How to Play Blackjack: Rules for Beginners

Blackjack is played against the dealer, not against the other players at the table. This lesson covers the standard casino rules. Where casinos commonly differ, the rule is marked as a variation.

The goal

Finish with a hand total higher than the dealer's without going over 21. Going over 21 is called busting, and a busted hand loses immediately.

Card values

Card suits don't matter in blackjack. Only the values count.

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Soft and hard hands

A hand is soft when it contains an ace counted as 11. A soft hand can't bust on the next card, because the ace can always drop back to 1. Every other hand is hard.

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Ace-six is a soft 17. Add a 10 and the ace has to count as 1, which makes a hard 17.

The table and the shoe

• Casinos shuffle between one and eight standard 52-card decks together. Games with several decks are dealt from a box called a shoe. Some tables use a shuffling machine instead.
• Everyone places their bet in the betting circle before any cards are dealt.

The deal

1. Starting on the dealer's left, each player gets one card, then the dealer gets one.
2. Each player gets a second card, then the dealer gets a second card.
3. Player cards are dealt face up. The dealer's first card, the upcard, is face up. The dealer's second card, the hole card, is face down.

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Blackjack (a natural)

An ace plus any 10-value card on your first two cards is a blackjack, also called a natural. It's the best hand in the game.

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• A blackjack is paid 3 to 2: a $10 bet wins $15.
• If the dealer also has blackjack, it's a push, and your bet is returned.

The dealer peek

When the dealer's upcard is an ace or a 10-value card, the dealer checks the hole card for blackjack before anyone plays. If the dealer has blackjack, the round ends: players without blackjack lose their bets, and players with blackjack push.

Variation: In some games, mostly in Europe, the dealer doesn't take a second card until all players have finished. This is the no hole card rule.

Your turn: player decisions

Players take their turns one at a time. On your turn, you choose one of the options below, as many times as the rules allow.

Hit

Take another card. You can keep hitting until you stand or bust.

Signal: tap the table with a finger, or wave your hand toward yourself.

Stand

Take no more cards and end your turn.

Signal: wave your hand flat over your cards.

Double down

Double your bet and take exactly one more card. You can only double on your first two cards.

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Signal: place matching chips beside your bet (not on top of it) and point with one finger.

Split

If your first two cards have the same value, you can split them into two hands. You place a second bet equal to the first, each hand gets a second card, and you play each hand separately.

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• Resplitting: most games let you split again if you get another pair, often up to four hands.
• Double after split (DAS): most games let you double on a hand you just split. Variation: some don't.
• Split aces: each ace gets only one card. You can't hit, double, or split again. Variation: some games allow resplitting aces.
• 21 is not blackjack after a split. An ace and a 10 on a split hand counts as a regular 21 and pays even money.

Signal: place a second bet beside your first and point with two fingers in a V.

Surrender

Give up half your bet and end your hand immediately. Only on your first two cards, and only at tables that offer it.

• Late surrender is offered after the dealer checks for blackjack. This is the version you're most likely to find.
• Early surrender is offered before the dealer checks. It's rare.

Insurance

When the dealer's upcard is an ace, you're offered insurance before the dealer checks for blackjack. It's a side bet of up to half your original bet that the dealer has blackjack, and it pays 2 to 1.

• If you have blackjack yourself, taking insurance is called even money. You're guaranteed to be paid 1:1 instead of 3:2.
• Insurance loses money in the long run. The dealer has blackjack less than one-third of the time. The Odds & Payouts lesson shows the math.

The dealer's turn

After every player has finished, the dealer turns over the hole card and plays by fixed rules. The dealer makes no decisions:

• The dealer draws cards until the hand totals 17 or more.
• What happens on a soft 17 depends on the table. Some games require the dealer to stand on soft 17 (written S17). Others require the dealer to hit (H17).

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How bets are paid

Where the house gets its edge: you play before the dealer. If you bust, you lose right away, even if the dealer busts too. Most of the house's advantage comes from that rule.

How Blackjack Bandits deals

Unless you change the settings, our practice games use common casino rules:

• 6 decks in the shoe
• Dealer stands on soft 17 and peeks for blackjack
• Blackjack pays 3:2
• Double on any first two cards, including after a split
• Split up to 4 hands; split aces get one card each
• Late surrender and insurance are offered

Glossary