Blackjack Rules
Blackjack belongs to those games that require brains as it is not purely the game of chance. The point is that it’s not enough to know how to play blackjack you are to have some skills. Otherwise you will never be able win regularly.
Objective of the Blackjack Game
The important thing to remember is that in this game gamblers play against the house or the dealer. Basically it means that they do not play against each other. The main objective of blackjack is to get a hand which value is closer to 21. It should be mentioned that the values of the cards a player has are added up to the hand value. Generally cards 1-10 offer their face value. If it’s about the picture cards, then they are valued at 10.
Formats of the Blackjack Game
As a rule, the game is gambled in casinos at the tables that are specially designed. All places are marked in a definite way so that a dealer and the players could see where the chips should be placed. It should be mentioned that the chips of the bank and the cards of the dealer are marked as well. A very specific feature of casino blackjack is that it can be called a formal affair. It means that the playing etiquette here is not less important than the rules of the game.
If to mention online blackjack, it is gambled in a bit more relaxed atmosphere, as players have the advantage of playing from home. Thus, everything a gambler needs in this case is an access to the Internet. Modern casinos available online offer a chance to gamble at multi-player tables making the game more similar to land-based casino conditions. They also provide a chance to play alone with the casino dealer.
If you belong to those players who like competitions, blackjack tournaments are exactly what you need. It is the only form of the game in which gamblers play against each other. It doesn’t mean that there is no dealer, but the point is that the gambler who wins more money is called the winner of the whole blackjack tournament.
In case some gambler wins, the casino pays him out at 1:1. If one of the players is lucky to get the hand that is named “blackjack” he is paid out at 3:2. Every gambler feels very happy when he gets a 2-card hand that contains an ace and any other card which value is ten. The reason of such happiness is that it a blackjack combination.
Procedure of the Game
The blackjack procedure is not difficult to understand, even for the beginner. When all bets are placed by the players, the dealer gives 2 cards to every player (those cards may be face up or down, everything depends on the blackjack version) and 2 cards are left for the dealer (one of them is face up; however there are variations in which he doesn’t deal a face down card to himself).
After that every gambler in turn plays his hand. This is done by means of either hitting (asking for one more card) or standing (preferring to refuse of another card). When all gamblers have made their moves, the dealer does the same. The main task of the dealer is to hit till the value of his hand is either 17 or more. In case the dealer decides to go bust the gamblers are in the game. However, when the dealer doesn’t want to go bust, the value of the hand is compared with those ones that players hold. That is how players decide who of them wins.
Blackjack Moves
Like any other casino card game, blackjack also has a few moves. They are the following.
Double Down: when a gambler sees his hand, he can make a decision to double his bet. If he does that he needs to accept one condition. This condition sates that the gambler can take one additional card.
Split: in case it happens so that the gambler has two cards of the same value, he can split his hand to gamble it as 2 separate hands. At the same time he has to make another identical bet.
Insurance: in case the faced up car of the dealer is an ace, the gambler can make a separate bet, which the dealer will must be given a blackjack. The sum of this bet is restricted to the amount that is equal to the half of his betted stake. Thus, in case the dealer is lucky to get a blackjack, the gambler is definitely paid two to one on the insurance wager.
