The short answer is yes, you can play blackjack with just cards. The longer answer is that there are a few things you need to know in order to make the most of this strategy.
First of all, you’ll want to understand how hands are scored in blackjack. In traditional blackjack, each hand is scored as either a “natural,” which means that the player’s original bet is added to their total, or a “dirty,” which means that the player’s original bet is subtracted from their total.
In some variations of blackjack, including “bust-out” and “strip” poker, hands are also scored as “push,” meaning that the player does not receive any points for that hand (although they may still win money if they get other cards that add up to their original bet).
Second, you’ll need to understand how point values are assigned in blackjack. In traditional blackjack, each card has a point value of either 1, 2, or 3.
Aces are worth 1 point, 2s through 10s are worth face value (with two exceptions: 2s and 3s are worth 1/2 point each and 4s through 9s are worth nothing), and a Jack (J) or Queen (Q) are worth 10 points each. When two cards of the same rank are played together (for example, two Jacks), the card with the higher point value (in this case, a Jack) wins.
So far, so good – now let’s talk strategy! When playing blackjack with just cards, your goal is to accumulate as many points as possible over the course of the game by playing high-point cards (Aces and Jacks) and avoiding low-point cards (2s through 9s). To do this, you’ll want to make sure that each card you play contributes towards your overall goal – for example, if your goal is to get as close to 21 points as possible, you would not want to play a 2 or a 9.
Instead, you would prefer to play a 7 or an Ace.
One final note on playing blackjack with just cards: Keep in mind that casinos often have different rules about what counts as a “natural” or “dirty” hand. In general, though, you’ll want to try to avoid hands that are scored as dirty unless you’re sure that you can beat them anyway – for example, if you’re playing against someone who always plays dirty hands (or who has chosen dirty hands as their default strategy), it might be better not to bother trying to win with clean hands. Instead, it might be more advantageous for you to switch to bust-out or strip poker instead!.
