New Blackjack Rules
Blackjack is a casino game with the most favorable odds and lowest house edge. It is also the most popular table game. A typical house edge in a blackjack game is around 1% more or less, with some variations going little over one percent and some going as low as 0.4% edge edge. This is if you play in a disciplined manner and sticking to the basics. On the other hand, if you learn some more advanced strategy, you will be able to eliminate that house edge and make some nice cash. It’s as easy as that.
It’s amazing that there are players that are apparently too lazy to spend a minute or two and go the extra mile to learn a proper blackjack strategy, one that can bring them steady profit on the long run. It’s like throwing money away, when you can do the opposite.
A blackjack, or natural, is a total of 21 in your first two cards. A blackjack is therefore an Ace and any ten-valued card, with the additional requirement that these be your first two cards. If you split a pair of Aces for example, and then draw a ten-valued card on one of the Aces, this is not a blackjack, but rather a total of 21. If you get Blackjack, the dealer pays you 3 to 2. If you and the dealer both get Blackjack, it is a push and no chips are given or taken away. If you have a higher total than the dealer (or the dealer busts), the dealer matches the amount of your chips. If you have a lower total than the dealer (or you bust), the dealer takes your chips.
In blackjack the rules are very easy to follow. There are a couple of logical options that you can take advantage of in order to beat the dealer’s hand, and you can read about them further in this article. We are certain that you will have no problems in learning this fast-paced and exciting casino game.
Blackjack Rules
Below are the basic rules that you will need to know if you want to properly learn how to play blackjack. They are used across different blackjack variations as the basis, with some minor altered features that make the variation unique in itself.
- Blackjack games are usually played with multiple decks up to 8, although there are single deck blackjack variations. All use 52 card decks.
- To win you need to have a higher ranking hand than the dealer as closest to 21 without exceeding 21. If the dealer busts, all remaining players at the table win.
- At most blackjack variations the dealer hits on soft 17s.
- The standard payout for hitting a blackjack is 3 to 2.
- Cards are valued according to their face values. King, Queen and Jack and Ten are valued ten.
- Aces are valued either 1 or 11, whatever benefits the player presently.
- Winning hands are paid 1 to 1 (wager $5, win $5).
- Splitting is allowed only with up to 3 hands.
- If you or the dealer goes over 21 it’s a bust.
- The suits of the cards have no meaning in blackjack, only their values.
- If you and the dealer both have a two card blackjack, it’s a tie.
- If you have a two card natural blackjack, while the dealer has a blackjack with more than 2 cards, you win with a 3 to 2 payoff.
The Basics of Blackjack
Objective of the Game
All blackjack variations have the same objective, to beat the dealer’s hand either by hitting a blackjack or having a better hand. You have to draw cards until you can safely decide that you are as close as you can get to 21. You cannot go over 21 or you will lose.
If there are other players at the table like in playing at live online casinos, you don’t have to compete against them. Your only opponent is the dealer, and the dealer plays against all players at the same time. The great thing with the different variations is that they include an additional twist to the game regarding the blackjack or some other added feature.
Card Values
All cards in blackjack are valued according to their face value. So, cards from 2 to 9 are valued accordingly, while 10s, Jacks, Queens and Kings are valued 10. Aces have two values, 1 or 11, and you can use whichever you like according to your hand.
When to Split
When you have two identical cards, for example, two 8s, you can choose to split them into two separate hands that will be counted as additional wagers. This is useful with identical cards that make a risky hand like with the 8s (8 + 8 = 16, a difficult and unfavorable hand).
When to Stand
So, let’s say you’ve been dealt your hand, and the cards dealt are 10 and 2, which makes a total value of 12. This is a risky hand, but you will need to take an additional card in order to get closer to 21. If your third card is anything below 9, including 9, the obvious choice would be to stand and not request a fourth card.
Surrender
Surrender is an option found in Blackjack Surrender and is given to you if the dealer has been dealt an Ace. The Ace would be the face up card. In a situation like this you can surrender half of your bet and lose without risking the entire bet by going against the dealer with the risk of him having a blackjack.
Double Down
Also, you can double down your bet by pressing the ‘double’ button. This option is used when you want another card at the risk of doubling your bet with the hope that you will have a strong hand with the additional card.
Blackjack Variations
Online casinos offer various blackjack variations to choose from, and sometimes you come to the point when you are hesitant about which game is best for you. These blackjack games are all unique variations designed by big software providers like Playtech, known for its Blackjack Surrender, Blackjack Switch, Progressive Blackjack etc., Microgaming, Betsoft, Rival, RTG and other. All of them have their own variations.
Anyway, it doesn’t matter what blackjack variation you find since all of them are exciting. The most important thing is for the game to have low house edge and for you to find the appropriate strategy for that variation.
A Simple Strategy to Use
The basic goal is not to exceed 21 by busting, and to precisely weigh the dangers if you hit or stand. Therefore, if your first two cards form a value of between 12 and 16, then you have to be careful with hitting because these hands are most commonly a bust when third card is requested. These hands are called stiff. If the face up card in the dealer’s hand is between 2 and 6, then the dealer has a stiff hand too with the possibility for a bust.
If you have a hand of 17 or higher, than you should stand, because there is extremely little chance to hit 1, 2 or 3. This is called a pat hand. The dealers pat hand is consisted of Ace and a seven. So, the strategy is to stand if you and the dealer have stiff hands, and to hit if you have a stiff hand and the dealer has a pat.
This one is only to get you started. There are many other strategies that you will need to use if you would like to advance in your blackjack skills. Blackjack has the lowest house edge and it would be a shame not to try and bust it with strategic playing. There are strategies intended for single deck blackjack games and games with more decks, but mostly for variations played with 4 to 8 decks.
Summary
Blackjack is a game that has remained unchanged for 4 centuries since it was invented in France and Spain. The reason behind this longevity of blackjack is precisely the format of the game. It can be learned in just five minutes but it can be enjoyed for a lifetime.
You can browse through the different online casinos here and check out their available blackjack games. Find if some variation suits you best, maybe Playtech’s Blackjack Switch where you can play with two hands at one time and switch the top facing cards between them in order to get a better hand. Or try Microgaming’s Gold blackjack series variations with high payouts. There are both single and multi-hand games.
Also, we would like to give you a quick tip that you should always first read about the particular blackjack game that you want to play, and that is done by reading reviews or players’ opinions. Then learn its rules and apply some strategy by practicing it in free play mode. This will be valuable for your rate of success, because practice makes it perfect.
Useful Blackjack Glossary
– Hard hand: This a hand that contains an Ace, but the Ace is not counter as 11 in the hand.
– Insurance: Insurance is a wager placed when the dealer is dealt his hand, one card is showing and the other is upside down. If the showing card is an Ace, the player is presented with the opportunity to put insurance wager that will help him profit if the dealer has a two card blackjack. In such case the insurance wager pays 2 to 1 and the wager amount is half of the original bet. If the player has a blackjack too, the bet is pushed.
– Rebet: The ‘rebet’ button is used when you want to repeat the same wager without having to go through the same procedure of choosing a chip and placing the bet.
– Surrender: This an option available in Blackjack Surrender, and some other variants, and is used if the player thinks he doesn’t stand a chance of winning the round by surrendering half of the wager in order to receive the other half back.
Visit our Blackjack Glossary page for more more terms and phrases here.
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Playing Blackjack the player tries to draw cards with a total of 21 points. The main aim of blackjack is to beat the dealer. To do this the player must have a hand that will be higher than the dealer’s and not to go over 21.
The suits of the cards do not play any role in the game. The hand value is simply calculated by summing up the point value of each card in the hand.
The Value of Cards
| = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. |
| = 10.10 and all the face cards have the value of 10 |
| = 1 or 11. An Ace is counted as 1 or 11. |
Blackjack Hands
Let’s now consider the most common hands in blackjack that players should remember.
=21 Blackjack or Natural is a hand of two cards that equals 21 immediately after the deal. The hand is formed by an Ace and a card with a value of 10.
=16 Soft Hand is a hand with an Ace where the Ace can be counted as 11 without exceeding a total point value of 21.
=16 Hard Hand is a hand without an Ace, or a hand with an Ace where the Ace is valued at 1 point.
How to play blackjack?
Blackjack is played with 1 through 8 decks of 52 cards. The cards are dealt from a special box, known as a shoe. As a rule, the decks are reshuffled after each game.The player makes a bet before any cards are dealt. Then the player gets two cards and the dealer has two cards too, one of them is dealt face up and one is face down. The dealer’s hole card remains unknown until the player has completed his hand. The player makes a decision about how to play the hand based on the two dealt cards and the dealer’s face-up card. After the player has decided to stand (stop taking cards), the dealer turns over his hole card. If his hand is 17 or more he must stand. If the dealer’s hand totals 16 or under the dealer must hit (take more cards). Sometimes a casino lets the dealer hit on a soft 17, adding to the house edge.
If the first two cards total 21(an ace and any 10-value card ), it is Blackjack, the highest hand of the game. If the player has blackjack he wins unless the dealer has blackjack as well, in this case the hand is a “push” or a tie.
If the dealer’s face-up card is an ace, the player can make “insurance” to guard against the risk that the dealer holds a blackjack. The insurance pays 2:1 if the dealer’s hand is a blackjack. The dealer with blackjack wins except the player’s hand that also has a blackjack.
All the possible bets are posted on the table. The player wins 1:1 that is the same amount as he bets. The payout for blackjack is 3:2.
Player Options
HIT |
STAND |
DOUBLE DOWN |
SPLIT |
Extra Blackjack Options
Besides these blackjack options there are some extra blackjack options: Insurance, Even Money and Surrender.
New Blackjack Rules Poker
Insurance. An additional side bet, half of the original bet, available to players after the initial deal when the dealer shows an Ace. If the dealer turns up a natural 21, the player with insurance is paid 2:1 on the insurance bet, but not the original bet. If the dealer does not have a Blackjack, the Insurance bet is lost.
Even Money. In the event of the player has a Blackjack and the dealer’s up card is an Ace, the player can place an Even Money bet, which costs half of the original bet. The Even Money bet protects player from a push if the dealer has Blackjack as well. If the dealer has Blackjack, the player will get his initial bet back and the Even Money bet, 2:1.
New Vegas Blackjack Rules
Surrender is the option which is not available in all casinos. Surrender allows the player to surrender half of his original bet if he considers that he has a losing hand. This bet can be made before the player says: “Hit” or “Stand”. Thanks to this option the player can save half of his original bet.
New Blackjack Rules Games
There are two types of surrender – EARLY and LATE. Early Surrender allows the player to take half of his bet before the dealer checks for Blackjack. The Late Surrender allows the player to surrender only after the dealer has checked his hole card for Blackjack.