Blackjack Strategies Casino Game
Blackjack is probably the most popular of all casino and online casino games primarily due to the fact that, when played correctly, the odds of winning are about even with the house. If the total value of your hand is closer to 21 than the dealer's hand, you win an equal amount to what you have bet. If you have a blackjack hand, you win 3:2 times your bet (example - a $5 bet will win $7.50), as long as the dealer does not have blackjack. Aces have a value of either 1 or 11, face cards as 10 and the cards that are left are valued as their face numbers. Players and Personnel One dealer - Handles all of the cards and chip exchanges. If the total of your hand is over 21, you'll bust and lose your bet. The object of the game is to obtain a hand of cards totaling up to 21 or as close to 21 as possible without going over. Blackjack beats a count of 21. Stand means no more cards (which the player signals by placing his cards under his wager or moving his hand in a horizontal direction. Hit - If you are not pleased with the total of your first two cards, you can draw additional card(s) until you stand or bust. Stand - If you are pleased with your first two cards, you would then stand and not draw anymore cards. Double Down - Your bet is doubled and you draw only one more card. Starting to the dealer's left side, the cards are dealt in a round one at a time to each player ending with the dealer receiving his second card face down. Depending on the game, the player's are either dealt their cards face up or face down. Each card in Blackjack has a certain value. Any other card means a win for the dealer. SURRENDER - Where permitted, a player may give up his first two cards and lose only one-half his original bet. Insurance is not recommended and is considered a separate game/bet of its own. Player's add the value of their cards and either decide to "Stick" or "Stand" with their current cards or receive another card, called a "Hit" or "Draw," hopefully raising their total closer to 21 without going over. If the dealer's first card is an ace and if you think that the dealer's hole card is of value 10, you can buy insurance against dealer blackjack. If the dealer's hand is between 17 and 21, he or she may not draw any additional card. If the dealer has blackjack, the insurance pays 2:1, matching the amount of your original bet. If you and the dealer both have blackjack, the game ends in a push. When surrender is available, if you are not pleased with the cards you were dealt, you may give them up and lose half of your bet.