Blackjack is one of the most popular card games in both brick-and-mortar and online gaming establishments. Naturally, knowing the rules of the game is a must if you want to get a financial benefit out of it. Blackjack rules don’t stay the same regardless of whether you are in a land-based casino or playing the game on the web.
In this text, we’ll cover all the blackjack standard rules, a few tips for beginners, and more. Without further ado, let’s get you ready to become a blackjack pro!
Blackjack Basics
Blackjack is quite a simple card game in which your goal is to beat the dealer rather than the other players at the table. This game also has the lowest house edge, which means it’s easier to win some real money playing blackjack than any other online casino game.
There are many different blackjack variants, but for the time being, we will focus on the classic casino blackjack rules, where the ultimate goal is to beat the dealer’s hand and get as close as possible to a score of 21.
The best possible outcome would be to hit 21 exactly, and when that happens, you’ve got a blackjack. Everything above 21 is a miss and gets you nowhere, so you need to be mindful not to get over that number.
Before the game starts, players need to set their bets. Once this is done, the dealer gives each player two cards and takes two cards for herself. While players’ cards are both facing up, the dealer has one facing up and the other facing down.
When you get your cards, it’s time to act on your starting hand. You can do it in one of the following ways:
- Hit — You go for this option if you want the dealer to give you another card that will add to your final score. This is usually done when you have really low starting cards, and you hope to boost your hand.
- Stand — If you decide to stand with your cards, it means that you’re satisfied with what you’ve got and don’t want to take any more cards.
- Double down — When doubling down, you double your bet and receive one more card from the dealer.
- Split — You can choose to split your cards if they are of equal value and create two separate bets. You will then have two chances to hit 21 instead of one.
- Insurance — An insurance bet is a side bet in which you are trying to guess whether the dealer has a natural blackjack, meaning that they’ve got a blackjack with their initial cards. If your guess is correct, you will get double the amount of your initial bet.
- Surrender — Finally, if you don’t think you can do anything with your initial cards, you can surrender and often get half of your initial bet back.
Knowing the values of the cards is obviously a crucial aspect. All face cards are worth 10 while an ace can be worth 1 or 11, depending on what you need to make your hand better. Cards from two to nine all carry the value of their respective number.
There are also some blackjack dealer rules you need to be aware of, so let’s go through them as well.
Blackjack Dealer Rules
Since we’ve told you that blackjack is a game played against the dealer, it’s time to tell you about a few dealer rules you need to be aware of. Remember that the dealer has one card facing up? Basically, your job is to use that card and try to guess how close the dealer is to hitting a blackjack.
Usually, standard blackjack card game rules say that the dealer will go by the rule of Soft 17. This means that, if the dealer has a value of 17 or higher, they will choose to stand and won’t try to hit a blackjack, which gives you the chance to risk and do it yourself. If, on the other hand, the dealer has 16 or lower, they will add another card to make their total amount higher.
As opposed to players, the dealer can’t double down, split or surrender. Sometimes, the dealer won’t follow the Soft 17 rule but choose to hit on 17 depending on the policy of the casino.
Blackjack Rules for Beginners
When you’re a beginner, the most important thing is to focus on your cards and try to put all the rules from this guide to good use. Remember, you are playing against the dealer, so other players’ cards are of no interest to you.
By following the classic online blackjack rules, you will need maximum focus once you get your initial cards and are expected to make your move. Resist the urge to play too quickly and risk making a mistake. Instead, take your time, think of the best possible outcome you can get with your cards and then act.
Of course, before you even start playing, make sure that the casino follows these rules and has them clearly defined on the site. Sometimes casinos offer different blackjack variants, so you need to be aware of the exact rules in advance.
Final Thoughts
To wrap up, this is basically all you need to know about blackjack to start your adventure on the right foot. However, it’s not enough to learn the rules of blackjack by heart. You’ll need some time to put everything you’ve learned into practice, which you can do by playing blackjack for free in one of the many online casinos that offer demo games.
As you can see, the rules are pretty straightforward. It shouldn’t take you long to master them and start winning online blackjack games. Fingers crossed!