Blackjack Rules

Blackjack Rules

The blackjack rules are quite simple to understand and to follow. Blackjack is played by 1 to 7 players who sit a semi circular blackjack table. The players are not playing against each other; they are playing against the dealer. The objective of the game is simple. You have to get a hand with a total value of 21 or a hand that is higher than the dealer’s to win.  But you must not go over 21 or you lose and this is called ‘bust’. Now on this Blackjack School Online guide let’s take a closer look at how the game of blackjack works.

As you might have guessed the cards are assigned values in the game of blackjack. The King, Queen and the Jack are all assigned 10 points each. The remaining numbered cards are assigned their face value. The Ace acts as a special card because it can have the value of 1 or 11 based on how you want to use it. The total hand value is calculated by adding the points of the cards. For instance, if you have a 5♥ and a 4♠, your total hand value is 5+4=9. The suit of the cards does not matter in blackjack.

To start the game players place their bets on the table in the designated betting area. The dealer will then deal 2 cards to each player, face up. He deals himself two cards as well, one face up and one face down. Now each player will check the total hand value of their cards. If you have 21 points on your first hand it is called a natural and you win. If your total hand value is less than 21 you can opt to ‘hit’, which is to have one more card dealt to you in order to improve your hand value. You can continue to hit until you get 21 points. But, as I mentioned earlier, going over 21 points ends the game. To avoid this you can opt to ‘stand’ which means you do not want anymore cards. Once you stand, the dealer will reveal his face down card. If he does not have a blackjack (21 points) he will continue to hit until he busts, or as per the house rules.

There are a few blackjack rules regarding pairs. When you get a pair of cards you can opt to split them and play them as two individual hands. Of course you need to know when it is best to split pairs and blackjack strategy will tell you that. Another action in blackjack gaming is ‘double down’. Doubling down is the action of doubling your bet and accepting just one more card when you hit. You normally double down when you are sure that the next card will help you win a blackjack.

Playing blackjack online is really simple. The blackjack table is designed to look exactly like the real thing. The hit and stand button appear on your screen and you can easily navigate through the game.  Find out more on our blackjack online gambling page.