In blackjack, every player is competing only against the blackjack dealer, not against one another. The goal of the game is to beat the dealers hand, without exceeding a total of 21. If the first two cards you're dealt are an ace and a 10-point card, you have what is called a Natural Blackjack, which is usually paid at 3 to 2.
Before you are dealt your first two cards you need to place a bet. Each player has a betting area that corresponds with the seat they are in. Place your chips in this betting area (a square or circle printed on the felt) with one hand. The blackjack dealer gives out cards one at a time starting with the player immediately on their left, and ending with himself. The blackjack dealer gives themselves two cards; one face up and one face down. The players all receive two cards; either both face-up or both face down.
Face cards (kings, queens and jacks) count as 10 points, Aces count as either one or 11 (as the player chooses, whichever is more advantageous) and all other cards are counted at their face value.
According to blackjack dealer rules, if the dealer's hand totals 16 or less, they have to take a card. If the dealer's hand is 17 or more, they have to stand. Some casinos let the dealer hit on a soft seventeen; this is bad for the player as it adds to the house edge.
The decisions you make based on your first two cards and the dealers visible card (or up-card) are what defines how well you'll do at the table. A method known as 'basic blackjack strategy' was developed with the aid of computers in the middle of the 80's, and since then has provided a template from novice blackjack players to work from.
Most of our decisions on our initial two card hands are based on what the dealer's up-card is, so it's worth looking a little more at what that one card indicates. If the dealer is showing a 3, 4, 5, or 6, they are said to be holding 'busting cards'. This simply means that they are likely to have a total of 13, 14, 15, or 16, and since the dealer must hit everything below 17, they would have to hit on these hands, and stand a good chance of busting.
Knowing when the dealer is showing busting cards is essential to making good blackjack decisions.
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