Blackjack is a card game that has players trying to beat the dealer using a combination of cards. The player’s goal is to get as close to 21 as possible, while the dealer strives to keep the player from getting close.
In blackjack, a player is dealt two cards face down, and then can either draw additional cards or keep the cards they are currently holding. If the player gets a card that is equal to or greater than the number shown on their first card, they are said to have “hit” and are allowed to double their bet (if they were playing with money).
If the player does not hit, they lose their original bet and any additional bets (if any) that they have made.
A player’s hand is called “dead” if no further cards are drawn and it is considered automatically lost if it totals 21. In general, a hand with an Ace high or low (as well as two other cards of different rank) counts as 11 without any further action (known as “hitting on four”); otherwise, it counts as 12 (e.g., an Ace and two 2s). Similarly, a hand with three of a kind counts as 1 (e.g.
, a 3 of clubs), while any other hand constitutes its respective blackjack value. For example, if someone has an Ace high and two 2s in their hand, they would hit on four and would receive four new cards – two 2s and two Aces – before continuing play. .
It should be noted that in some casinos, particularly those catering to tourists who may not be familiar with blackjack’s nuances, certain variations of the game may allow for hands such as an Ace high or low with another card of the same rank (e.g., 2s or 3s) to count as 11 or 12 respectively without requiring any further action; this is known as “drawing dead”.
In these cases, it is important for players to be aware of which variation their particular casino uses in order to play optimally.
In general however, hitting on four in blackjack requires either drawing additional cards (in case the first card drawn was not a hit), getting another card that equals or exceeds the original number shown on one’s initial card (thus resulting in another “hit”), or splitting one’s original bet between two new bets if playing with money (i.e., if one’s initial bet was $10 and one subsequently makes a second $5 bet, each bet would now total $15).
As long as one does not exceed 21 points by totaling more points than the dealer through any combination of hits and drAWS (regardless of whether those points were accrued before or after drawing dead), they will ultimately win the game – provided no other players bust out simultaneously. In practice however, most players err on the side of caution by avoiding hitting on four altogether unless they are absolutely sure they will win given their current deck; doing so often results in playing at a slightly disadvantage versus casinos that do allow this strategy.
Overall then, while there is some debate surrounding whether or not a Jack 11 counts as a blackjack value in certain variations of the game, for most purposes it can be considered equivalent – regardless of whether or not specific casinos allow such hands to count towards victory.
