Basic Blackjack Rules

If you are a beginner then you should look over the basic blackjack rules. They are here to make you understand the game.

The goal of the game is for your hand total to be as close to 21 a possible without going over. After the players finish playing their hands, each hand is compared to the dealer's hand. This means that you do not have to beat the other players at the table, your hand must only be better than the dealer's. Taking this into consideration, the true goal of the game is to beat the dealer's hand. Unfortunately the dealer will also try to get as close to 21 as possible without going over, so reaching 21 may be the best way to beat him.

Blackjack means that the first two cards that have been dealt to you total 21. If your card total is not as close to 21 as the dealer's, you lose. The dealer must play by the rules of the casino. He is not allowed to play as he pleases. This is very important to know if you want to be on top of your game.

The game will begin once all bets are placed on the table. You may gamble with casino chips or cash money when playing in a land based casino. There are specially assigned places on the table where you can place your bet. The dealer will then proceed to dealing the cards. He will deal two cards to all the players at the table and two cards to himself. One of the dealer's cards will always be face up, and the other face down. All cards have a value:

• cards from 2 to 9 are valued as indicated;
• 10's, Jacks, Queens and Kings are valued as 10;
• Aces are 1 or 11, as it is best for the player.

When the dealer gives you your cards face down be sure to touch them with only one hand. Do not touch them if you don't have to, and always keep them above the table. If the cards are face up, then you should not touch them at all. You do not need to touch them in order to know your card total, and the casino will not look kindly on you touching the cards.

Casinos are usually crowded and noisy places. Because of this you should learn to signal your intentions to the dealer without speaking. Hand gestures are important at the Blackjack table especially as you are always watched by surveillance cameras. There are several generally accepted hand signals. When the cards are dealt face down, you can signal the dealer you want to hit by drawing the corner of the cards across the felt two times. If the cards are dealt face up, just point and say "hit" or you can use your finger and scratch the felt. Nodding is also a good idea if you approve of what is going on. A simple wave motion on top of your cards means that you want to stand.

Casino rules state that if the dealer's card total is 16 or less, then he must hit. If his card total is 17 or more, then he must stand. If the dealer's card total is 17, but one of his cards is an Ace (soft 17), he is allowed to hit.

A natural Blackjack is when the first two cards dealt to you are an Ace and a ten valued card. Standard rules pay natural Blackjack at a ratio of 3-to-2, or 1.5-to-1. This means that if your initial wager was $30, winning by a natural Blackjack will pay $45.

Another option after being dealt your first two cards is to double down. If you do so your betting amount will be doubled, but the dealer will give you only one more card and then you have to stand and see if your hand beats the dealer's. The rules when doubling vary from one casino to another. Some casinos allow double down on any 2 card hand, while others only allow it if your card total is 9, 10, or 11. When doubling a face down hand you must always show the dealer your hand if the rules say you can double down only on 9, 10 or 11. Then place a wager equal to your initial one next, not on top, of your chips. When playing a face up hand, simply place a wager equal to your initial one next to your chips and say "double". The dealer will then proceed to dealing you only one more card. Then you must stand.

You have the option of splitting your hand if you are dealt a pair. You will then have two separate hands to play, but must place a second bet, equal to the one of the first hand. If you are playing a face up hand, do not touch the cards. The dealer will split your hand. Also, place the second wager next, not on top, of the initial one. The rules when playing a split hand are the same as playing a regular one. The only difference is when splitting Aces, because you will only get one extra card per hand. Also, if you are dealt an Ace and a ten card it will be considered 21, not Blackjack. You still win though.