insurance bet. If the dealer doesn't have Blackjack, you lose your insurance bet.

10 Card Charlie

It is theoretically possible for the player to draw 10 cards without going bust. In this case the player's hand automatically wins, except when the dealer has Blackjack.

Table Bets

Winnings