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Blackjack Basics

The following description is of a typical blackjack game. This example uses the most common set of rules (variations to the rules are discussed separately), and there is no discussion of player strategies (which are also explored elsewhere), for the sake of providing a concise and clear explanation of the fundamental game.

The Environment

Blackjack is most commonly played in the casino environment. While there is much to be said about that environment, it is largely extraneous to the game itself (and is discussed later). For the time being, it's sufficient to focus on the blackjack table.

The typical blackjack table is semi-circular. Each table will seat a number of players (five to seven is common), who sit on the arc of the table, facing a dealer who stands across from them. The layout of the table (shown below) is typical. The colors of the tabletop here are used for illustration (the tabletop is usually a solid color, uniform throughout) and anything that appears in white is for instructional purposes.

The "inside" of the table is the sole demesne of the dealer. Most of the equipment (cards and cheques) will remain in this area except when it is in active use. The table's bankroll (a large rack of cheques), the deck or shoe of cards, the discard tray, and other features are typically in the positions shown here.

The "outside" of the table is an empty space provided for players to keep their paraphernalia. Most commonly, players keep their bankroll of cheques that are not being used in the current hand here, as well as beverages, ashtrays, or whatever they happen to be carrying around with them.

The "middle" of the table is the most significant: this is where all cards and cheques used in a hand will be placed. There is typically a wagering spot where each player is expected (required) to place his wager and cards are dealt.

The middle of the table is typically divided from the inside by a visible line, typically formed by a few of the basic rules in effect at the table (additional rules are placed on a placard at a corner table). The boundary between the middle and the outside is generally considered to be the edge of the wagering spots.

The Equipment

The most significant piece of equipment in blackjack is the deck of cards, which is a standard 52-card deck (two through ten, jack, queen, king, and ace in each of four suits: hearts, clubs, spades, diamonds), without jokers. More commonly, blackjack is played with multiple decks, with the most common being two-, six-, or eight-deck games. A plastic device called a "shoe" is often used to store the cards in multiple-deck games.

The suits have no impact on the game—only their values are considered. Two through ten are worth the value shown and all face cards (jack, queen, king) have the value of ten. An ace can have the value of one or eleven—it is counted as eleven unless the total value of the hand exceeds 21, at which point it is counted as one.

The next most significant equipment are the wagering pieces, called "cheques," that are used to make and pay wagers. These small discs are generally made of clay, and are both marked and color-coded for various denominations. Typical denominations are $1 (white), $5 (red), $25 (green) and $100 (black)—though high-limit tables may include cheques in denominations of $500, $1,000, $5000, $10,000, and even more. Some houses use a pink ($1.50) cheque, while others use "silver" (half-dollars, silver dollars, or dollar tokens).

Each player keeps his own cheques before him on the outside of the table, whereas the dealer's (or more accurately, the house's) cheques are kept in a rack on the inside of the table. When placing wagers, players place the cheques in the spot provided. The dealer will draw from and return to the rack when paying or collecting wagers at the end of each hand.

The only other common pieces of equipment are the cut card (a sheet of translucent plastic used to cut the cards) and the discard tray. In rare cases, other equipment may be used, such as a paddle to deliver cards to the players.

The Objective

The objective of blackjack is, simply, to beat the dealer. There are two ways to achieve this:

First, a player may win by beating the dealer's hand. This is done by achieving a value that is higher than the dealer's without exceeding 21. When a hand exceeds 21, it "busts," losing instantly.

Second, a player may win by remaining in the game, with any total of cards under 21, if the dealer busts his own hand.

It is crucial to consider both options for winning. The most common strategic mistake made by novices is to attempt to beat the dealer's hand every time. Such players will often bust their own hands in the attempt, and will lose many hands they would have won if they had stood on a lesser total and waited for the dealer to bust.

Detailed information about strategy is provided separately, and details of how hands are played follow. For now, it is sufficient to know the objective toward which the game is played.

The Deal

Each round of blackjack begins when the dealer delivers the initial cards (two apiece) to the players and himself. Cards are dealt methodically, beginning with the player at the dealer's left, moving clockwise around the table.

After each player receives his one card, the dealer usually receives his first card, which is kept face-down. Players will not see this card (called the "hole" card) until the end of the hand. A second card is dealt to each player and, finally, to the dealer.

Depending on the game, the player's cards may be placed face-up or face-down in front of each players. In virtually all games, one of the dealer's cards is placed face-up ("up-card") and the other face-down ("hole card"). In this way, players will not know the total value of the dealer's hand, but can make an informed guess based on the value of the card that is exposed.

Drawing Blackjack

The eponymous "blackjack" is an initial hand of two cards that total 21: an ace and a ten-value card. It is an "instant winner" for any player, or for the dealer (against all players).

If the dealer's up-card is an ace, players are offered the option of making an "insurance" bet before the dealer reveals his hole card. Players opting to take insurance make a separate wager, half the amount of their original bet. If the dealer has blackjack, the player who elects to buy insurance loses nothing (neither the insurance bet or the original wager), otherwise, the insurance bet is lost, but the original wager remains in play.

If any player has blackjack, he will be offered the option of taking "even money"—a one-for-one payoff of his original bet—at the same time the others are offered insurance. A player who takes even money is paid immediately, regardless of what the dealer's hand turns out to be, and his original wager is out of play.

If the dealer's hole card is a ten, completing a blackjack, the card will be turned and the game will be finished. All player's bets will be claimed by the dealer unless they made an insurance wager or opted to take even money. If a player has blackjack, but did not opt to take even money, this will tie ("push" against) the dealer's blackjack and the player will keep his original wager.

If the dealer's up-card is a ten, neither insurance nor even money is offered. The dealer will check his hole card. If it turns out to be an ace, completing his blackjack, he will overturn it, and the hand is ended. All players lose their wagers unless they also have blackjack, in which case they tie and keep their original wager.

After checking the dealer's hand for blackjack (if necessary), any player who has blackjack is paid immediately—a three-to-two payoff of the original wager, and his hand is taken out of play.

If the dealer does not have blackjack, play will continue. Each player will take his turn in the order in which the hands were dealt—starting at the dealer's left, and moving clockwise around the table.

Initial Options

In addition to playing their hand in the typical fashion, players may be able to exercise these options immediately after the cards are dealt:

Surrender

A player may choose to surrender immediately and forfeit half his wager (but retain the other half). If a player elects to surrender, the dealer claims half of the wager and collects the player's hand. The round is over for that player.

Doubling

A player may elect to increase his wager, typically (though not necessarily) to double the amount of his original bet. The player will receive only one additional card. If this card brings the total value of the player's hand to over twenty-one, he loses. The dealer immediately collects the cards and the player's wager (including the increase) and the round is over for that player. Otherwise, the player is forced to stand, and the dealer moves on to the next player. Doubling is an irrevocable decision—the player cannot take additional hits or retrieve the additional wager afterward.

Originally, the additional card was placed face-down (it is still often called "doubling down") and was not exposed until the end of the round. This remains a common practice in hand-dealt games—but the card is usually dealt face-up in multiple-deck games dealt form a shoe. (The difference is discussed further in the casino play section of this site.)

Splitting

If a player has received two matching cards (two sevens, two kings, two aces ), he may opt to "split" them into two separate and independent hands. An additional wager is placed, typically equal to (though it may be less than) the original wager and the cards are moved apart.

There are a few conventional rules regarding splitting hands:

1. If the second card is also the same value, the player may re-split them, creating a third hand—then a fourth. In most cases, four is the maximum.
2. If the original split cards were aces, the player receives only one additional card (total of two) and may not play the hands further.
3. If an ace is dealt to a ten-value card that has been split, or if a ten is dealt to an ace that has been split, it is not treated as a blackjack (paid immediately at 3:2), but is merely twenty-one. It will remain until the end of the round and will be paid at 1:1.
4. Generally, players may exercise the option to surrender or double a split hand.

If none of these rules or options come into effect, the hand is played normally, as follows.

Playing a Hand

Unless the player has opted to surrender or double, he will play the hand (or each of two or more split hands) by deciding to hit or stand.

When the player opts to hit, one additional card is dealt to it, and its total increases by the value of that card. If the total value of the hand exceeds twenty-one with an ace counted as eleven (a "soft hand"), the ace reverts to a value of one.

If the total value of a hand that does not contain an ace, or in which all aces have reverted to a value of one ("hard hand") exceeds twenty-one, the player has "busted"—and lost. The dealer will collect the cards and their corresponding wager, and the round is over for that hand.

If the total value is less than twenty-one, the player may opt to take additional hits, one at a time, until he is satisfied with the value, at which point he opts to "stand" and take no more cards. Standing is an irrevocable decision.

When a player elects to stand, the cards and wager remain where they are until the end of the game. He must wait until all other players, as well as the dealer, have played their hands before knowing whether he has won or lost.

The Dealer's Hand

Unless the dealer has drawn blackjack, his hand will be played last, after all other players have completed their hands. The dealer does not have the option to split, double, or surrender, but must play his hand normally.

Further, the dealer must play the hand according to the established rules. Typically, he must continue to take hits until the hand totals 17 or more, though some games will require the dealer to hit a "soft" 17.

If the dealer exceeds 21, he busts and loses to all remaining hands. Players are paid even money (one-to-one) for wagers that remain on the table, and the round has ended.

Once very important point: any player who has busted is already out of the game, and does not receive any compensation for his loss, even if the dealer busts. This is what gives the house its edge in the game, as described under "Chances of Winning".

Endgame

If the dealer has busted, all that remains is to pay off all players who have remained in the game, regardless of the value of their hands.

If the dealer successfully completes his hand without busting, the round has been played out and hands are evaluated (typically in reverse-order, from the dealer's right, counter-clockwise). Wagers are taken or paid as the hands are evaluated, and the cards are collected at the very end.

The evaluation of each player's hand has one of three results:

• A player's hand that is higher in value than the dealer's has won, and the player is paid even money for his wager on that hand.
• A player's hand that is lower in value than the dealer's has lost, and the wager on that hand will be collected.
• A player's hand that is equal in value to the dealer's hand has tied, or "pushed." The wager will remain on the table, and the player may opt to leave it there for the next round or collect it and leave the game.

Repeat

After clearing the table, another round will be dealt if there are sufficient cards remaining in the deck (or unless the cut card has shown. Otherwise, the dealer will shuffle before play continues.

One word of advice for novice players: the game of blackjack should be regarded as a sequence of hands—some winning, some losing. Since there is no reliable (and permissible) way to ensure victory in every hand, the objective of playing the game is to win more than lose over the course of a session in which many hands are played.

This description is fairly typical for casino play, based on rules most commonly used at casinos. There are many variations to these rules, which will be discussed in the next section, and a great deal to be known about strategy in order to play the game with any degree of success.

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