Since there are so many different versions and strategy of Blackjack available today, it’s important to be aware that the rules vary slightly between them. So here we will give a thorough review of the rules of the game.
It is commonly said that the goal in Blackjack is to get a card hand with a value as close to 21 as possible without going over. That’s actually not quite right. The goal is simply to beat the dealer. However, the closer you get to 21 (without “going bust”), the better your chances of winning.
It’s a trade-off – do you want to draw another card and risk going bust, or do you bet that your hand will be enough?
Place a bet
Once you’ve sat down at a blackjack table, you’ll need to place a bet to be in the game. Your money is represented by chips, each of which has a specific value. Your bet is placed in the betting area marked on the table. If you choose chips of different values, the most valuable one is placed at the bottom and the least valuable one at the top. You have the option of combining chips to create a bet that feels right for you. Once you are happy with your bet, you are ready to start the game.
Start the game
The dealer is responsible for dealing the cards and always deals clockwise. Initially, you are dealt two cards face up, while you always see only one of the dealer’s cards. Your further actions should be based on an analysis of both your own hand and the dealer’s exposed cards. Essentially, this means that you add up your cards to evaluate whether you want additional cards to reach a value closer to 21. If a new card poses an imminent risk of exceeding 21, you have the option to override the deal. You also need to keep in mind at all times that you are competing with the house. If the house has a value closer to 21 than you have, you lose. You can get some information about the dealer’s hand by keeping an eye on his visible cards.
The value of the cards
All number cards, i.e. 1 to 10, have the same value as the card shows. A hand consisting of cards 6 and 9, therefore, gives a total of 15.
All face cards, i.e. jack, queen and king, have a value of 10. A hand consisting of jack and king cards, therefore, gives a total of 20.
The Ace has a special status as it can take two different values; 1 or 11. The value of the card depends on what is most advantageous for your current card hand. If you already have a face card with a value of 10, the Ace will automatically have a value of 11. The total will then be 21, the best you can achieve in Blackjack.