How to play Blackjack
Online-Casinos.ltd.uk has all sorts of information on Blackjack, why not take a look at Blackjack Terminology.
BEGINNERS GUIDE TO CASINO BLACKJACK
OBJECT OF THE GAME
The object of Casino black jack is to beat the dealer. To achieve this you need to do the following:
• When you have a higher total than the dealer without having more then 21.
• When the dealer goes bust, this happens when the dealers total exceeds 21.
If the player and the dealer both hold the same total, the hand is a draw and nobody wins, known as a push.
BUSTING OR BREAKING ¬AUTOMATIC LOSERS
Once you have received your 2 cards and draw additional cards to increase the score and the total exceeds 21 then you are busted and will automatically loss. Even if the dealer then busts you do not win as your hand is lost.
BLACKJACK – AUTOMATIC WINNER
If you are dealt an ace and a face card (Jack, Queen or King) you automatically win, the hand is known as Black Jack. You are automatically paid out 3 to 2. If the player and the dealer gets Black Jack then the hand is a push.
PAYOFFS
All bets are paid at even money, except when a player receives Black Jack which is paid at 3 to 2. This means if you place a $10 bet you will win $10, with black Jack you would win $15 from a $10 bet. You do have the option in the game to double or split this means putting double you bet down, this will be explained later on.
CARD VALUES
Blackjack can be played with 1 deck of cards, however most casinos will use up to 8 decks depending on the number of seas at the table. The Value of the cards are as follows:
DEALERS RULES
The dealer has rules they must follow. The dealer must draw on any hand 16 or below and stand on any hand that totals 17.
PLAYERS OPTIONS
The player has a number of options when playing Black Jack and is not so restricted as the dealer. Here are the options:
- Drawing or Hitting
- Standing
- Doubling Down
- Splitting Pairs
- Doubling down after splitting
- Surrender
- Insurance
If the player is not happy with the hand he has been dealt he can ask for additional cards. The player can ask for as many additional cards as he or she requires until he or she goes busts or stands.
When the player is happy with their hand they indicate to the dealer they are going to stand, this is generally done by waving their hand over the cards.
This gives an option to the player to double the bet they have placed, if this option is taken the player is dealt one more card. You place the bet with both your cards face up and the dealer will deal one card and no more cards can be drawn.
If you are dealt identical card values such as 5-5, 7-7 or 9-9 and any combination of 10, Jack, queen or King are considered identical values. If you decide to split the cards you need to place the same bet down as you initial bet, then place both cards face up for the dealer to deal to. You can then play the hands as you normally would.
Once you have split you are then able to double down any hands that then get dealt.
The Player is also given the option to surrender the hand as long as the dealer does not have Black Jack. This tends to only be offered in Casinos in Asia and to a very small degree in the US. If a player decides to surrender the hand then he loses half the initial stake.
When the dealer has an Ace card face up they will offer insurance. If any player takes the insurance, they are betting on the dealer having a card that values 10, for Black Jack. When you have indicated you wish to take the insurance you have to place half you initial bet again on the table in the marked area. If the dealer does have Black Jack then you will be paid 2 to 1 while losing the original bet.
THE PLAY OF THE GAME
The game begins with the dealer shuffling all the cards and will offer the deck to be cut by one of the players, the dealer will then remove the top card and discard. Before the cards are dealt the players must all place their bet. The dealer will then deal 2 cards from left to right and one at a time. If you are playing in a casino the cards will be dealt face up, this is due to card players in the early 80’s who were able to swop cards between hands, as they are now dealt face up there is no opportunity for this to happen. The dealer only deals one of their cards face up.
If the dealers card is showing an Ace then they will offer insurance to the other players. If the player then decides to take the option of the insurance they will need to place their bet in the indicated area on the table in front of their cards. If the dealer does not have blackjack then he will collect the insurance money.
There are some variations on what the dealer is required to do if a card with a 10 value is showing, in most of the Nevada casinos the dealer must check the face down card for an Ace, if the dealer has blackjack the house automatically wins. Players holding blackjack will push their cards but you are not able to insure against the dealer having blackjack.
If the dealer does not have blackjack then the play begins with the player to the left of the dealer. The player has the option to stand, hit, double down or split. The play continues until the player is happy with the cards he has or has gone bust. The play then moves to the next player. If a player busts or receives a blackjack, he must turn over his cards. If a bust, the dealer will collect the lost bet.
After the last player is happy with the cards the dealer will turn the un-shown card over so that all players can view both of his cards.
The dealers is restricted by guidelines on how they can play the cards they have been dealt, the dealer must always draw to 17 and stick.
The Dealer
The dealer is responsible for the following duties on the casino table, dealing the cards to the players and playing his own hand according to the rules of Blackjack. They will also convert money into chips for players entering the game or buying some additional chips during the game. Also they make the cor¬rect payoffs for winning hands, and collects chips from the losing players.
The Floor Manager or Pit Boss
They are there to manage the dealers on each table, generally they will look after 4 tables on the casino floor. They are there to ensure the smooth running of all the games and will settle any disputes they may arise, they are also there to oversee the exchange of money.
Joining the game
To join the game sit down at an unoccupied seat at the table, place your bet in the gamble bow closes to you or request some chips from the dealer. Chips can be purchased in a number of values which you can request either small or large denominations or a combination of them both.
Casino Limits
Before you join a table to play you should seek out the indicator card which will tell you the minimum and maximum amounts you are able to play on that specific table. Depending on the casino there will be a variation between the individual tables, some table will start with a low minimum bet and then increase to a table with a large minimum bet per hand.
Rules and Variations
Blackjack can be found all over the world, and though basically the same wherever played, the rules and vari¬ations vary from country to country, from casino to casino within a country, and sometimes, they even differ within a
casino itself.
Las Vegas
- Dealer must draw on all totals of 16 or less, and stand on all totals of 17 -21.
- Player may take insurance on a dealer’s Ace.
- Insurance payoffs are 2 to 1.
- Player receives a 3 to 2 payoff on his blackjack.
- Player may double down on any initial two card combination.
- Identical pairs may be split, resplit, and drawn to as desired with the exception of split Aces, on which the player is allowed only one hit on each Ace.
- One, two, four and bigger deck games are standard.
Northern Nevada
Same as Las Vegas Strip rules with two exceptions:
- Dealer must draw to soft 17.
- Doubling is restricted to two card totals of 10 and 11 only.
Atlantic City
The New Jersey Casino Control Commission regulates the rules and variations allowed in Atlantic City casinos, and Atlantic City clubs must abide by the following guide¬lines:
- Dealer must draw to all totals 16 or less, and stand on all totals of 17-21.
- Player may take insurance on a dealer’s Ace. Insurance payoffs are 2 to 1.
- Player receives a 3 to 2 payoff on his blackjack.
- Player may double on any initial two card combination.
- Identical pairs may be split but not re-split.
- Doubling after splitting allowed.
- Four, six and eight decks are standard.
Europe
The following conditions apply in a good many of these places.
- Dealer must draw to all totals 16 or less, and stand on all totals of 17-21.
- Player may take insurance on a dealer’s Ace.
- Insurance payoffs are 2 to 1.
- Player receives a 3 to 2 payoff on his blackjack.
- Doubling down on 9-11 only .
- Standees permitted.
- No Hole Card rule.
- 4-6 decks standard.
- If player draws a 2 on a A8 double down hand, total counts as 11, not 21.
The general blackjack variations we presented for the European Rules, above, are the most prevalent style of rules you’ll find in casinos around the world.
NB: Single deck blackjack is hard to find or non¬existent outside the Nevada casinos.
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September 13, 2010 12:33 pm