OK, after reading this nice story, let’s get to the card values and the rules of Blackjack.
As you all know, Blackjack is the most famous casino gambling game. Its aim is to have a hand value that is closer to 21 than that of the dealer, without going over 21. Other players at the table are of no concern. Your hand is strictly played out against the hand of the dealer.
The values of the cards contained in a deck of cards are as follows:
- A card from 2 to 10 has its face value
- A jack, queen, or king has a value of 10
- An ace may have a value of either 1 or 11 unless a value of 11 would give a player or the dealer a score in excess of 21, in which case it has a value of one.
A standard blackjack deck shall contains 52 cards in four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades) with each suit consisting of numerical cards from 2 to 10 and a jack, a queen, a king, and an ace.
As a casino gambling game, Blackjack has its different rule variations.
The Dealer's Hand
There are two popular rule variations that determine what totals the dealer must draw to. In any given casino, you can tell which rule is in effect by looking at the blackjack tabletop. It should be clearly labeled with one of these rules:
- "Dealer stands on all 17s": This is the most common rule. In this case, the dealer must continue to take cards ("hit") until his total is 17 or greater. An Ace in the dealer's hand is always counted as 11 if possible without the dealer going over 21. For example, (Ace,7) would be 18 and the dealer would stop drawing cards ("stand"). Also, (Ace,6) is 17 and again the dealer will stand. (Ace,5) is only 16, so the dealer would hit. He will continue to draw cards until the hand's value is 17 or more. For example, (Ace,5,7) is only 13 so he hits again. (Ace,5,6,5) makes 18 so he would stop ("stand") at that point.
- "Dealer hits soft 17": On all blackjack tables, the dealer hits totals of 16 or less. The difference comes at 17. Better for the player is if the dealer stands on all 17s. If the dealer hits soft 17 – hands in which an Ace is counted as 11, such as Ace-6 or Ace-2-4 – it adds 0.2 percent to the house edge.
Again, the dealer has no choices to make in the play of his hand. He cannot split pairs, but must instead simply hit until he reaches at least 17 or busts by going over 21.
A Natural Blackjack A blackjack, or natural, is a total of 21 in your first two cards. A blackjack is therefore an Ace and any ten-valued card, with the additional requirement that these be your first two cards. If you split a pair of Aces for example, and then draw a ten-valued card on one of the Aces, this is not a blackjack, but rather a total of 21. The distinction is important, because a winning blackjack pays the player odds of 3 to 2. A player blackjack beats any dealer total other than a dealer's blackjack, including a dealer's regular 21. If both a player and the dealer make blackjack, the hand is a tie or push.
The Player's Choices
Blackjack Surrender Signal:
Some casinos offer an option for blackjack called blackjack surrender. A player can only surrender their hand when the dealer has an Ace or a Ten valued card showing. If you do not believe you can beat the dealer after receiving your first two cards, you can announce surrender to the dealer. You must decide to surrender your hand before you taking any other action on your hand. The surrender announcement is the only play in blackjack that is made verbally.
Blackjack Surrender types:
There are two types of surrender available:
- "Late surrender" - In this type of surrender, you announce your intentions, and the dealer marks your bet, by either placing a plastic chip (lamer) or by placing your chips on top of your cards. If the dealer does have a blackjack, you lose your entire bet. However if the dealer does not have a blackjack, you get half of your bet back.
- "Early surrender" - After you announce your intentions, the dealer will take half of your bet without waiting or checking to see if they have a blackjack. Obviously the "Early surrender" is the best type of surrender.
Doubling downWhen you think that with just one more card you will be able to beat the dealer, you are allowed to double your original bet and draw one, and only one card. While many casinos will permit you to double down on any initial hand except a blackjack, some casinos restrict this option to hands that total 10 or 11. To signal the dealer your intention to double down, simply play another bet up to the amount of the original bet alongside your first bet.
Blackjack HittingIf you feel that you require additional cards to improve your hands total, you may draw one or more cards, as long as you go over 21 (called breaking). To call for a hit, either point at your cards or make a beckoning motion with your fingers. When the hit card breaks your hand, the dealer will automatically scoop up your bet and place your cards in the discard tray, as you have lost, even if the dealer subsequently breaks.
Blackjack StandingStanding is the act of refusing any additional cards. The player always has the option of standing at any time. Usual procedure consists of a hand signal rather than a verbal one. To indicate to the dealer that you wish to stand, simply wave your hand, palm down over your cards or the initial bet.
Splitting PairsWhen the first two cards you receive are of equal value, you may elect to split them and play each as a separate hand, drawing to each until you are satisfied or break. You play the right card first followed by the left card. Most casinos only permit drawing one card when two aces are split. When a 10 value card is drawn to an ace or when an ace is drawn to a 10 value card that have been split the resulting hands are not blackjacks but are considered 21. This would tie a dealer 21 but lose to a dealer blackjack. In many casinos, if a pair is split and a third card of the same rank is drawn, the hand may be re-split. To indicate to the dealer your desire to split, merely slide up another bet of equal value next to your first wager, touching neither your cards not the original bet.
