The Blackjack Rules for Players of All Experience Levels

Playing casino games online can be fun and rewarding, if you know what you're doing. Here are the Blackjack rules you must know.

Cool and sophisticated, Blackjack is one of the oldest gambling card games around. The first mention of it in writing was in the novel “Don Quixote” by Cervantes, published in the seventeenth century but there’s evidence that it was played even earlier than this.

The good news is, even with its long history, the rules of Blackjack haven’t changed much. So whether you’re an absolute beginner or have been playing for years, there’s always room to improve. Read on to find out the Blackjack rules you must know to dominate in the game.

Blackjack Rules: The Basics

The objective of Blackjack is to finish the game with a higher total than that of the dealer without going over 21.

Blackjack Equipment

You play Blackjack with a standard deck of cards with the Jokers removed. Along with the cards, the game needs a table, chips, a discard tray, a cut card, and a shoe.

Blackjack Card Values

When you play Blackjack the numeral cards from 2 to 10 have their face values. Jacks, Queens, and Kings are valued at 10 while Aces can have a value of either 1 or 11.

Blackjack Rules: The Play

To get you started with the Blackjack basics, here’s an overview of a round of blackjack. These basic Blackjack rules are the same whether you play in-person or at online casinos.

1) Player Buys Chips

Before you can play you’ll need chips. In most casinos, you’ll have to let the dealer exchange your money for chips. 

2) Player Places a Wager

The first thing you do at the start of a round is place a bet in the betting circle.

3) Dealer Deals Cards to Players

Once you’ve placed your bet the dealer will deal clockwise. Each player will get two cards placed face-up in front of them and the dealer gets one card face up and one face down.

4) Player chooses how to play the hand

If you get dealt an Ace and a ten-value card it means you have a Blackjack and win the game. If the dealer also has a Blackjack, you don’t win anything but you also don’t lose your original wager.

If neither you nor the dealer have a Blackjack, you have to decide how you want to play your hand. The options are:

  • Stand. If your first two cards are acceptable, you can stand and the dealer will move on to the next player.
  • Hit. If you would like more cards to try to improve your hand, the dealer will deal you more cards until you either go over 21 or choose to stand.
  • Double Down. If you have a hand total that is advantageous but you want to take an additional card, you can double your opening wager and the dealer will deal you only one additional card.
  • Split. If you’re dealt a pair you can play an additional wager and the dealer will split the two cards so each card will become the first on two new hands.
  • Surrender. Some online card games and casinos allow you to surrender so you can take back half your bet and give up your hand.

Time to Play Blackjack!

Now that you’ve got the basic Blackjack rules down. It’s time to get out there and test out your new skills. Head to our full blog for more beginners guides to dominate other parts of your life.

Leave a Reply