Blackjack Game Rules

How to Play Blackjack

This guide explains the rules of Blackjack, table setup, betting options, strategies, and common variations to help you improve your chances of winning.

Preparations

• Choose your setting: Land-based casino or online casino.
• Buy chips: At a physical table or deposit funds online.
• Understand the rules: Each table may have different house rules.
• Decks used: Blackjack typically uses 1 to 8 standard 52-card decks.

Gameplay Steps

Follow these steps to play the game:

1. Placing Bets

• Before cards are dealt, place your initial wager in the betting circle.

2. Dealing Cards

• Each player gets two cards face up.
• The dealer gets one face up and one face down (in some versions, only one card is shown).

3. Evaluating Hands

• Number cards: Worth face value.
• Face cards (J, Q, K): Worth 10.
• Aces: Worth 1 or 11, whichever benefits your hand.

4. Player Decisions

• Hit → Take another card.
• Stand → Keep your current total.
• Double Down → Double your bet, get one extra card only.
• Split → If dealt a pair, split them into two separate hands.
• Surrender (if allowed) → Fold your hand and reclaim half your bet.

5. Dealer’s Turn

• Dealer reveals the hidden card.
• Dealer hits until at least 17:
  • In most games, the dealer stands on soft 17 (Ace counted as 11).
  • Some versions require the dealer to hit soft 17 (check table rules).

6. Resolving Bets

• Player busts → Lose automatically.
• Dealer busts → Player wins.
• If both stay under 21:
  • Higher hand wins.
  • Tie (Push): Bet returned.
• Natural Blackjack: If you get Ace + 10, you usually win 3:2 unless stated otherwise.

How to Win at Blackjack

There are three main ways to win:

1. Get closer to 21 than the dealer without busting.
2. The dealer busts while you stay under 21.
3. Get a natural Blackjack (Ace + 10) typically pays 3:2.

Basic Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack is one of the few casino games where strategy can reduce the house edge significantly. Here are the core rules:

A Blackjack cheat sheet provides the mathematically optimal moves and can lower the house edge to under 1%.

Advanced Blackjack Strategies

Blackjack is a casino game where it makes sense toi use strategies. Here are a few you can leanr about to win more:

Card Counting

• Tracks the ratio of high vs low cards left in the deck.
• Common systems: Hi-Lo and KO.
• Not illegal, but casinos may ban suspected counters.

Betting Systems

• Flat Betting: Wager the same amount every round.
• Martingale System: Double your bet after each loss (risky).
• Paroli System: Increase bets after wins, safer than Martingale.

Blackjack Dealer Rules

Dealer rules can vary depending on region and casino:

• In most games, the dealer stands on soft 17.
• In some UK Blackjack rules, additional variations apply:
  • 7-Card Charlie Rule: Automatically wins with 7 cards without busting.
  • “Miss a Go” Rule: Player skips a turn in some versions.

Blackjack Side Bets

Many casinos offer optional bets for bigger payouts:

Tip: Side bets have a higher house edge. Fun, but riskier.

Alternative Blackjack Variants

Blackjack Cheat Sheet

Blackjack is a math-based game and with optimal strategy, you can reach a 99.5% theoretical return.

Using a cheat sheet:

• Reduces mistakes.
• Helps decide when to hit, stand, split, or double.
• Maximizes your long-term winning potential.

Overview of Blackjack Rules