How To Play Blackjack

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Blackjack is among the most universally popular of all casino games, and at the same time one of the most underestimated. Just ask any dealer and he or she will tell you that the vast majority of gamblers have no how to play blackjack. But since it's easy to get a handle on the basics. and also easy to find tables offering low minimums, blackjack continues to attract millions of new players. Let's take a basic overview of game play.

In the game of blackjack, the player with the highest total wins, providing it doesn't exceed 21. Go higher than that, and you bust. Deuces through 10 are worth their face value, and face cards are worth 10 each. An ace's value is 11 unless this causes a bust, in which case it's worth 1. A hand in which an ace's value is counted as 11 is called a "soft" hand, because it can't be busted if the player draws another card.

If a player and the dealer wind up with hands of the same value, it's called a "push" which is basically a tie. No one collects any money. Regardless of how many players are sitting at the table, each has an independent game with the dealer. Therefore it's possible for the dealer to lose to one player while beating the other players in the same round.

A two-card hand that totals 21 (an ace plus a 10-value card) is called blackjack (or a "natural") and wins automatically in the traditional format of the game. In some alternative variations, this hand does not automatically win. A natural usually pays 3:2 on the bet. If the dealer has blackjack and a player does not, the player automatically loses. If neither has blackjack, the hand proceeds. The player's options are to Hit (take another card), Stand (take no more cards), Double Down (double the bet, take one more card and then stand) or Split (double the bet and make each card the first card in a new hand, which is only possible when both cards match.)

Never forget that the house has a statistical advantage over the player at all times. Skilled players are able to reduce the casino advantage to a small percentage by playing what is known as "basic" blackjack strategy. This dictates when to hit and when to stand, and also dictates precisely when doubling down or splitting is the smart move.

Basic strategy is based on the player's point total and the dealer's visible card. The house advantage over a basic strategy player can be as low as 0.16% when a single deck is used (practically impossible to find in modern-day Vegas or online.) Some gamblers detest basic strategy, even while acknowledging its effectiveness. They feel it takes the spontaneity out of the game. It's up to you to decide what you seek from your gaming experience: to win on a regular basis or to enjoy the fun and risk of gambling by instinct.