Blackjack is a game of chance that is typically played with a deck of 52 cards. In blackjack, the player bets on whether he or she thinks the dealer’s hand will total more than 21. If the player guesses correctly, the bet is paid off and the player receives their original bet plus the dealer’s hand (in most cases, two cards).
If the player guesses incorrectly, they lose their original bet plus any additional cards that were added to the dealer’s hand as part of the showdown. Because two of a kind (two cards of the same rank) are worth ten points each in blackjack, this gives players an incentive to try to get two of a kind as part of their hand as often as possible.
There is one card in blackjack that has special significance – the blackjack, or double ace. The double ace is worth 11 points in normal blackjack, and when it is dealt face up in the deck, it becomes an additional wild card that can be used in any combination.
This means that if a player has two aces (10 points each), they can also use them to make a 21 (a full house), or use them to beat a dealer’s hand with a total of 22 (a three-of-a-kind). Because the double ace can dramatically change the outcome of a game of blackjack, some casinos have decided to allow players to wager on whether or not the dealer will receive a double ace – called “blackjacking.”.
So is blackjacking legal?
There is no definitive answer to this question – opinions vary greatly among casinos and even among individual card dealers. Some believe that blackjacking is cheating because it allows players to unfairly advantage themselves over other players, while others believe that it is simply playing with house rules and does not constitute cheating.
Ultimately, it is up to each casino operator to decide whether or not blackjacking is allowed and how strictly they enforce this rule.
