Blackjack: The Table Basics
As the legend goes, the game of blackjack originated in France over 300 years ago.
The basic strategy of blackjack is simple and straightforward. Once you master this,
you are ready for a more advanced blackjack strategy.
How to Play Blackjack
The objective in blackjack is to have a hand which totals 21,
or beats the dealer's hand by coming as close to 21 as possible without going over,
or "busting." If your first two cards are an ace and a ten, that's blackjack or
"a natural" 21! Blackjack always beats a hand that totals 21 by adding the values of
more than the first two cards.
A picture card is counted as 10, a card from 2-10 is counted at its face value,
and an ace can be counted as either 1 or 11. A "hard hand" is a hand that does not
contain an ace or contains an ace that can only be counted as 1 so as not to bust.
A dealer's ace always counts as 11.
Hit:
Give player another card!
Stand:
No more cards!
Double Down:
Give player ONLY one more card, and double player's bet!
Split:
Make two hands out of player's pair of cards with the same value. Player's initial wager will be placed on one hand, and a second wager of equal value will be placed on the second hand. However, if you split two aces, you get only one additional card for each hand. If you split two aces and one of your hands totals 21, this is not considered blackjack, but 21. You cannot split a split hand.
Insurance:
If the dealer's upcard is an ace, player will be given the option of placing
a side-bet, called insurance. When the dealer shows an ace, he is considered to have
a good chance of having blackjack. If the dealer does have blackjack, the insurance
pays 2 to 1, corresponding to the amount of your initial bet. If you have bought
insurance, and the dealer does not have blackjack, you lose your insurance.
Your initial bet is then settled by comparing your cards with the dealer's.
Should you and the dealer both have blackjack, the game results in a push.
Blackjack strategies for success
Here are some basic blackjack strategies. No matter what the dealer's upcard is:
- Always split a pair of aces.
- Always split a pair of 8s.
- Always stand on 17 and up.
- Always double on 11.
The Basic Blackjack Strategy Chart
The following blackjack strategy chart indicates the statistically favourable
options depending on what your hand is and what the dealer’s upcard is. To use the
blackjack strategy chart, simply look for the value of your blackjack hand in the
left-hand column. Then, look for the value of the dealer’s upcard in the top row
(A= Ace, 10= 10 or picture card) and the chart will indicate whether you should Stand (S),
Hit (H), Double Down (D) or Split (SP).
The Dealer's Upcard: What to do.
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