Blackjack is an immensely popular card game. That is why is played in casinos all over the world. Now, there is a demand to play this and online casinos all over have included this game in their casino sets. Certain rules have to be followed.
The Objective of the Game
Each participant tries to beat the dealer by getting the cards to count as close to 21 as possible without going over.
Card Values:
Blackjack assigns particular values to every card used in the game. They are as follows:
“2” to “10” Cards: still the same value indicated on the card.
Ace Card: 1 or 11, depending on the player.
Face Card: Equivalent to 10.
Betting
All bets are placed first on the table in the designated area. In an online casino, they are entered via the buttons on the interface. Depending on the table, there are established limits for the betting.
Shuffling
The dealer shuffles the cards, and afterwards cuts they ask one player to cut the deck before it is reshuffled again for dealing. The plastic card is placed so that the other cards are not used.
Dealing
After the player places the bets, the dealer gives one card that is face up to every player in a clockwise direction, and another face up to themselves. In the next round, every card is given to each player face up, but the dealer keeps his face down. As a result, all players get their cards face-up, and the dealer has one face up and face down card.
Naturals or Blackjack
If the player has an ace and either a 10 or a face card, this is called a blackjack. If the player has this card and the dealer does not, the dealer would at once pay the player one and a half times the amount of their bet. If the dealer has a blackjack, he collects the amount of all those who do not have a blackjack. But if the dealer and player both have one, it is a “push” or tie, and the bet is returned to the player.
If the face-up card is an ace, the dealer checks if his face down card forms a blackjack. Otherwise, he won’t play the hand until it is the dealer’s turn to play.
The Play
The player on the left of the dealer goes first. He has to decide if he will stand (not ask for another card and play his available) or hit (ask for one more so the card could move closer to 21). If the total of the player’s hand goes over 21, they go “bust” and the dealer collects his bet. Afterwards, the same procedure is repeated with the next player to the left.
After the dealer has given out the cards to every player, he turns up his face down card. If the total is 17 or above, he has to stand. Otherwise, he has to take a card until the total is 17 or more. If he has an ace and counting it as 11 will bring the total to 17 or above but not over 21, the ace is counted as an 11 and he stands.
Splitting a Pair
If the player’s first two cards have the same number (two sixes or two eights, for example), they can treat them as two separate hands when it is their turn to play. The original bet amount is then placed on one card, and an equal amount on the other. The player then plays the hand to the left by hitting one or more times, and then the hand on the right is played. However, if it is a pair of aces, the player is given one card for each ace and does not draw again. And if a ten-card is dealt with one of the aces, the payoff is the same value as the bet (and not the one and one half as with a blackjack during a normal bet).
Double Down
A player can double down their bet if the original cards dealt add up to a total of 9, 10 or 11. When it’s the player’s turn, they put down another wager equal to their previous one. The dealer then gives the player one card that is faced down; this is not revealed until bets are settled at the end of the hand. For two fives, a player can split, double down or play the hand as it normally is.
Insurance
If the dealer gets an ace as a face-up card, the players can opt to place an insurance bet. This value is up to half of their original bet. This is a wager that the face-down card is a 10 card and forms a blackjack with the ace. After the bets are placed, the dealer looks at the card, and if it indeed is a 10 card, it is turned up. Players who made the insurance bet automatically win and are paid 2:1 for their half bet. The dealer getting a blackjack means the hand is over, and he collects all bets, unless another player has a blackjack, wish results in a push.
Knowledge of the Rules Will Help Your Play
Even if you are a casual player of blackjack, knowledge of the game’s basics will help you make wise decisions when playing and not throw away your money. We would advise you to practise first with free blackjack games so that you could also practise your mock betting, and formulate your strategy with the actual game. With this, we hope that you will enjoy your turn and treat every hand you encounter as a learning experience!