Blackjack Rules & Tips
Blackjack
is by far the most popular casino card game. It is fairly
easy to learn and gives the player a great chance of
winning.
The Rules
Played with anything from 1 to 8 full decks of cards
(minus jokers), the idea of blackjack is to get
as close to 21 points as possible without going over.
Cards 2-10 score as per their face value. Jack, Queen
and King are 10 points each and ace is worth either
1 or 11 at the choice of the player. You may alter the
value of your ace/aces at any time, even whilst playing
the same hand.
Deciding who wins
If the player gets exactly 21 with two cards and the
dealer doesn't - the player wins 1.5 x stake
If the player gets closer than the dealer to 21 without
going over (going bust), the the player wins 1 x stake.
If the player busts (goes over 21) or the dealer goes
closer to 21, the the player loses.
If the player and dealer gets the same score, then the
game is pushed (stakes are refunded).
How
the game is played
The player is initially dealt 2 cards, and the dealer
1. The player now has a number of choices.
HIT - The player
takes another card. There are many scenarios when this
should happen. For example, a player should always hit
if they have less than 9 points. After hitting, the
player then gets the choice of HITTING again or STANDING.
If by taking the extra card the player goes over 21,
then they are deemed to have BUSTED, and automatically
lost their hand.
STAND - The player receives
no more cards and accepts his hand as it is. This should
always be done when the player has 19 or more points
SPLIT - If the player has
two cards of the same denomination, the player may split.
The player can split their cards into two hands and
play each hand separately. Their original bet will be
duplicated for the new hand. Each hand will be played
out as usual except when splitting aces, where only
one additional card per hand is dealt. A pointing finger
will appear over each hand indicating which hand is
active. The split option can only be used once per hand
-- the player cannot split part of a split hand. Any
winning 21 obtained after splitting a pair is paid at
1 x stake and not 1.5 x stake.
DOUBLE DOWN - The player
can double their stake and receive exactly one extra
card.
INSURANCE - Whenever the
dealer's up-card is an ace, the player has an option
of taking insurance. If the player believes that the
dealer's down-card is a 10 ranking card, then the player
is permitted to place a side bet of half the original
wager as insurance. If the dealer does have a 10 ranking
card, the player is immediately paid 2-to-1 on the insurance
bet, but the original wager is lost unless the player
too has a blackjack and pushes with the dealer. Here
the player is simply betting that the dealer's unseen
card is a 10 valued card. This is not advisable at any
time as the casino has a large advantage on this bet.
After the player has played his hand and has not gone
bust, then it is the turn of the dealer. Simply the
dealer will take cards until they are either bust or
have scored 17 or more.
When is it best to
STAND, HIT, DOUBLE DOWN or SPLIT?
Although there are no set rules, if you follow the rules
below, you will give yourself the best chance of winning.
Simply look up your hand down the left hand side and
across for the dealers card. The instructions are thought
to give the player the best chance of winning (According
to mathematicians)
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
A
9
H
D
D
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
10
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
H
H
11
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
H
12
H
H
S
S
S
H
H
H
H
H
13
S
S
S
S
S
H
H
H
H
H
14
S
S
S
S
S
H
H
H
H
H
15
S
S
S
S
S
H
H
H
H
H
16
S
S
S
S
S
H
H
H
H
H
A,2
H
H
H
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
A,3
H
H
H
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
A,4
H
H
D
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
A,5
H
H
D
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
A,6
H
D
D
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
A,7
S
D
D
D
D
S
S
H
H
H
2,2
P
P
P
P
P
P
H
H
H
H
3,3
P
P
P
P
P
P
H
H
H
H
4,4
H
H
H
P
P
H
H
H
H
H
5,5
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
H
H
6,6
P
P
P
P
P
H
H
H
H
H
7,7
P
P
P
P
P
P
H
H
H
H
8,8
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
9,9
P
P
P
P
P
S
P
P
S
S
10,10
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
A,A
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
H=HITS=STAND
D=DOUBLE DOWN P=SPLIT
If other hands that add up to less than 8, player
should HIT.
If other hands of more than 17, player should STAND.
Where
can I practice my Blackjack for free/practice? Why not try our great free
blackjack game here
However, If you want to practice in a casino environment,
then download InterCasino. It has a play for fun mode
(no money) and a play for real mode - where you play
against other live players. It's well worth taking a
look.
Where can I play Blackjack
online for real money?
There are lots of places where you can play Blackjack
online, but we recommend the following:-
Intercasino Intercasino is one the 1st online casinos (launched
1996), and has well over 250,000 players. You will need
to download the software from the internet (this takes
about 20 minutes), or you can order a CD which is easier
to install onto your computer. Once up and running,
you can enjoy some great multi-player games against
other real players online. You have the chance to "play
for fun", great for beginners who are wishing to
hone their skills. The minimum bet is $5, and Intercasino
will double your initial deposit up to $80.
River
Belle River Belle Casino allows the player to play Blackjack
using Flash technology without the need to download.
This casino is well worth a try. Check out their website
for free offers, minimum bets and exact rules.
Royal Vegas
The Place for High Rollers - High Limit Multi Hand Blackjack available.
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