Basic Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack Tips Beyond Basic Strategy

The Toughest Card to Play in Blackjack

The value of your hand is determined by adding the numeric value of each of your cards. For example: Q, 6, 3 = 19. The best possible hand is called Blackjack. Blackjack is only achieved if your first 2 cards total exactly 21. An Ace with a Ten, Jack, Queen or King equals Blackjack. This hand beats any other hand, including a hand of 21 made up of three cards, except another Blackjack.

Hands other than Blackjack that contain an Ace are considered "soft" hands. For example: 6, A = 7 or 17. If counting the Ace as an 11 puts the hand over 21, then the Ace will automatically be counted as a 1.

Any hand that equals more than 21 is a bust and automatically loses.

How to Play Online Blackjack

Place your bet: This is your first action. Choose from five chip denominations: $1, $5, $10, $25 and $100. You may play up to three hands at a time.

Cards Dealt: You will be dealt two cards face-up. The dealer will receive one card face-up and one card face-down (hole card). The hole card will remain face-down until you have finished your play.

If the dealer's up card is an Ace, you will be offered insurance. You may accept or decline.

Insurance: This is only available when the dealer's up card is an Ace. It is an additional wager equal to half your original bet. You will be insured against the possibility that the dealer has blackjack. If the dealer has blackjack, the insurance pays off at 2:1. You lose your original bet unless you also have blackjack. If you have it, then the hand will push. This basically means you tied and your wager will be returned to you. If the dealer does not have blackjack, you will lose the insurance wager and the hand will continue to play.

After you accept or decline the insurance, the dealer will check their hole card for blackjack. The hole card will be checked without being revealed to you if the dealer's up card has a value of 10. Play ends and you lose your wager if the dealer has blackjack, unless you also have blackjack. If you have blackjack and the dealer does not, then you automatically win $1.50 for every $1 of your original wager.

Player's Action: At this point, neither you nor the dealer has blackjack. You must decide what your action will be: stand, hit/draw, surrender, double down or split.

Stand: You feel confident in your two cards and you decide to keep your hand exactly as it is. The action then goes to the dealer.

Hit/Draw: You take additional cards in order to improve your hand. There is no limit to the number of hits you can take. However, if you go over 21 it is a bust and you lose the game. After you are satisfied with your cards and do not want to take any more hits, you must stand. Then you wait for the dealer to finish.

Surrender: You decide to end the game because you believe your chances of winning with your first two cards are not good. If you surrender, you will lose half your original wager. The game will end and the cards will be reshuffled.

Double Down: You can double the amount of your original wager if you believe your chances of winning are good. You will be dealt exactly one additional card and play will go to the dealer.

Split: You can split your hand into two separate hands if your two cards have the same value (8-8, 6-6, 10-K, etc.). An additional wager equal to your original wager will be placed next to the new hand. A second card is dealt to the first of the two hands and you may choose any of the player's actions. Once you are confident in your hand, you must stand. When you finish this hand, you will be dealt a second card to the last of the split hands. Again you may choose any of the available player's actions. After you believe you have a strong hand, select stand. You are only allowed one split per deal. A split hand blackjack pays off at 1:1 instead of 3:2.

Dealer's Action: The hole card is revealed. The dealer must stand on a hand equaling 17 to 20. If the hand equals 16 or less, then the dealer takes hits until the hand equals 17 or higher. The dealer automatically loses with a bust.

Winner: If your hand is closer to 21 than the dealer's hand, you win an amount equal to your original bet. If the dealer is closer to 21, you lose your bet. Equal hands result in a push and your money is returned to you. At the end of the game, the used cards are reshuffled back into the deck.

Game Rules