When playing blackjack, the payout is determined by the number of decks used and the number of cards dealt. The basic rules are as follows: The player must be able to identify the rank of each card, from Ace to King. Aces are worth 1 point, 2s through 10s are worth face value, and a JACK (Joker) is worth 11 points. After the player has placed their bet and received their hands, they are asked to choose one card to “stand” (keep). This card is then turned over to the dealer, who keeps it in front of her. The remaining cards are placed face down in the middle of the table, with any facecards (kings and queens) at the top and any other cards at the bottom.
The dealer then deals two cards face up to each player. The player can either keep both cards or put one back into their hand. If they choose to keep both cards, they receive two new cards and their original two cards become “face up” in front of them. If they choose to put one back into their hand, they only receive one new card and their original two cards become “face down.
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After all players have received two new cards, the dealer again deals two face up cards to each player, followed by one face down card. This continues until all players have received three new cards total-two face up and one face down. At this point, the player can either continue playing with three new cards (playing “hard”) or replace one of their original three with a fourth new card (playing “soft”).
If a player plays “hard,” they must place all four new cards on the table-two on either side of their original “face up” card. If they play “soft,” they may place any combination of their original three plus the fourth new card on the table. After all players have played or replaced one card, the dealer turns over all remaining facedown cards in her hand-this is known as her “turn.”
If at this point there is still a tie for first place or any other predetermined outcome, play passes to the next player in clockwise order. If no player has won after several rounds of play, then each player receives back their initial bet plus any accumulated winnings from prior rounds-a total payout that is based on how many decks were used and how many hands were played.
