In blackjack, there are 52 cards in a deck. The cards are ranked from Ace to Two, with Three being the highest card.
In addition, there are two face cards – Jack and Queen – which are both worth ten points apiece.
There are several different types of hands that can be played in blackjack, each with its own specific strategy. The most common hand is the straight.
In a straight, the player has ace through two of a kind, three of a kind, or four of a kind. When playing this type of hand, it is important to keep an eye on the dealer’s up card and compare it to your hand to determine whether you should stay or go.
If the dealer’s up card is an ace, for example, you would likely stay in the game and try to hit another card. If the dealer’s up card is a two or three, however, you would likely go ahead and hit if you have a better hand.
Another common type of hand is the flush. In this situation, you need at least five cards of the same suit (for example: clubs, hearts, diamonds).
If you can complete the flush, your hand is considered strong and you can usually expect to win money from the dealer.
A less common but still valid type of hand is the straight flush. This occurs when you have five cards of the same suit plus one additional card (for example: clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades).
Again, if you can complete the straight flush, your hand is considered strong and you can usually expect to win money from the dealer.
Finally, there is what’s called a “natural.” In blackjack terms, this means that you have an Ace through 10 without any jokers (for example: A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10).
When playing with natural handsets, it is important to remember that any two cards of the same rank will add up to 11 (for example: A-2+2=4; A-3+3=6). This means that if you have a natural hand and are dealt two cards of equal rank (for example: A-2 and A-3), it’s best not to hit either one – instead hold on to both cards and try to turn them into better hands later on in the game.
