The Basic Setup

Blackjack is played using standard decks of 52 playing cards. Games are dealt a “shoe” usually made up of multiple decks, with online blackjack games using anywhere from one to an infinite number of decks. Before the game begins, you will need to make a single bet in order to play.

Beginning the Hand

A hand of blackjack begins with each player receiving two cards. In most blackjack variants, these cards are dealt face up. In addition, the dealer will receive two cards: one face up, and one face down.

The object of the game is to make a hand closer to 21 than the dealer, without going over that number. In blackjack, cards have the following values:

Checking for Blackjack

Before anything else happens, both you and the dealer will check to see if you have a blackjack. This is a starting hand that contains an ace and a 10-point card, for a perfect score of 21. If you start with that hand, your bet will win at 3-2 odds.

If the dealer is showing an ace or a face card, the dealer will check for blackjack by peeking at their face down card. In the case of an ace showing, the dealer will first ask you if you want to purchase insurance. This bet will cost half of your initial bet but pays out at 2-1 if the dealer has blackjack – meaning you’ll break even if the bet pays out.

If both you and the dealer have blackjack, your bet will push. Before checking for their own blackjack, the dealer will offer to pay you even money on your blackjack. This is mathematically the same as offering you an insurance bet.

Playing Your Hand

If neither you or the dealer has a blackjack, you may then start playing your hand. If there are multiple players at the table, the action moves clockwise, starting from the players’ right.

There are two basic actions you can always take. You may choose to hit, which means the dealer will give you another card. You may also choose to stand, meaning you want no more cards and have finished playing your hand. If at any time you have more than 21 points in your hand, you have “busted,” meaning you immediately lose your bet.

Other specialty actions can take place under certain circumstances. If your first two cards are of the same rank, you may split them into two separate hands. To do this, you must make a separate, full bet for each hand. Each hand will get a new second card and will be played independently. Those hands could be split again, though there is often a limit on how many times you may split on a single hand.

After receiving your first two cards, you also have the option to double down. This allows you to double your bet for getting exactly one more card from the dealer, after which you must stand. This is used when you are in an advantageous situation and wish to maximize your bet.

Finally, many online blackjack games offer you the option to surrender. If you do so, you will give up half of your bet and end your play for that hand. Surrendering is used in especially bad situations where losing half of your bet is a better option than taking your chances by playing the hand.