Official Black Jack Rules

Blackjack is the biggest card game in Las Vegas , and versions can be found throughout the world. The reason for it's popularity is it's simplicity, and the fact that it has a reputation for being the only game in the casino where the player can consistently beat the house.

In fact, craps, baccarat, and pai-gow poker all have betters odds of winning, unless the blackjack player is able to utilize a card-counting strategy, but for the gambler who's looking for a simple, fun game, blackjack remains the number one choice.

Let's look at the basic rules of the game, and then see what we can do to make sure that we walk away from the table smiling.

The goal of blackjack is to build a hand of cards whose numerical value is equal to 21. To do this, we count all cards at their face value, ie 9 points for a 9, 2 points for a 2, etc. The exceptions are that all face cards, Jack, Queen, King are counted as 10 points, and an Ace can either represent 11 points or 1 point, depending on what the player wants.

If you go over 21, points, you automatically lose. If you stay under 21 points, but the dealer's hand is bigger than yours – for example, if you have 18 points and the dealer gets a Queen and a Ten for a total of 20 points, you lose.

You can win in one of three ways. The best is to get a “Blackjack” which is when your first two cards contain an Ace and a Ten (or Jack, Queen, King.) This is an automatic winner unless the dealer also has a blackjack then it is a tie and pays 3-to-2; that is, for every $2 you have bet, you get $3 added to your winnings.

The second way to win is to beat the house; for example, your hand is Queen-4-5 for a total of 19 points, and the house gets a 10-4-3 for a total of 17 points. This will give you a 1-to-1 payoff.

The final way to win is if the house “busts” – which means they go over 21. Then, no matter how small a hand you have, you'll still win.

Let's walk through a hand of blackjack and make sure we understand everything.

The game starts as soon as one player sits down across from the dealer, although most tables have spots for up to 7 players. In our game, there are 7 players going against the dealer, and we're in the first seat.

First, each player places a wager in a small circle marked in front of their seat. The wager must be between the minimum and maximum limits posted at the table. Common limits are $5-$500, $10-$1000, and up.

We're sitting at a $5 table, so we slide one $5 chip into our betting circle. Everyone else does the same, and the dealer gives each player, and themselves, 2 cards from the “shoe” – a clear plastic box containing 1-6 decks of 52 cards.

The dealer places the players cards face up, and places their own cards a little differently; one is face-up, the other is facedown.

We got an 8-5 for a total of 13 points. Let's look at everyone elses cards:

Player #2			Player #3
Player #4			Player #5
Player #5			Dealer

Because the dealer has an Ace showing, they might have a Blackjack if their hidden card is worth 10 points. This is the only time they'll offer “insurance” which is an extra bet that pays us 2 to 1 if the dealer has a Blackjack. It's a sucker bet, so never take it. No one at the table does, and the dealer checks for blackjack by pushing the edge of the hidden card into a little card reader. Sure enough, it's not a 10 point card, so the game continues.

The next thing the dealer does is to pay Player #5 for his Blackjack. He had a $10 bet in his circle, so she gives him $15 in chips.

Now the dealer looks at us. We have 13 points, which is pretty low, plus there's not too much danger that we'll bust if we draw another card; there are only 5 cards that can hurt us; the Jack, Queen, King, 9, and 10… We tap the table to indicate that we want another card, and just to be sure, we tell the dealer “Hit me ,” be careful any tap on the table can be misunderstood as a “hit.” The dealer gives us another card; now our hand is 8-5-5. This gives us 18 points. Now it would be too dangerous to draw again, as there are 10 cards that could bust us and only 3 cards (the 2, 3 or an Ace) that would help. So, we wave our hand over the cards and say “Stay.”

The next player has a bad hand – 16 points, very dangerous because there are a lot of cards that can hurt him but because the dealer will always draw until they have at least 17 points, it's too low to win unless the dealer busts. He taps and tells the dealer “Hit me” but gets a 9, for a total of 25 points, so he busts. The dealer takes his cards, and his chips.

Player #3 has two 7's – she is allowed to split this pair, and she does. This means she needs to put up another bet, so now she has 2 hands of 7 points instead of one hand of 14 points. She tells the dealer to hit her first hand twice; she gets a 9 and stays with 16 points. One the other hand, she hits once and gets a King, for a total of 17 points, and she stays with that.

Player #4 has a great hand; 11 points so there is no card that can hurt him, and if he gets any kind of 10 point card, it's a guaranteed win. He tells the dealer “Double down” and pushes another chip forward to match the one that he has in his circle. Doubling down is a special wager that gives you a chance to win more if your starting hand is worth 9,10, or 11 points, but the dealer will give you only one card, so you're betting that it's a good one. This guy gets lucky, his single card is a 9, for a total of 20 points.

Player #6 has a “soft 16” – it's called that because the Ace can either represent an 11 (11+5=16) or a 1 (1+5=6) – so unlike the first player who had a solid 16, this hand is not dangerous to hit, because even if you get a high card, you can't bust right away. This lady says “Hit me” and gets a 4. Now, she has two choices – call the Ace an 11 and stay with 11-5-4 = 19 points, or call the Ace a 1 and hit again on 1-5-4 = 10 points. She wisely decides to stay with the 19, which is the third highest possible hand.

Now the dealer is going to flip over their hidden card to reveal a five. This gives the dealer a “soft 16” also. The dealer is required to draw until they have at least 17 points. So the dealer gives themselves another card, this one is an 8.

Now the dealer has to play the Ace as a 1, otherwise she would go bust.

So, treating the Ace that way, she has 1-5-8 for 14 points. She draws one more card, with is a 3, for a total of 17 points. At this point, she can't draw any more cards for herself.

Now, the dealer will go around the table and pay up or collect bets depending on who she beat. She pays us because our 19 beats her 17, she takes Player #3's first bet (remember, she split her 7's) because the total points on that hand was only 16. On the second hand, they tie, so the dealer says “Push” and leaves Player #3's second bet on the table.

Player #4 and Player #6 also win their bets; so we are done with this hand, and ready to start another. We have seen every possible outcome in this one scenario. Now let's talk about why the casino wins eventually, and what we can do to make sure we're not the ones who are making the house rich.

Why the Casino Wins

Since the rules are the same for both the player and the house, it's hard to see where the house advantage comes in. It happens because the dealer plays last, thus giving all the players a chance to bust and lose their money before the dealer ever plays.

Now you know how to play blackjack, the world's most popular casino table game. It's simple, fun, and with your new-found knowledge, you're all set to win. Have fun, and good luck!

 

 

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