A Guide to Basic Blackjack Rules

Blackjack is one of the commonly and widely played casino games. It is played by thousands of people, both in actual casinos and online. If you are interested in learning how to play blackjack but do not know where to start, don't fret - it's actually a very easy game to play. Get to know the basic blackjack rules here.

Surprisingly in blackjack you don't really play against other players. Your only opponent is the dealer. The only condition to win the game is that you should have a hand equal to or upto 21 and higher than the dealers hand. When a player exceeds a total of 21 it is called a bust and when you bust you lose the game. The value of your hand is the summation of the values of your cards in hand. Kings, Queens, and Jacks are assigned the value of ten points each. Aces carry one or eleven points and you can choose whichever benefits you more. There are no different or special values assigned to numbered cards and so their value is equal to the number on them. The highest hand in the game of blackjack is a two-card hand that totals 21 and consists of one card that is worth ten points and one Ace.

Once the players have placed their bets the game begins. Each player needs to place his bet before the game begins and before dealing any cards. After all bets have been placed by all players the dealer deals the cards. Two cards face-up are presented to every player. The dealer is also rendered two cards but only one of them is facing up. The players are then required to decide whether they want to stand or hit. In case the summation of the values of cards in hand is a lot less than 21 then it is advisable to hit. However you need to be cautious about the decision to hit since there is a risk of your hand total crossing 21 and thereby you losing. If you feel that you cannot possibly improve the total of your cards by hitting and there is higher risk in hitting you should simply stand. The dealer will then reveal his hand. Most blackjack rules state that the dealer must hit if his cards' total is less than 16. If you don't bust and have a hand higher than your dealer's then you will be rewarded 1:1. In case you straight away get a blackjack which means if you score 21 then you are paid 3:2.