Ultimately blackjack is very simple to play. At the most basic level, blackjack is a contest between the dealer and player where the objective is to achieve a better hand than the dealer without exceeding a total of 21.
Card values in blackjack are similar to most table games with the exception of the Ace. Suits (spades, diamonds, hearts, clubs) do not matter. When combined, individual cards are totaled to give the player a current score. Cards 2 through 9 are scored at face value, Jack, Queen, and King are valued at 10 points and Aces can be worth either 1 or 11 points.
Not surprisingly, the best possible hand to have in blackjack is called “blackjack” which is achieved when the first two cards in any hand total 21. To receive blackjack an Ace must be combined with a 10, Jack, Queen, or King on the first two cards dealt. Thus, a hand containing an Ace and a Jack would be blackjack, yet a hand of Jack, 9, 2 would simply be a score of 21. Blackjack is sometimes also referred to as a “natural.” In nearly all casinos, assuming that the dealer doesn’t also have blackjack, receiving a natural pays instantly and at 1½ times the wager.
After blackjack, the next most desirable outcome is to have the “best hand,” or highest total that doesn’t exceed 21. Winning with the best hand pays out at 1 times the initial wager, thus a player that bets $10 would keep his bet and earn $10 for the win.
The alternative to blackjack or best hand is “push” or “bust.” A push is a tie between dealer and player where money is neither lost nor won. Alternatively, busts are hands that go over 21 and are automatic losers that result in the player forfeiting all wagers. Players are terribly disappointed when they personally bust, but when the dealer busts all parties in the game win.
Every blackjack card combination can be classified as either hard, or soft based on their potential point total. Identifying when a hand is hard or soft is necessary to learn basic strategy.
Hard combinations are when a player’s cards can only total to one value. For example, if a player has a hand with a 4 and an 8, they would be considered to have a hard 12. Similarly, if a player has a hand consisting of a 7, 5 and Ace, their total can only be 13. Even though the Ace can technically be worth 1 or 11 points, in this scenario, the Ace can only be valued at 1 point since a value of 11 would cause the hand to bust (exceed 21), resulting in an automatic loss.
Soft hands are the opposite of hard hands because they can have multiple totals. For example, if a player has a hand that includes a 2, 3 and Ace, they are said to have a soft hand because the Ace can be worth 1 or 11 points, thus the hand could be worth either 6 or 16. Since the Ace is the only card in blackjack that can have multiple values, a hand must include an Ace to be considered soft. A primary benefit of soft hands is that it is impossible for them to bust.
At a blackjack table, player(s) sit across from the dealer in a semicircle. The dealer deals the cards clockwise, so the player who is sitting farthest to the right of the table at “first base” gets the first card, and the player to the far left at “third base” gets the last card. After the player at third base gets his card, the dealer deals himself a card. The dealer deals one card for each of the two rounds resulting in everyone receiving two cards prior to the beginning of the game.
In games with three or more decks, the dealer deals from a shoe, which is a dispenser at the right side of the table next to the chip rack. In single- and double-deck games, the dealer holds the cards and deals by tossing the cards to the players. Cards in multi-deck games are usually dealt face up, and cards in single- and double-deck games are typically dealt face down. One of the dealer’s cards is always face down. This is known as the hole card, and the dealer does not show it to anyone until every player is done acting unless it is a blackjack.
Before a game begins, the dealer shuffles the deck(s) and “burns” a card by putting it in the discard tray without looking at it or showing it to anyone. After the card is burnt, players put their cash wagers or chip wagers in their betting circles. Wagers must be no less than the table minimum, and no more than the table maximum as stipulated by the bet limits established by the casino for each table. Once the wagers are placed, the dealer starts distributing cards and players are not allowed to modify their bets unless it is to double or split.
After the initial two cards are dealt and the dealer has asked people if they want to insure their hands and/or checked for blackjack, he pays anyone who has gotten a two-card blackjack, then motions for the player at first base to indicate whether he will hit, double, surrender, split, or stand on his hand. The dealer continues across the table in a clockwise manner until the player at third base acts. After the player at third base acts, the dealer goes through the same process for himself—except he has to draw until he reaches 17 or busts. Some tables require the dealer to stay on a soft 17, and others require that the dealer hit on a soft 17. The latter is more advantageous to the house, so it is the rule you will see more frequently.
If the dealer busts, everyone who is still in the hand is paid an amount equal to whatever they have wagered. If the dealer does not bust, he pays anyone who has a higher card point total than his hand and collects the wagers of those people who had a lower card point total. After the hand has been concluded, the dealer collects all of the cards for the hand and puts them face down in the discard tray. The process is then repeated until the shoe or deck needs to be reshuffled.
In any game of blackjack, several actions are available to players. Likewise, dealers also take action to improve their own hands, but are required to draw cards until they reach a score of 17 or greater.