How to Play Blackjack

This page will definitely teach you how to play blackjack, and isn’t that why you came to this page to begin with? Blackjack is a fairly simple game to understand once you get the blackjack rules down pat. There is also not much of a discrepancy between how to play online black jack versus land-based blackjack. The only thing you really give up learning when you learn how to play online blackjack is hand signals as you play – which isn’t such a big deal.

4 Basics When Learning How to Play Blackjack

After you place your bet and get dealt two cards, the easiest rules for how to play blackjack are that you can either HIT, STAND, DOUBLE DOWN, or SPLIT. Your goal is trying to get BLACKJACK (an Ace and a 10/face card) or anything close to and not over 21 points.

1) HIT: the dealer gives you another card (you can hit as many times as you want, until you STAND or BUST).

2) STAND: the dealer stops giving you cards

3) DOUBLE DOWN: double your bet after you receive your first two cards (an important note with regards to how to play black jack – only do this if you have a strong hand because you only get 1 more card!)

4) SPLIT: if the first two cards are the same, you have the option to split the “pair” (it’s ADVICEABLE to split your pairs if you have middle numbers, like anything between 5 and 8; do NOT split if you have high numbers (9s, 10s, or face cards); and ALWAYS split when you have two Aces).

How to Play Online Blackjack:Rule Deviation,etc.

One of the most important things to know when you begin playing blackjack, regardless of if you’re playing at an online casino or land-based casino, is that rule variations will definitely affect the house advantage, and the house advantage will definitely affect your odds of winning. With over 100 variations of the game, it’s important you know which one you are specifically playing. Other than the different types of blackjack games, other things that can affect the odds are how many decks of cards are being used, and whether the dealer is required to hit at a soft 17.

NUMBER OF CARD DECKS USED: In general, it is far easier to play with one deck than up to eight. One reason is that you can count cards more easily (but card counting is not one of my recommended blackjack tips). When single decks are used, the rules are normally stricter so that the house has more advantages in other ways (for example, they won’t offer surrendering or require the dealer to stand on a soft 17). The House Advantage is only 0.17% with a Single Deck, 0.46% for a Double Deck, and then basically the same for Four Decks (0.60%), Six Decks (0.64%), and Eight Decks (0.66%).

DEALER HITS ON A SOFT 17: A dealer always stands on a hard 17, but if the dealer is required to hit on a soft 17 (which is an Ace and a 6), it raises the House Advantage by 0.2%!

Blackjack is a really fun game to play. In fact, it is one of the most popular games at casinos today. My strictest of all of these blackjack rules, though, is to make sure that you don’t play more than what you can afford. Now that you know how to play blackjack, keep playing responsibly, and you’ll have a great game whether you win or lose! Remember that Dad knows best!