Blackjack Rules

The objective of Blackjack is for a player to get their cards closer to 21 than the dealer’s cards without exceeding a total of 21. The value of a hand is the sum total of all the cards in the hand.

In all versions of blackjack the value of cards from 2 to 10 are at face value while Jack, Queen and King have a value of 10 points each. The Ace can either have 1 point for 11 points depending on the player’s advantage.

If the player is dealt an Ace and a 10 on the first two cards, that is considered a Blackjack and hence an automatic win. If the player and the house tie, it is a push and no one wins.

The game starts with the player being dealt two cards face up and the dealer is dealt two cards with one facing down. At this stage, players have several options depending on the value of the cards:

Stand: When a player decides to take no more cards.

Hit: A hit is when a players takes another card from the dealer. This is done to increase the total value of the cards and bring to closer to 21. A player can keep opting to Hit as long as they don’t Bust.

Bust: Is the term used when either the player’s cards or the dealer’s hand has a total of over 21, thereby losing the game.

Double: This option allows players to double up their wager in exchange for one final card. Typically a player will double up when the dealer has a lower card while the player has a good hand.

Split: A Split occurs when the player is dealt two of the same cards and in this case, they can double their bet and play two hands instead of one. Each hand is played independent of the other.

Insurance: A player can protect their bet against the dealer having Blackjack with the Insurance option which is available when the dealer has an Ace. The insurance is equal to half of the total amount of the player’s wager and should the dealer have a blackjack, the total wager will be returned.