How to play Blackjack

Blackjack is a card game where you play against the dealer. Here is a basic overview of how to play blackjack.

You place a bet on whether or not you will beat the dealer, and win or lose accordingly. The object of the game is to get as close to 21 points as possible, using the card values, irrespective of suit. This is why a non-betting game of blackjack played at home is often called "21". The card values are their face values, and any actual face card is worth ten points. An ace can be counted either as one or eleven.

Both you and the dealer are dealt two cards ?-your cards are dealt face-up and the dealer is dealt one card up and one card down. You play first, and must decide whether to call for another card to try and get closer to 21 - known as a "hit" - or to stick with only the two cards you have - known as a "stay". You can hit as many times as you like. If at any point cards total more than 21 you are said to be "bust", and you lose your bet. Once you have gone bust or chosen to stay, it is the dealer's turn to play, according to the same rules. The winner is the one whose cards total closest to 21, or the player who has not gone bust. In the case of a tie, you get your bet back. If your first two cards total 21 (a 10 or a face card combined with an ace), you are said to have a blackjack, and immediately win one and a half times your bet, unless the dealer also has blackjack, in which case you tie.

The dealer, however, is subject to one other rule in most low stakes games in casinos - he is forced to stay on a "soft" 17. This means that if his hand contains an ace and at any point ends up on a score of 17, he is not allowed to hit again.

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