Gambling Casino Play Blackjack
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. Because you can play an Ace either way, a hand with an ace is called a soft hand. If the total of your hand is over 21, you'll bust and lose your bet. HIT or STAND - Hit means to draw another card (which the player signifies by scraping the table with his cards or a similar hand motion) " You are playing only against the dealer. If the player hits and busts (goes over 21), he immediately turns his cards over and his wager is lost. DOUBLE DOWN - The player is allowed to double the bet on his first two cards and draw one additional card only to improve his hand. SPLITTING PAIRS - If the first two cards a player is dealt are a pair, he may split them into two separate hands, bet the same amount on each and then play them separately. Aces receive only one additional 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. INSURANCE - If the dealer's up card is an ace, the player may take insurance, a bet not exceeding one-half his original bet. Jacks, Queens and Kings always have a value of 10. An Ace can count as 1 or 11 depending on what is most beneficial to your hand. When you think that the dealer has blackjack, it gives you a chance to guard your bet. 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 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. Surrender is not offered at very many online casinos.