Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
One of the most played games in casinos is blackjack. A card game that always comes back because it is a regular part of the casino. This game along with roulette, belong to the classic casino games. Nowadays there are several variants available, and in the regular casino you have different tables where you can join. In this article we’ll discuss the main rules of blackjack.
If we look at online casinos, it gets even more extensive. Think video variants of blackjack, as well as live variants with additional rules or options for more excitement. It starts with the basics of blackjack, however, and in the “How to play” series, we take a weekly look at what certain games, terms and more entail.
Reach 21 and win from the bank
The game of blackjack is played with a traditional deck of cards and in the case of casinos, several decks are usually combined with each other. This also depends on the number of players at the table and for your chances of winning it makes little difference. To win, you need to beat the bank, and regardless of the number of people participating at the table, it is a duel between you and the bank personally. This counts for every participant.
The goal is quite simple: you win from the bank with blackjack, which you get with two cards that make up 21 points. This starts with placing the bet. Once that is done, the next step is to deal out the cards, with the croupier moving from left to right from his perspective. The cards for the players are laid out in turns and are always dealt face up. To start, all players get their first card face up, and the bank then follows by placing an open card down.
The bank goes through all the players again to lay down a second open card, but the second card for the bank is played facing down. This is the time for the bank to see if one of the players has reached the sum of 21 with his or her cards. If that is the case, then that player in question wins. The only exception is if the bank itself also has a card worth 10 or 11 points.
In that case there is a risk that the bank also has blackjack and the player who already has it can then choose to take the safe route and claim back his or her bet. The moment the player has 21 and beats the bank, then the bet times 1.5 is paid out. If the player is tied with the bank, then there is no loss or gain.
Additional blackjack rules
Blackjack is by nature a fairly simple game, but comes with a few minor rules to consider. Observe these to really understand the game well, which will help you avoid taking unnecessary risks:
- At 21 points, you have blackjack exclusively with two cards. If the bank has this as well, then your bet stands.
- The bank must always play to a minimum of 17 points, after that the bank will pass. Do you have more than 17 points, but less than 21? Then you win your bet.
- If you have more than 21 points, then the bank wins your bet.
- If the bank has more than 21 points, then all players who still have bets on the table get them back once.
During the game you normally have two options: buy and pass. With buy you receive an extra card and in order to do so you must make a swipe towards your own place. If you don’t want to receive a card, you pass and for that you move your hand from left to right. The cards that are dealt are shuffled beforehand and are invisible to the players and the bank. Only the card number or value counts. It is divided as follows:
- King, Queen, Jack: 10 points
- Ace: 1 or 11 points
- 2 – 10 points: The value of the points themselves
Conclusion
Blackjack is not too complicated, which makes it very accessible. It has few rules, is self-explanatory, and the games are very short. This also makes it ideal for in-between games. However, there are some variants available, such as 21+3, which comes with additional features. We’ll save the explanation of those for another time.
