Blackjack Tutorial Part 2

Blackjack is a card game played around a table that traditionally seats up to six players. It is played with up to eight decks of playing cards. In essence, the game is played strictly between the dealer and the player, making the other players around the table inconsequential.

The objective of blackjack is to get to the number 21 or as close as possible without going over that number. The value of the cards is added up to get the total. The aim is to beat the dealer’s hand. Whoever reaches 21 first is the winner. Alternatively, if one goes bust, the other is the winner.

The suits of the cards in blackjack do not influence their value. All cards have their own numerical number, except in the case of face cards, which are all valued at 10. The Ace can be counted as 11 or 1, depending on the type of game and other cards in the hand.

The objective is not to simply find an empty spot and begin a blackjack gaming session. Players need to take note of several things before finding a table. For example, they need to consider the minimum and maximum bets at the table and see whether it suits their bankroll or not.

After finding a suitable table, players begin by placing their bets in the area set aside on the blackjack table.

The dealer waits until all the players at the table have placed their bets before dealing the cards. Two cards are dealt to each player and then two to the dealer. The dealer’s cards are usually dealt one face-up and the other facedown although this may differ according to the particular version of blackjack that is being played.

An insurance bet can now be taken out. If one of the dealer’s cards is an ace, the player should seriously consider making an insurance bet. The player will be paid out 2:1 if the dealer has blackjack, but the insurance bet will be lost if the dealer does not have 21.

Players look at their cards and decide what strategy to take. This will depend on what cards they were dealt. Their main decision entails whether to take more cards or stick to the ones that they were dealt initially.

The following are the different options that players have when they need to make a choice about what moves to make, after they have been dealt their initial two cards:

Hitting: This is when players decide that they want to be dealt another card. There are various ways to ask for another card, including tapping the blackjack table with a finger or other motions.

Standing: The decision to stick to the original cards that were dealt and not risk being hit with another. This is usually decided when the player feels that another card will be too risky to the hand and it may go bust.

Splitting: In classic blackjack, this essentially means that the player can split two cards of equal denomination into two separate hands and place another bet that is equal to the first bet. Only one split is allowed per game and a face card is not counted as a ten. There are some versions of blackjack, however, that allow more than one split per hand.

Doubling Down: If a player feels at an advantage in the game, he or she can consider doubling down which means doubling the original bet in exchange for receiving just one more card. Some casinos place certain restrictions on this move.

Surrendering: If a players feel that they have been dealt a bad hand and wish to ‘throw in the towel’ with minimum loss, they can consider surrendering their hand. This means that they forfeit half their original bet and are therefore out the game. Obviously this can only be done after the dealer has checked if his or her own cards are a blackjack or not.

Blackjack dealers are restricted to the house rules and as such do not have much choice in the way they play. In all events, players should be aware of the house rules pertaining to their own hands as well as the dealer’s, as this can assist in determining which strategy to play. Although house rules differ from casino to casino, it is generally the rule that dealers need to draw a card when their total card value is less than 17 and stand when the value is over 17 (and up to 21). There are differing rules regarding whether dealers need to stand or hit on a soft 17.

If the player is dealt a blackjack with the first two cards, he or she automatically wins. The payout is generally 1.5 x the original bet.

If the dealer also gets a blackjack, the situation is known as a push and all bets are returned to the player.

A higher card count than the dealer means that the player wins an equal amount to his or her original bet. Lower card counts mean that players lose their original bets.

If a dealer goes bust (ie. his or her card value goes beyond 21) the player wins the bets.

Do pick up facedown cards with one hand and keep them in plain sight.

Don’t touch the cards if they are dealt face up.

Do use hand signals around the table if you can, when playing at a traditional casino. This avoids misunderstandings in the long run.

Don’t let your frustrations out on the dealer or other players. If you are having a bad run of luck, either take a break or leave the casino altogether. You stand to lose more if you gamble when you aren’t in control of your emotions.

Do keep your talking to a minimum. If you are around a table, a polite greeting will suffice. Keep chatting limited to relevant topics and let other players concentrate on their game.

[ Continue to Final Part of this Blackjack Guide ]