Basic Blackjack Rules
If you don't know how to play Blackjack, it makes no sense to sit at a Blackjack table. As you will find out, Blackjack requires know-how and skill. If you don't master these, the game can become frustrating and you may end up losing more than you bargained for. Here we will teach you simple BlackJack rules, which you can be mindful of when playing for real at our Recommended Blackjack Casino.
Rule Number 1 - Know your limit - your betting limit that is. Some tables have a minimum bet of $0.25 or $1 but you can also find tables where the minimum bet is $50 and even higher.
Rule Number 2 - Understand that your goal is to beat the Dealer; unlike Poker where your goal is to beat the other Players at the table. You can beat the Dealer in 1 of 2 ways - either by getting closer to 21 or if the Dealer busts (i.e. goes over 21).
Rule Number 3 - Know your card values. All cards are worth their face value, so 2s are worth 2 points, 3 are worth 3 points and so forth. The exceptions are the Jacks, Queens, and Kings, which are known as Face Cards. They are all valued at 10 points. The other exception is the Ace card, which is valued at either 1 or 11 points, depending on which value makes a better winning hand.
Rule Number 4 - It is imperative that you learn your BlackJack Terms. The most common terms are 'Hit', 'Stand', 'Double', and 'Split'. We will take a brief look below at what each of these terms means.
- Hit - This means to take another card. By taking another card, you are hoping that you will get Blackjack, as close to 21 without going over, or a better hand than the Dealer.
- Stand - This means that you are satisfied with the hand you were dealt and do not wish to take any more cards.
- Double - This is to double your bet and take 1 more card only.
- Split - If you are dealt two identical cards, such as two 8s, you can split them into 2 separate hands. You will have to bet additional chips to make a Split bet. You can Hit each new hand as many times as you wish and each hand will be paid separately if it wins.
Other popular BlackJack terms include Insurance, Soft Hands, Hard Hands, and "Blackjack", which means getting a score of 21 on the first 2 cards. To achieve this you would need to get an Ace and a 10-valued card on the first deal. You automatically win with a BlackJack, UNLESS the Dealer also has a BlackJack hand. In this case, the game would be a Push. You would receive your initial bet back and a new game would ensue.
Let's take a look at the other Terms, like Insurance. If the Dealer's first card is an Ace, then you have the option of taking insurance. This simply means that you are insuring your bet in the event the Dealer has a BlackJack. If the Dealer has natural BlackJack, you win 2:1 on the Insurance; therefore getting your money back. Any other card means a win for the Dealer.
Soft hands are those hands where the Ace can be used to the value of 1 or 11 without being considered a Bust. An example of a Soft hand would be Ace-3-2. As you can see, the Ace can be used as a 1 or an 11 without going over 21.
Hard hands are those hands that do not contain an Ace or, if they do contain an Ace, it can only be counted as 1 to avoid busting.
Learn Basic BlackJack Strategy - when to Hit, Stand, and Double.