Basic Blackjack Rules

After you familiarized yourself with the blackjack zone now you need to understand the blackjack game theory.

General Game Theory

The main goal for you as a player is to beat the dealer's hand. Your rivals are not the other players at the table with you, only the dealer is your enemy. You have two options to beat the dealer and those are either reaching a higher total than the dealer, but without exceeding a hand total of 21 or having the dealer go over when you don't.

The dealer follows a strict set of blackjack rules written just for them, and knowing what the dealer must do at the table is as important as knowing what you can do.

The dealer shuffles the cards. Before any cards are dealt, you must place your bet and you'll do this by placing your chips in the designated space in front of your table position. The dealer then deals two cards (one at a time) for each player at the table, from left to right and two to himself.

One of the dealer's cards is dealt face up and one is dealt face down. After those two cards are dealt for everyone, each player decides whether to draw further cards. These cards are dealt also one at a time, until the player busts or stands. The dealer will draw cards to complete his hand only after all the players have completed their hands.

The rules after the dealer plays are governed by a set of rules. Casino rules usually state that if the dealer has a total point value of 16 or less, he must take a card and if he has a count of 17 or more he has to stand.

In some casinos, players get both cards face down. If this is the case, be sure to only handle your cards with one hand! If the cards are dealt face up, don't touch them! Check out our blackjack table etiquette for tips to not look foolish and to understand better the casino rules after the game is played.

• Cards 2 through 10 have their face value (2=2, 9=9 etc.)

• Jacks, queens and kings (face cards) are all valued as 10

• Aces are counted as either 1 or 11 depending on the player's preference

• Suits have no meaning

For example, a Jack and a King is a hand of 20. An ace and a 5 can be either 6 or 16. You simply add the values of your hands and so you obtain the total value of your hand.

• Blackjack - If you make a total of 21 with an ace and a ten value card from your first two cards dealt, it means you have the most desired hand, a blackjack. Also called a 'natural'. A dealer with blackjack beats everyone at the table, even those with three or more cards totaling 21. Only a player with a 'natural' is immune and that person will tie (push) the dealer

• Stiff Hands - This are hands that have a chance of exceeding 21 with one more card. Hands with a total value of 12 through 16 fall into this category.

• Pat Hands - A hand with a total of 17 to 21. Players that follow basic blackjack strategy or even simple common sense and logic will not draw additional cards on a 'pat' hand

• Soft Hands - If you are dealt an ace and a 3, you've got a soft hand of 14. If you draw another ace after that, you would have a hand that could be worth either 5 or 15 (ace, ace, 3). So, a soft hand is a hand that contains an ace, which can be counted either as 11 or 1.

• Hard Hands - A hand without an ace, or a hand with an ace that can only be counted one way (for example, an ace, 6 and 9).

• Push - An equal score (tie) between the dealer and player in which no money changes hands.

• Bust - When a players total hand exceeds 21, it means he is 'busted', and he loses.

Depending of his two cards and the value of the dealers face up card, the gambler will need to make a playing decision. That means he needs to choose from hitting, standing, doubling down or splitting pairs.Since a casino can be very noisy, hand signals are usually the preferred method of signaling.

If the cards are dealt face down and you want a hit, lightly and gently (as to not hurt the cards) draw the corner of the cards across the felt two times. If the cards were dealt face up, point at them while saying hit, or scratch the table with your finger. You may also want to nod your head in approval at the same time. If the player is satisfied with his total of the two cards, he will stand with those cards. The player will indicate that he stands by waving his hand over the cards.

As a general rule, if the dealer has the face up card greater than 7, the player has better chances if he hits on a total of 12 to 16. If the player has cards that make a total of 17 or more, he should stand because the odds of busting are too high.

To find out more about the betting options available for a player go to Player's Betting Options.

Even this is a simple game to understand we recommend that you practice a bit with our free blackjack game. It's well known that practice makes the best.