
Home	Blackjack Site Reviews	Blackjack Bonus	Blackjack Strategy	Blackjack Tournament Tips

Blackjack Rules

The Rules of Blackjack are...the hand with the highest total wins, as long as it doesn't exceed 21; a hand with a total higher than 21 is said to "bust". According to Blackjack Rules cards 2 through 10 are worth their face value, and face cards (jack, queen, king) are worth 10. An ace's value is 1 or 11 whichever the player chooses. A hand in which an ace's value is counted as 11 is called a soft hand, because it cannot be busted if the player draws another card.

Blackjack rules state that a player's goal is to beat the dealer by having the higher hand which does not "bust". Blackjack rules are that if the player busts he loses, even if the dealer also busts. If both the player and the dealer have the same point value, it is a tie or "push", and neither player nor dealer wins the hand. Each player has an independent game with the dealer, so it is possible within the rules for the dealer to lose to one player but still beat the other players in the same round.

Blackjack Rules require a minimum bet to be placed before play begins. Once the bets are placed within the rules, the dealer gives each player two cards, including himself. The dealer will have one card face up, so that all players can see it. (The "hole card" is placed faced down. According to European blackjack rules, the hole card is not dealt until all players have played their hand.)

American blackjack rules require the dealer check his hole card to see if he has blackjack. All players are offered insurance (if the face-up card is an ace) prior to the check. When dealer has blackjack, all players lose their initial bets, except players who also have blackjack, who push.

Blackjack is a two-card hand of 21 (an ace plus a ten-value card) and is an automatic winner (unless the dealer has blackjack as well, in which case the hand is a push). A blackjack is usually paid 3:2.

Blackjack Player decisions

Blackjack rules allow the following player's options for his or her hand:

Hit: Take another card.
Stand: Take no more cards.
Double down: Double the wager, take exactly one more card, and then stand.
Split: Double the wager and have each card be the first card in a new hand. This option is available only when both cards have the same value.
Surrender: Forfeit half the bet and give up the hand. Surrender was common during the early- and mid-20th century, but is no longer offered at most casinos.

A player's turn is completed after deciding to stand, doubling down to take a single card, or busting. When a player busts, he or she loses the bet regardless of the dealer's outcome.

Once the player has finished making their decisions, the dealer reveals his hole card and plays the hand. Blackjack rules require the dealer to hit until he at least 17, regardless of what the players have. Some casino rules require the dealer must hit a soft 17.

Blackjack rules state that when the dealer busts then all remaining players win. Bets are normally paid out at the odds of 1:1. Players who push (tie) the dealer receive their original bet back.

Blackjack Rules variations

Some common rules variations:

Only one card for split Aces: a single new card is added to each Ace and the turn ends. (Advantage Casino)
Multiple splits: If a player splits 2 cards and receives a third card of identical value, the hand can be split again, resulting in multiple hands (Advantage Players)
Early surrender: Player has the option to surrender before dealer checks for Blackjack. (Advantage Casino)
Late surrender: Player has the option to surrender after dealer checks for Blackjack. (Advantage Casino)
Double-down restrictions: Double-down may only be allowed on certain combinations of cards (usually totaling 9, 10 or 11). (Advantage Casino)
Double-down after split: Double-down after splitting cards is one of the best rules of blackjack for the player. The split hands are played normally otherwise. (Player Advantage)
Split any tens: Players may split any 2 cards which are both worth 10 points, such as a Jack and Queen. This rule is rarely used, since 20 is a very strong hand which is unlikely to be split. (Player Advantage)

Blackjack rules are different for each of these variations, be sure to understand the rules completely before beginning you blackjack domination.

Blackjack Insurance

When the dealer is showing an Ace, the player is offered the option of buying Insurance before the dealer checks his "hole card". Make it your own personal blackjack rule, or law, to never take insurance.

A blackjack player who wishes to buy Insurance can bet an amount up to half his original bet. Insurance is a bad bet for the player who has no knowledge of the hole card, it has a house edge of 2 to 15%. Taking insurance is betting that the dealer's hole card is a ten or face card. "Since in an infinite deck, 4/13 of the cards are tens or face cards, an unbiased insurance wager would actually pay 9:4, or 2.25:1; since the bet only pays 2:1, the house has a strong advantage. However, if the player has been counting cards, he may know that more than a third of the deck is ten-value cards, in which case insurance becomes a good bet," according to Wikipedia.

If a player has a blackjack and the dealer is showing an ace, the dealer usually asks the player "Even money" instead of offering insurance. If the player accepts the offer, he is immediately paid 1:1 for his blackjack, regardless of whether the dealer has blackjack. Accepting even money on blackjack is exactly the same payout as buying insurance, it is likewise a bad choice for the player.