Blackjack Casino - How to play Blackjack at Casinos

How to Play Online Blackjack - Blackjack-Casino.Co.Uk.

Blackjack is an extremely easy game to learn how to play. We'll have to assume you've never played a hand of blackjack before and go over the basics. The objective of blackjack is to beat the dealer's hand by either:

In blackjack, the cards count as their face value, the ace can count as either a 1 or 11, picture cards count as 10 and the suit of the cards have no meaning. If a hand containing a 4, 6 and 8 totals 18 or a hand containing a queen and 6 totals 16. It is always assumed that the ace counts 11 unless your total exceeds 21 in which case the ace reverts to a value of 1. For example, Ace, 6 is a 17. If a player draws a 9 the total is now 16. Generally hands which contain an ace that counts as 11 are known as soft hands (i.e. ace, 8 is a soft 19 hand). A hard hand is any hand that either does not contain an ace of if it does it counts as 1 (i.e. 10, 9 and 4, ace, 10, 4 are hard 19 hands).

Before each hand is dealt, all players playing in the game must make a bet by placing chips in their respective betting boxes. Then all players will and the dealer will receive two cards, with the players cards they could either be dealt up, down or even one up and one down (up = showing, down = not showing). With the dealers cards one card will be up and the other will be down.

After the player has seen his cards and seen the value of one of the dealer's two cards, the player must make a decision on the play. It would be a choice from the following:

Hit - This means you want the dealer to give you another card to add to your hand.

Stand - This means you are satisfied with the total of your hand and want to stand with the cards you have.

Split - If you have two of the same cards (e.g. a pair of 10's or aces), you could use the option to split. When you split you must place another bet equal to the original bet. By pair splitting you will play each card as a separate hand and you can draw as many cards as you like to each hand. Most casinos will also allow players to split all 10 value cards such as a jack and ten or queen and king.

Doubling down - This playing option allows you to double your bet in return for receiving one and only one draw card. In most casinos you can only double down after you receive your first two cards and before drawing another card.

Surrender - It allows a player to forfeit the hand with an automatic loss of half the original bet. Player's can surrender their initial two card hand only after the dealer has checked his cards for a blackjack. Once a player draws a card the surrender option is no longer available. If the dealer has a blackjack hand, then surrender is not available.

Insurance - When the dealer's face card is an ace, the dealer will then ask the players if they want to make the insurance wager. This is a side bet in which players are betting that the dealer's down card will be a ten-valued card. Players can make an insurance bet equal to one half of the initial bet made on the hand. You win your insurance bet if the dealer has a ten-value card in the hole.

Unlike players, the dealers in a blackjack game have no playing options. Casino rules specify that a dealer must draw when the total of the dealer's hand is less than 17 and stand when the total is 17 to 21. In some casinos, dealer's must stand on soft 17 and in others they must hit (it's better for the player if the rules specify the dealer must stand on soft 17).

If the player's hand exceeds the total of the dealer's hand, the player wins the hand and is paid at 1 to 1 odds. If the player and dealer have the same total, the hand is a tie or push and the player retains his bet.

In most European casinos, the dealer will give himself only one face card and wait until all the players play out their hands before dealing his second card. This is widely known as the European No-Hole card rule and it can change a player's strategy slightly.

Always remember that when you play blackjack it's you against the dealer. The two variables that determine how you should play your hand are the dealer's upcard and your hand. With more experience, you'll also be able to use the information of all the cards that you see on the table (yours, the dealer and your fellow players) to make a more informed decision on how much to bet and how to play the hand.