Learning how to deal blackjack starts with your first task: shuffling. If you and your friends have ever played blackjack or any other card games in the past, it’s highly likely that you’ve learned to deal cards, however clumsily that might be. Typically in amateur settings, the players will take turns being the dealer. How to Handle a Bad Blackjack Player If you find yourself seated next to one of these bad players, your first option should always be to consider moving to another table. Sit out a hand or two and walk around the blackjack pit.

Table Of Contents

This is everything you ever wanted to know about how to play Blackjack like a pro but were too ashamed to ask.

Bryce Carlson, Edward O. Thorp, Arnold Snyder, Russ Hamilton, Don Johnson.

If these names don't ring any bells, then you're probably here to pick a trick or two before your next beer-and-Blackjack session with the guys.

Though gambling is not necessarily your passion in life, you certainly deserve to see their baffled faces as you show them how to play Blackjack.

And who knows?

Maybe in time, you'll get to sit at the big shots' table and make some serious dough.

Do you want to play easy Blackjack game online? Visit this page and get an immediate bonus to play low stakes Blackjack games!

_{+18. Gamble responsibly. T&Cs apply.}

Blackjack 101

Since this is a guide on demand – made especially for rookies without any real experience or proper Blackjack skills – I'll start by introducing the game.

Blackjack might not the easiest way to spend your free time, but it is a good choice when you play Casino games.

Personally, I think it's the best game on the Casino floor.

You can play Blackjack in that shiny new casino just around the corner or join millions of thrill-seekers who've replaced classic tables for online simulations.

NEW to the Game?

Check out the best free sites to play live Blackjack games online!

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Of course, you can always host a Blackjack party at your home - if your friends share your passion. Some Casinos chips and a few decks of French playing cards are all you need to get the game going.

Whatever your choice is, you'll need a solid knowledge the basics of Blackjack, of the rules, and of the best strategy to play and to increase your winning odds.

Which One Is the Spade Again?

Like you can not learn a language before you studied its alphabet, you need to start from the basics if you really want to learn how to play Blackjack.

That's why this Blackjack guide starts from the A-B-C of the game.

I'm going to call this 'first lesson' How to Play Blackjack and What the Cards Mean.

This may be the last chance for you to clear any confusion surrounding card symbols and to finally learn to read them right.

Don't miss it.

Let's start from a classic deck of French cards because that's what you need to play Blackjack.

Yes, these are the same cards your grandfather use to play Slapjack, Crazy Eights, and Three-Card Poker.

In total, the deck features 52 cards divided into four different suits:

• Clubs (♧)
• Diamonds (♢)
• Hearts (♥)
• Spades (♤)

Spades and clubs are coloured in black while diamonds and hearts are coloured in red.

But since we are on PokerNews, I'm assuming you knew that already.

A traditional deck has 13 ranks and each suite has one card per each rank.

The first card is the ace (A), but it's not exactly the equivalent of a 1. In fact, this card can be the highest-ranking card of the deck.

The following ten cards form a string from two (2) to ten (10/T), while the last three are the Jack (J), Queen (Q), and King (K).

These last three cards are called the face cards.

Oh Wait, How Much Did I Just Score?

But 'I just want to learn how to play Blackjack', you say?

'I don't need you to remind me of my grandpa and his dusty old cards!'

I hear you, but be patient.

I'll get to that in less than a minute.

The reason I needed to dust off your grandfather's old deck of cards is that Blackjack has some restrictions when it comes to using suits.

In fact, suits are of value only in some variants of this game.

Since this is a Blackjack for dummies guide, you are free to ignore them now.

What's Really Important Here Is Getting to Know Your Ranks.

Since there are four suits, and each suit has one card of each rank, the math says that there are only four cards of each rank in the deck, right?

Scoring in Blackjack depends on the ranks a player holds in his or her hand, and his or her ability to count them according to the rules:

• Each ace is worth either 1 or 11 points.
• For all cards that belong to the two-to-ten string, the rule is the same – their rank equals their point value. If you hold a 5, for example, you hold exactly 5 points.
• Every face card, be it a Jack, a Queen, or a King, is worth 10 points.

So - let's see now how much did you just score.

Translate the ranks of cards you hold to their point value and add it all up.

That's really as easy as that. Your score in Blackjack is the sum of the value of your cards - not one point less than that.

And Now for the Easy Blackjack Rules (Finally).

When you play a game of Blackjack, you always play against the dealer.

Don't think about the other players at the table. Regardless of how many of you sit to play at the same time, there are always only two hands in play – the player's hand versus the dealer's hand.

And the winning hand in Blackjack is, you guessed it, the higher hand. Which, if you are lucky enough to get it, is also the one that gives its name to the game: a Blackjack.

A Blackjack is a hand 2-card hand that totals 21 points.

This is not an easy one to get, be sure of that. But it is also the one you'll be always hoping to receive. Every. Single. Time. You play.

But What about the Losing Hand?

The losing hand, the dead hand, or the bust, is every hand with a total sum of 22 or higher.

That's because as soon as you geo over the 21-point limit, you are out of the game. Regardless of the dealer's score.

Unfortunately, that's not the only losing hand in Blackjack. Because each hand that is one point short compared to the dealer's score…it's a losing one.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how to play Blackjack for dummies.

Blackjack 102

Your typical casino Blackjack table has enough space for seven players plus a dealer and includes the following phrases and/or signs:

• Blackjack plays x to y
• Dealer must draw to 16 and stand on all 17s
• Pays 2 to 1
• The table limits (min / max bet allowed)

What's That Nonsense on the Table?

Remember how a Blackjack – which is a hand with 2 cards that total 21, and is higher than the dealer's – automatically wins the game?

Well, that's almost true.

If the dealer also holds a 21, then the result is a so-called Push, meaning that your initial bet is returned to you and you neither win nor lose.

Blackjack pays 3 to 2, or in some Casinos, Blackjack pays 6 to 5, refers to payoffs and odds.

If you win against the dealer's hand, your initial bet is paid off 3 to 2, or in some casinos, 6 to 5.

With Insurances pays 2 to 1, you're offered to put an additional bet on whether or not your dealer will get a Blackjack.

Your hand can lose against the dealer's hand, but then you might cover your lost bet with a win on an insurance bet. Word to the wise, you can drop them both.

$5 minimum, $500 maximum is simply a reminder of the smallest and the largest amount of money you can put on the table.

A good guide on how to play Blackjack online should always direct you to play your first games on websites where the minimum bet is small enough to be beginner-friendly.

That's why I want to give you two choices:

• You can use these demo games to practice Blackjack online
• Or you can play cheap Blackjack games here

Should I Hit or Should I Stand?

Blackjack begins after all players have exchanged their money for chips and placed them on the designated spot on the table as their bets.

The dealer then deals the cards – two of them for each player, including himself.

The cards can be dealt either face down or face up, apart from the dealer's own two cards, of which one is always dealt face up and another face down.

The dealer then peaks to check if he's been dealt a Blackjack.

If not, the players are invited to hit or stand, though there are three more options to choose from – splitting, doubling down, or surrendering.

How you play your hand depends on the cards both you and the dealer have.

When you go for hitting, you're dealt one additional card.

If you choose to stand instead, you're keeping the cards you have.

To qualify for splitting, you need to have two cards of the same rank.

You'll receive two cards more, one for each of the cards you've originally been dealt, pay a side bet, and then start playing with two independent hands.

Both their bets and their payoffs are independent too.

When you double down, you need to place an additional bet, after which you'll receive one card more to add to your original hand.

The rules for surrendering vary from one casino to another, in a sense that some offer an early surrender option – to drop out of the hand before the dealer checks his cards for a Blackjack – and others a later surrender option, in which you must wait until after he's done that.

Either way, you agree to give up a half of the bet and are free to walk away with the rest.

How Do I Choose to Play a Hand?

The basic Blackjack strategy for beginners relies on knowing how to discern a hard hand from a soft one. The simplest way? Look for the aces!

If there's no an ace in it, or if that ace counts not as 11, but as 1, then you've got yourself a hard one, and you don't have much wiggle room.

Hard hands cannot count on aces to lower the total down and can be dangerously close to surpassing the limit of 22, which automatically makes them bust. Hitting is here quite a risk.

In a soft hand, however, you can count an ace either as a 1 or 11. It means that if another card is, say, a 9, you have either a total of 10, which makes you eligible for hitting or a total of 20, which could make your hand a bust if you choose to hit and receive anything but another ace.

But wait, there's more.

All this would be of little value if you were to leave without these Blackjack tips for beginners:

• Always check the dealer's face up card before you take action.

  If it's anything between 2 and 6, there's a good chance the dealer's hand will go bust, so don't take unnecessary risks. If it's 7 through ace, take your chances and play the hand aggressively.

• Skip placing the side bet for insurance pays 2 to 1.

  Experts calculate that this bet gives the house the advantage of almost 6% over the player. It's dumb because even if you score a Blackjack, your hand will pay off only the original bet.

• Be smart enough to take your time and don't get burned.

  The dealer might be rushing, so avoid the first base chair. Also, start small and give yourself a moment to assess the situation. Blackjack is only fun if you know how and when to move on.

• Oh, and take a primer from a Blackjack expert.

  When asked how to play Blackjack for beginners, gambling expert John Marchell spilt the following pearls of wisdom:

  'When your hand is 12-16 and the dealer shows 2-6, stand. In the same situation, hit only if the dealer has 7-ace. Always split aces and 8s and double 11 versus the dealer's 2-10, and hit or double aces-6.

  Also, blow off the guy who claims to be a Blackjack expert.'

That's how Bryce Carlson, Edward O. Thorp, Arnold Snyder, Russ Hamilton, and Don Johnson began counting their cards, after all.

Memorize this, try it on your friends, and stop if you're losing.

And though it won't save you if you're bad at math, we wish you good luck.

Where Can I Practice Blackjack Online?

Now, to the million dollar question:

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21 is one of the oldest and most popular casino games in the world featuring simple rules and attractive odds. The game has a house edge of only 0.5% – 2% making it the fairest game in the casino by far. But before you slap some cash on the table and bet big, you should know the complete rules of blackjack and strategic rules for blackjack success.

Key Terms

You’ll hear lots of casual gambler’s lingo sitting around the table, but these are the core terms you’ll need to familiarize yourself with in order to understand the flow of the game. Don’t worry, after only a few hands, you’ll pick them up quickly.

Blackjack

This isn’t just the name of the game, but it’s also the best hand in the game. A “blackjack” hand is a two-card hand that totals 21 points. If you’re dealt a 21 right from the start, you win instantly unless the dealer himself also draws a 21 on the first two cards.

Bust

When your hand exceeds 22 points, you’ve busted! You can’t bust on just the first two cards, but even your first hit can be an unlucky draw that brings you over the 21-point limit. When you bust, you lose your bet no matter what happens to the dealer or the other players at the table.

Double Down

Doubling down in blackjack is another way of saying “double or nothing.” In particular, it means that you want to double your bet on the next card dealt to you. To raise the stakes, you’re not allowed to take another card after your double down, meaning you’re stuck with the card you get hoping that it’s all you need to beat the dealer. In addition, you’re only allowed to double down on your first two cards, meaning you have to decide to make this play based on your original hand.

Hit

Taking a hit simply means to ask for another card from the deck. If your hand is lower than you’d like, you can hit as many times as you want to try and draw closer to 21. Just remember, if you draw past 21, you’ll go bust and lose your bet.

Hole Card

While the cards dealt to you and the other players come out face-up in most casinos, the dealer only shows one card in the face-up position. The face-down card you can’t see is called the hole card.

Insurance

When a dealer’s shown card is an ace, representing a 1 or 11, most casinos will give you the option to purchase insurance. For an additional side-bet equal to half of your original bet, you can insure yourself against a dealer blackjack. If the dealer’s downcard turns out to be a 10, you’ll lose your original bet, but you’ll be paid out 2-to-1 on the insurance bet. This means that you break even for the hand. Caution: Insurance has a very low success rate. Many players advise that you should never, ever buy insurance. The choice, however, is yours.

Push

A push is a standard gambling term that means a “tie.” In 21, if you and the dealer finish the hand with the same point total, your bet is a push and you simply get back what you gambled. It can also refer to a null result, which can occur if there is a misdeal during play or another interruption that forces the end of the hand. In these cases, the rule is “all bets push” and every player gets their original bet back.

While dealing errors are uncommon, particularly with professional dealers, they occasionally happen. Don’t be surprised if other players at your table vocally express their frustration or even disgust that the game has been cut short.

Shoe

You’ll occasionally hear people refer to “the shoe” as the tall deck of cards used to deal each hand. However, the term “shoe” more accurately refers to the automatic dealing machine that most casinos use to dispense the cards. This confusion doesn’t mean that a player isn’t educated about the game, but rather it’s another colloquialism you’ll hear around the table particularly with frequent players.

Split

In the event that you’re dealt two cards with the same value, you may split your single hand into two separate hands. Effectively, this means you get to play two games at the same time against the single dealer hand.

Stand

A stand is the opposite of a hit meaning that you don’t want to draw any additional cards. Standing ends your turn and can be done at any time, be it on the original two-card deal or after any number of hits.

Surrender

If you’ve decided your luck has run out on a particular hand, you can surrender the game before seeing the dealer’s downcard (or any other cards dealt to subsequent players, for that matter). If you choose to surrender, you get to keep half your bet, meaning there are certain situations where choosing to lose can save you in the long run.

The Deck

21 is played with a standard deck of cards with jokers removed and shuffled once. However, in a vast majority of casinos, blackjack is dealt using an expanded deck (sometimes called the shoe) that’s actually comprised of two or more decks. Most automatic dealing machines can hold up to six decks stacked on top of each other, so you’ll usually be playing with a six-deck pack of 312 cards. This is particularly important to understand if you learn how to count cards in blackjack, but that’s an advanced (and controversial) subject we aren’t going to teach you quite yet.

The Blackjack Table

Tables don’t exactly come in a standard form, but they all share the same elements. Typically, they seat between five and seven players, but the game can go on with even a single player and the dealer. Tables are lined with soft felt, usually in the same attractive green shades of poker and craps tables. Some of them will have built-in cupholders, ashtrays, and even slots for your poker chips. Other than cards, chips, drinks, and maybe your cigarettes, you shouldn’t place anything else on the surface of the table in a casino.

Each seat at the table will have a small frame printed on the felt where your cards are to be dealt. Sometimes, this is accompanied by a circular frame where you’re supposed to place the chips representing your bet. If the table doesn’t have these round frames, the typical custom is to place your chips in front of your hand between the cards and the dealer. Many casinos will offer their own side-bets to entice you to throw down more money, and these are often accompanied by another circular frame to keep your primary bet separate from the side bet.

Casino-style tables often have more markings around the dealer position. To the dealer’s left (facing you) you’ll see the shoe, or deck. These days, most casinos use automatic dealing machines to quickly dispense each card when the previous one is dealt. To the dealer’s right, they’ll usually have a small slot attached to a lockbox under the table where they can securely stash the cash they collect as players join the game or existing players buy more chips. Finally, there’s another spot directly in front of the dealer where the dealer’s hand goes.

Most of the time, tables will have arched lettering between the player and dealer hands that inform you of the table’s payout rules. Usually, this will read something along the lines of “Blackjack pays 3 to 2” meaning you get 1.5 times your bet for hitting 21 off the deal. The casino is free to use other payout schemes, but this is by far the most common payout you’ll see.

The Object of the Game

The game is called 21 because, well, you want your cards to add up to 21 points! However, your own score isn’t the only one that matters. You’re playing the game against the dealer, and you must exceed the dealer’s point total in order to win your bet. The other players at the table play independently of you, so it’s everybody against the dealer. This typically means there’s some camaraderie amongst players, and the dealer himself will often celebrate your wins or lament your losses right alongside you.

While you don’t play against the other gamblers’ hands, their actions can still influence your hand. Depending on where you sit at the table, everybody who plays before your turn may wind up taking cards that you were hoping for. When other players operate against blackjack’s basic strategy (more on this below), it’s not uncommon for players behind them in the order to grumble about cards that should have belonged to them, but got “stolen” by someone playing contrary to the strategy that would have the highest odds of winning for their hand.

How to Bet

Like practically all table games, each table will have its own minimum and maximum bets. Sometimes you’ll find discount games with bet limits of $5 to $250, but most tables will have minimums of $10, $15, or $25. High-roller tables will start off at $50-100 (sometimes more, in the bigshot casinos) with a variety of maximum bet limits. Sometimes maximum limits are as high as 50x the minimum, but that multiplier tends to shrink as the minimum bet limit increases.

Once you sit down at the table and buy chips, you’ll be allowed to begin playing on the next hand. Players place their bets in multiples of the minimum bet limit, so at a $10 table, you’ll have to bet $10, $20, $30, etc. To declare your bet, simply place the number of chips equal to your desired wager in the designated betting zone marked on the table, or if there isn’t one, place it between the dealer and the spot for your cards. Once the dealer touches the first card, all bets are final. Touching your wagered chips after this point is forbidden and doing so can result in a warning, forfeiture of your bet, or even ejection from the table at the discretion of the casino floor manager.

How to Deal

After all players place their bets or abstain from play, the cards come out. Starting to the dealer’s left (facing you), cards are dealt one-by-one to each player with the dealer’s down card dealt last. Then the second round of cards is dealt with the dealer’s second card showing face up. The first player in the betting order is the leftmost player who was dealt the first card. Additional cards should be dealt one at a time and only once a player requests a hit.

To deal properly, always deal in the same order from left to right in every game. If you deal a card to the wrong player or deal too many cards, it’s called a misdeal and the entire game is canceled. In these cases, all bets push. This often agitates players, so avoid misdealing as much as possible.

Blackjack Rules and Playing Procedures

Cards in the game of 21 are worth the number of points shown. Face cards are worth 10 points, meaning there are far more 10s in the deck than any other value. An ace is valued as a 1 or 11.

If the dealer’s upcard is an ace or a 10 they’ll first check to see if they have a dealer blackjack. If this happens, the game ends immediately and all player bets are forfeit except those who were also dealt an opening 21. In that latter case, your bet pushes.

If the dealer doesn’t have 21, play begins. On your turn, you may choose to take a “hit” for another card or stand on your existing total. You may also choose to split a pair (described below) or surrender your hand. Your choices are your own and you aren’t obligated to play to a specific strategy even if the other players don’t like what you’re doing.

Once all players have completed their turn, the dealer reveals his down card and deals his own turn. In a vast majority of cases, dealers always hit up to 16 and stand on all 17s or higher. Once the game is finished, the dealer pays out bets to the winners and collects from the losers.

Splitting Your Hand

If you’re dealt two of the same value to start your hand, you may split your hand into two. This requires that you double up your bet, but it means that you can win or lose independently on each hand. Face cards must usually match to be split (King and King, Queen and Queen, etc) but some casinos may allow you to split nonmatching face cards.

Splitting is an attractive play, but basic strategy dictates that it’s not always in your best interest depending on the dealer’s upcard. For more on basic strategy, see below.

Blackjack Hand Signals

While you can simply call out your plays by saying “hit me” or “I’ll stand,” there are universal hand signals in 21 that casino dealers will read as your official play. Make sure not to fool around with your hands if you aren’t using these signals lest you mistakenly signal a play you don’t mean to make.

How To Deal Blackjack Start Up

To signal a hit, simply tap twice on your cards. If you want to stand, wave your hand horizontally over your cards. To split a pair, make a triangle with your index and middle fingers on top of your cards and separate them. Since a double down requires an extra bet, placing the additional chips next to your opening bet will signal your intentions. The double down card is placed horizontally on your other cards to signal that your turn is over.

Surrendering is sometimes signaled by lightly scratching your index finger horizontally across the felt in front of your cards. However, this is not a universal signal, so it’s best to vocally declare a surrender to make sure the dealer doesn’t mistake it for a hit signal.

Standard Blackjack Strategy

There are no rules in blackjack that say you must follow a specific strategy, and nobody can tell you not to take a hit when you want one. However, the game has an “optimal” strategy based on the highest odds that you’ll beat the dealer in every given situation.

There are charts you can follow and even carry with you at the table to remind you of the “best” strategy for your cards. However, even basic strategy has some variations to it. For example, some of these charts will never recommend a surrender, but advanced players know that surrender is an acceptable play on hands such as:

• 16 if the dealer’s card is an Ace, 10, or 9
• 15 if the dealer’s card is a 10

How To Deal Blackjack At A Casino

Betting to the basic strategy is extremely common, and if you appeal to the dealer to tell you whether or not to hit, they’ll advise you according to the best play according to basic strategy charts. It’s still your hand, and if you take the dealer’s advice, don’t get indignant if the cards don’t go your way.

Go Find a Table– New Players are Welcome!

How To Deal Blackjack At Home

There’s a lot to learn to play 21 like a pro, but don’t be afraid to sit down for the first time with just the basic knowledge from this guide. New players are often welcomed by other gamblers, and experienced players are often willing to help you make choices. Even the dealer is typically willing to help new players make the best call for any given hand. With a lot of practice (and a little luck) you’ll leave the table with a fatter wallet and a new love for this casino classic.