Blackjack is a fun game and it certainly has changed since Dr. Thorp published 'Beat the Dealer' in 1961 and gave us tips for optimal play at casino blackjack tables. Yet, like all games, the more you know, the better your experience will be. Play begins with the right-most player ('1st base') and continues player by player to the left. Your objective is to beat the dealer's hand; the higher hand wins, as long as it doesn't go over 21 (bust). If both of you bust, you still lose. This is why the casino has the advantage in blackjack.

Blackjack, also known as 21 is one of the most popular casino card games in Las Vegas. The rules on playing blackjack in Vegas are quite simple, which is a major reason for the game's enduring popularity. In Las Vegas casinos, blackjack is played on a semi-circular table, with the round portion of the table facing the players, and the straight edge side facing the dealer.

There are usually five to seven seats at a table and every blackjack table will have the words, 'Insurance Pays 2 to 1', also, 'Dealer must Hit Soft 17' or 'Dealer Must Stand On All 17's'.

How to Play Blackjack in Vegas

Your goal is to draw cards with a value as close to 21 as possible without going over. A hand that goes over 21 is a bust or break . The players at a blackjack table do not play against each other, they play against the dealer. Each player only has to beat the dealer's hand.

Most casinos in Las Vegas provide two versions of Blackjack. Double Deck 21 and Multiple Deck 21. With Double Deck 21 the cards are dealt from the hand and with Multiple Deck 21, the cards are dealt from a box called the 'shoe'

Read about the differences in the two version below.

The object of Blackjack is to get a hand with a value as close to 21 as possible without going over.
This is accomplished in two ways:
Having a higher total than the dealer without exceeding 21;
Having a total of 21 or less when the dealer's total exceeds 21.

Vegas Blackjack Rules

Find an appropriate bet-limit table and place a bet by the chips in the designated area. The dealer begins the game. Depending on how many people are playing, the dealer will deal each player two cards. The dealer is also dealt two cards, one face up, and one face down.

You are then offered the opportunity to take more. If you would like another card, then you tap the table with your fingers or say 'hit me'. If you want to stay or 'stand' with what you have, then wave your hand horizontally over the table or simply tuck your cards underneath your bet.

The hand with the highest total wins as long as it doesn't exceed 21. A hand with a value over 21 is called a 'bust' or 'break' and it is an automatic loser.

• Cards 2 through 10 are counted at face value.
• The King, Queen and Jack count as 10
• An Ace's value is 11 unless this would cause the player to bust, in which case it is worth 1.

A hand in which an ace's value is counted as 11 is called a soft hand, because it cannot be busted if the player draws another card. When an ace is counted as one point, this is called a hard hand.

The best possible hand in Blackjack is a combination of an Ace with a 10-card or a face card. This is an automatic 21, when counting the Ace as an 11, and is called, 'Blackjack', or a Natural. It cannot be beaten, unless the dealer has the same, which would be a Push, a tie. In a push, the player receives the bet back.

Note:
The minimum bet is printed on a sign on the table and varies from casino to casino and from table to table. For example Minimum $5, Maximum $500.

Dealers play according to house rules for their table. Be aware that blackjack odds may vary from table to table. Feel free to ask the dealer for clarification.

Note:
Your opponent in blackjack is the dealer. Each player's goal is to beat the dealer by having the higher, unbusted hand. Note that if the player busts he loses, even if the dealer also busts. If both the player and the dealer have the same point value, it is called a 'push', and neither player nor dealer wins the hand. Each player has an independent game with the dealer, so it is possible for the dealer to lose to one player but still beat the other players in the same round.

Communicate your wish to stand or hit through hand signals.
Tap the table with your finger to indicate you want to hit.
Wave your hand horizontally to indicate you want to stand.
Announce your intention to surrender verbally. This allows you to abandon your hand and keep half your bet.
Switch your cell phones off. However If you must answer a call, step back from the table and make your conversation as brief as possible.
Feel free to ask the dealer any questions you want regarding the rules.
It's customary to tip the dealer. To do so, simply place an extra bet in from of your original bet. If you win that bet, the dealer keeps it as a tip.

What are some blackjack basic strategies

The odds of winning can be improved by following blackjack basic strategy. Below are blackjacks basic strategies.

Stand on a hand of 17 or more
Never hit on 12, 13, 14, 15 or 16 when the dealer is showing 16 or less
Always split 8's
Double down on 11 if dealer is showing 17 or less

Other Blackjack Tips

Four easy rules on when to hit and when to stand in Blackjack

• If your hand is 11 or less, always hit. You can't possibly bust, so the extra card will only help your hand.
• If your hand is 17 or greater, and the dealer is not showing a Seven or higher, always stand. The risk of busting if you hit is very high.
• If your hand is 12 to 16, and the dealer is showing an up card likely to bust, always stand. Although this is a weak hand, it will still win if the dealer busts.

  Exception - If the dealer has a Two or a Three showing, hit if you have 12.

• If your hand is 12 to 16, and the dealer has a Seven or higher showing, always hit. The dealer is far more likely to get a better hand than yours unless you can improve it. There's a risk of busting, but in this case you have to take that risk.

Exception: If you're holding a soft Ace, you can be more aggressive than these rules indicate. You might even hit on a 17, depending on what the dealer is holding.

Although basic blackjack strategies can get infinitely more complex, these four rules are the core of most of the strategies in use today.

Do you know: you can print out a cheat sheet and bring it to the table with you. It's 100 percent legal. The casinos won't give you any slack for it.

Download Frank Scoblete's Lucky 13: A Simple Blackjack Basic Strategy

Blackjack House Advantage and Expected Lose

Cards are dealt from the hand
Everyone plays against the dealer
Players are dealt two cards face down
The dealer receives his first card face up and the second card face down
Player may draw as many cards are they want until you are close to 21 or until they 'bust'
The object of the game is to get as close as possible to 21 without going over 21.

Cards are dealt from a box called the 'Shoe'
Everyone plays against the dealer
Players are dealt two cards face up
The dealer receives his first card face up and the second card face down
Player may draw as many cards are they want until you are close to 21 or until they 'bust'
The object of the game is to get as close as possible to 21 without going over 21.
Players use hand signal to indicate a 'hit' or 'stand'

When the dealer has an Ace up, you have the option of taking 'insurance' against the dealer having 'Blackjack'.

If you don't have a 'Blackjack' you may ask the dealer to 'hit' you; meaning, you get another card. You may draw as many cards as you like (one at a time), but if you go over 21, you bust! In hand deck games, you must turn your cards face up on the table if you bust. If you do not want to 'hit', you may 'stand' by placing your cards face down under your bet. In shoe games, use your hand motion for another card, or wave off the dealer if you are standing.

After all players are satisfied with their hands, or have gone 'broke', the dealer turns the down card face up and stands or draws more cards as is necessary. The dealer must draw on hands totaling 16 or less and any soft 17.

If you are closer to 21 than the dealer, you win and are paid an amount equal to your original wager.
If your hand is less than the dealer's, you lose.
If the dealer's hand 'busts' or 'breaks', you win.
Ties are a stand-off or 'push' and your bet remains on the table.
If your initial two cards total 21,( this will happen if you are dealt an Ace with a 10, Jack, Queen or King), you have a blackjack or a natural. Blackjacks are paid 3 to 2 or up to 50% more than any other hand.
A hand totally 21 points, but having more than two cards, loses to a two-card backjack/natural hand.

Did you know...
The Sahara Hotel & Casino hosted the very first blackjack tournament in Las Vegas, back in 1978.

Related Content

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 beat them to the draw.

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!

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 the best one to have lots of fun and bring home the bacon when you play Casino games.

Personally, I think it's also the most exciting 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.

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

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 fun going.

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

How To Play Blackjack At Casino

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.

How To Play Blackjack At Casino

Blackjack for beginners is much easier than you think.

Just 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:

what's the best online Blackjack site for a beginner?

If you are a low stakes player who is trying to understand how to play Blackjack and would like to get into some easy Blackjack action, make sure you check out this Blackjack site.

This casino is p-e-r-f-e-c-t for beginners as that's exactly the type of players it is for.

From the UI to the promotions and the easy casino games on tap, this is a great casino site to learn how to play Blackjack online and become a pro.

As a new player, you get a superb welcome bonus to play Blackjack and, in case you like other games too, online Slots as well.

So, don't miss the opportunity to become a better Blackjack player: register a gaming account now and play free Blackjack games until you learn how to win every time!

Finding a trustworthy room to play online poker can be a monumental burden. That's all the more true if you're just looking for a place to play poker for free. We've listed five of the best play-money poker sites to enjoy and help hone your skills.

How To Play 21 Card Game