If you want to know how to play, here are the rules of blackjack. The player has to draw cards totaling closer to 21 than the dealer’s cards all without going over 21. Blackjack is played with one or more standard 52 card decks. Cards 2 through 10 are worth their face value, cards Kings Queens and Jacks are each worth 10 and Aces may be used as either 1 or 11. Blackjack pays 3:2, that means that a 2 card 21 on a $5 bet will win $7.50, however if the dealer also has a two card 21 the hand pushes or ties and you get your original head back.
On the other hand, if the dealer goes on to draw 21 at three or more cards, your blackjack is still a winner with its 3:2 payoff. The game begins when you place a bet in the betting square on the table directly in front of you. After all bets have been placed, each player and the dealer, are given two cards. Players cards are both dealt face up. In the dealers case only one of their cards is dealt face up and the other face down.
When the dealers up card is an Ace, players generally have the option to take insurance, which is a side bet restricted to half of the original bet. Insurance pays at 2:1, if the dealer does hit blackjack. If the dealer has a 10 or an Ace showing, then he will peak at his face down card to see if he has a blackjack. If he does that, he will turn it over immediately and if he has a blackjack then all hands will lose unless a player also has a blackjack. Each player, in turn, decides how to play out their hands.
Usually one of five options hit, stand, split, double or surrender. Hit takes another card from the dealer, stand takes no more cards, stick or stay split, only available as the first decision of a hand. If the first 2 cards have the same value, the player can split them into two hands by moving a second bet equal to the first into an area outside the betting box. The dealer separates the two cards and draws a card for each. The player then plays out the two hands.
Doubling and further splitting may be restricted depending on the game and blackjacks. Double down players are allowed to double their initial bet, but then receive only one more card. Hitting a double down is not permitted. When the player surrenders, the house takes half the players bet and returns the other half to the player which ends the player’s hand. Once all players have finished, the dealer plays according to set rules. In blackjack the play is more restrictive for the dealer. The dealer must draw more cards to any total of 16 or less and must stand on any total of 17 or more.
