There are many different variations of blackjack, each with its own rules and strategies. One of the most popular variants is the standard 52 card deck game. To play, each player is dealt two cards face down, and then both players draw cards to their hands.
The goal of the game is to either achieve a total of 21, or to beat the dealer’s total (usually 21). The dealer gets an extra card at the start of the hand to help make up for any mistakes he may make.
To win, a player must have a higher total than the dealer. To achieve this, the player must combine two cards (e.g. a 10 and an Ace) to equal a total of 21 or less. If the player only has one card that equals 21 or less, then that card is added to the player’s hand and that player loses the round.
A player can also lose if they are dealt a card that makes their total exceed 21 (e.g. a 4 would make your total 23 and you would lose).
If both players have cards that equal 21, then whoever drAWS the bottom card from their deck loses the round and the other player becomes the dealer for that hand. If one player has more than 21 but not enough to win, that player can either draw another card or forfeit their turn (giving up their right to deal in future rounds).
If both players have cards that equal 21, then whoever plays first loses (unless they are dealing).
The basic strategy for blackjack is pretty simple: avoid getting caught with too many high-card values (Aces, 2s through 10s), and try to maintain as close to even odds as possible while playing your hand. Different casinos have different rules about how hands are played (some allow you to split pairs while others only allow you to keep one), so it’s important to learn all of your options before hitting the tables!.
