Blackjack is a popular casino game that is typically played with a single deck of cards. The object of the game is to hit the Target number, or “point”, as close to it as possible.
In order to win, a player must achieve a point total that is at least the dealer’s “hand” value.
In order to win at blackjack, players must first understand how the game is played. The dealer begins the game by placing two cards face down on the table. These cards are known as the “upcard” and the “downcard”. The upcard is used to determine whether the player will receive an even or an odd hand.
The dealer then flips over the downcard and sets it in front of himself. This card will be used to determine how much money the dealer will give back to the player once he has finished playing his hand. .
The first thing a player must do is decide whether he wants to take advantage of an even or an odd hand. If he decides to take advantage of an even hand, he will draw one card from his deck and add it to his total.
He then discards one card from his hand and replaces it with the new drawn card.
If he decides to take advantage of an odd hand, he will draw two cards and add them together. He then discards one card from his hand and replaces it with the new drawn card.
Once a player has decided which hand he wants to play, he must decide which number he wants to hit. Blackjack can be hit either on any number (even or odd), but players typically hit on numbers between 2 and 21 in order to increase their chances of winning.
Once a player has decided which number he wants to hit, he must decide whether or not he wishes to stand (keep) or double (put) down (bet). If the player chooses to stand, he will discard all of his cards and replace them with new cards that have a value equal to or less than his original hand total minus 2 points (for a total size of 1-7).
If the player chooses not to stand, he will put down (bet) one additional card for each amount bet plus 1 point for each number bet (for a total size of 8-21). For example, if a player bets 3 cards and wants to hit 16, he would put down 3 + (16 – 2 = 18) = 21 cards for blackjack purposes.
In either case (standing or doubling), if after putting down all of his cards the player still has less than his original hand total minus 2 points, then he would lose automatically because there is no way for him to make up those points without drawing additional cards which would give him an extra edge over other players who are still playing without putting down any additional cards.
