Blackjack Rules and Placing Bets

Course and Objective of the Game

Before the start of each game, that is, before the cards are even dealt, the participating players must place their bets while respecting the limits of the table. Once this is done, the dealer deals the cards and each player receives two cards that are put on the table face up. The dealer also has two cards but one of them is face down.

The game is started first by the player to the left of the dealer. The options are as follows: he can ask for another card (Hit), split the two cards into two hands and ask for cards for both hands (Split), he can end his turn (Stand). When all players are ready, the dealer shows his second card. The one with 21 points or fewer wins and the one with more than 21 points loses.

If you have under 17 you can ask for another card and if you have 17 you must stand because the risk of exceeding 21 with another card is high. Keep in mind that the Ace is counted as 1 point and 11 points according to the player’s decision on how to combine the cards in his hand for the optimal score of 21. The objective is to have a score of 21 at the end of the game or to be closer to 21 than the dealer. If the dealer and the player are tied, then the bet money is recovered.

Blackjack allows multiple players to play in the same round against the dealer at the same time. Each player takes a turn to make their decisions consecutively. Also, each player is allowed to play multiple hands during the same round. The total number of playable hands, both from different players and from the same one playing multiple hands is limited, normally to a maximum of 6 or 8.

Interesting fact: The name “blackjack” comes from the bonus incentives paid by the casinos when the game was first introduced to casinos in the United States. If a player’s hand consisted of the ace of spades plus a blackjack (suits or spades), the player would receive a special bonus. This bonus was later removed, but the name of blackjack endured for posterity.

The Blackjack Dealer

In virtually all variations of the game, the dealer can make no decisions like the players. The most common forms of blackjack require the dealer to go up to 16, inclusive, and stay still at 17. The dealer is not allowed to split or double the cards or make any other decisions or bets available to the player for the player.

Blackjack Rules – The Blackjack Table

The blackjack table consists of several fields also called “boxes.” The first rectangular box in front of the player is intended for the cards. Each table has a maximum amount which must not be exceeded.

On top of the boxes, the cards are put face up, if the player divides the cards, two hands are made. The dealer sits in front of the players and deals the cards from left to right until at the end he is left with a face-down card and a face-down card. The shape of the table is always a semicircle or half-oval.

Betting in Blackjack

The first thing that happens in a blackjack hand is the initial bet. All players involved in the hand must declare their bet before the cards are dealt.

After all bets have been made, the cards are dealt from the dealer’s left with each player receiving two revealed cards and the dealer receiving two cards, but showing only one card.

If a player is dealt a blackjack, they win instantly and receive a payout of 3: 2. If neither the player nor the dealer receives a blackjack, the first player must make their first decision. Typically this would be hitting another card or standing and you will eventually find yourself with two types of hands.

“Soft hand” – a hand that includes an ace, for example, a soft 17 could be an A and a 6. In contrast, a “hard hand” is one that does not include an ace, for example, a hard 17 could be a 9 and an 8. Get ahead of the game by checking out our basic blackjack strategy guide here.

Hit: Draw Card

By drawing more cards you want to get as close as possible to the best score of 21 points. If you are not satisfied with the sum of the two cards dealt, you can take another card. Then you add the values of the cards again and can take more cards until you get exactly 21 or until you go over, but this will mean a loss so be careful. That is called “Bust”. Remember that sometimes it is better to settle for less than risk and lose.

In face-down games, the player signals a hit by scratching the table with his cards. Oral statements on their own are often not accepted, because when in doubt, video surveillance decides and relies on clear gestures.

Stand: Get no More Cards

If you stop, you won’t draw any more cards in the hope that the current amount will beat the dealer. In a one or two card game, the cards are dealt face down under the bet.

If you are in a land-based casino flat your hand on the ”Stop” sign to show that you want to stand, but if you decide to give the best live blackjack casinos a try, you will quickly see things are way easier, as you can interact with the dealer in an easier manner!

Push

When the dealer and the player have the same score, a push is declared, which means that no one wins and the player receives their bet back on that hand. The exception to this is if the player receives a blackjack, it is an instant win (some casinos will declare push if the dealer also receives a blackjack, but this variation is not very common on online blackjack sites).

When is the Game Lost? Know the Blackjack Rules!

Loss in blackjack occurs when the player’s cards total more than 21. However, if the player stands and the dealer goes over 21, the player wins and his bet is paid by the dealer. The player will then receive his bet back plus the same amount again for the win he bet against.

What is “a Blackjack”?

A “blackjack” is the term given when the first two cards dealt are an ace and another 10 value card (ie.. 10, J, Q, or K). If a player receives a blackjack, it is an instant win. Most casinos pay players receiving blackjack immediately, however, if the dealer has an ace, some casinos check to see if the dealer also has blackjack (see American Blackjack), in which case the hand is returned (a tie is declared).

If the player reaches 21 in his hand but the dealer reveals a blackjack, the dealer immediately wins. The probability of getting a blackjack is approximately 4.8%.

Blackjack Rules when Doubling the Stakes

The double or nothing rule can be a very effective way to increase your profits in the long run. To double the bet, the player doubles his initial bet and only receives one more card.

Remember that in the European standard version of the game only doubling on 10 or 11 is allowed.

Blackjack Rules for Splitting the Hand

If the starting hand dealt to a player consists of two cards of the same rank, for example, 6 and a 6 or 9 and a 9, or J, K, the player has the option of creating two independent hands and continuing on each of them as if they were the first card dealt by the dealer, that is, the player receives two more cards, one for each of the two original hands.

The player must place another bet that matches their original bet and both hands continue as usual. Doubling or splitting the bet may be restricted depending on the particular casino rules. Blackjacks obtained after a split is treated as 21 instead of normal blackjack compared to the dealer’s hand.

Re-splitting the Hand – Know the Blackjack Rules

If the player receives another card after splitting their initial paired hand, most blackjack games allow the player to re-split the hand again. Some casinos allow players to continue re-dividing their hands indefinitely, while other casinos limit the number of splits allowed (for example, to a maximum of 4).

Blackjack Rules for Re-Splitting Aces

In most casinos, after splitting a pair of aces, you only get one more card per ace. However, if you receive another pair of aces in a split hand, some casinos allow you to split the new pair of aces again.

This option reduces the house edge by 0.03 percent. It is even rarer to find a game where it is even allowed to draw more than one card from a split ace. This option reduces the house edge by 0.14 percent.

Blackjack Rules when Surrendering at Blackjack

The surrender rule (which is not common in the European and Classic Blackjack variations) allows the player to “cut their losses” and escape a hand that they think is very likely to lose. When a player turns over a hand, it is immediately declared dead and the dealer keeps half of the player’s bet and the other half is returned to the player.

For American blackjack and variations that give the dealer a hole card next to a face-up starting card, players have two types of surrender that relate to when they can take this option:

Early surrender: If the dealer’s face-up card is an Ace, the dealer checks if the second card is a 10. This would complete a blackjack for the dealer. In this case, if the Blackjack rules allow the player to Surrender Early, to get half the original bet without having to play the hand before the dealer checks for Blackjack. This is a great advantage for the player. However, this rule hardly exists anymore. This would reduce the house edge by as much as 0.624 percent.

Late surrender: This blackjack rule is more common than early surrender. In Late Surrender, you are allowed to turn in your hand and get half the bet back after the dealer checks for the Blackjack. This only reduces the house edge by 0.07 percent in a six-deck game and even only 0.02 percent in a single-deck game. However, for professional blackjack players, getting the best of all areas is inevitable.

Betting Limits

All blackjack tables will have minimum and maximum betting limits. Always check the table limits both in online games and in real casinos, as this is something you should take into consideration when deciding which table to sit and play at.

Common Variations:

There are many different versions of blackjack, but the two most common variations that you will find in most online casinos are European blackjack and American blackjack. This rules and strategy guide is based on European Blackjack (often just called Blackjack) and there are only a few subtle changes to the American version that have a slight impact on the game:

Blackjack Rules for European Blackjack

The game is played using two decks of normal cards. The game begins when the player is dealt two cards face up. The dealer only receives one card face up and does not receive a second card at this stage of the game. If the dealer’s only card is an ace, the player is offered the option of placing an insurance bet, which is worth half the cost of their original bet. The insurance bet is only resolved at the end of the hand.

Whether or not the player decided to make the insurance bet, the game continues and the players have a turn to make a move. The player is allowed to double only with hands that have a hard total of 9, 10 or 11. It is allowed to split all pairs, with the exception of two different cards with a value of 10. It is not allowed to double after splitting. The player can split aces and hit with split aces. Surrendering is not allowed.

Blackjack Rules for the Switch Variation

This variation of blackjack requires the player to play two hands in one round and the player will be able to switch cards between the hands, for example, if the player receives 10 and 5 in one hand and in the other a Q and a 6, the player can switch the cards to get the most favorable hands 10, K and 5,6. To compensate for this, blackjack only pays 1:1, and a tie is declared if the dealer receives 22.

Blackjack Rules for American Blackjack

As in the original game, the objective in American Blackjack is to beat the dealer by trying to score 21 points or as close as possible without going over. It is important to note that at any time if the player’s cards value 16 points or less, they have to ask for one more card. If the sum of their cards is 17 to 21 points, the dealer is forced to stand without being able to ask for more cards. In this version of the game, the player can double down on any starting hand and can surrender at any time during the hand.

Blackjack Rules for Perfect Pairs

The Perfect Pair Bet is an optional variation commonly found in online casinos and does not require any changes to the normal blackjack rules.

To win with a perfect pairs bet, the player must simply initially receive a pair, for example, two jacks or two fives. However, the amount won by a winning perfect pairs bet varies according to the nature of the pair using the following odds:

Mixed pair, pay 5 to 1 – A pair made of different colors, for example, queen of clubs, queen of diamonds.

Pair of colors, pay 10 to 1 – A pair made of the same color but with different suits, for example, nine of clubs, nine of spades.

Perfect Pair, pays 30 to 1 – A pair made of the same two cards, eg jack of hearts, jack of hearts.

Blackjack Rules for the Lucky Lucky Variation

Luck Lucky works by combining the player’s two cards with the dealer’s card to make a three-card hand.

Blackjack Rules for Different Payouts in Blackjack

Some casinos deviate from the normal 3: 2 blackjack payout and those that give less than this amount should be avoided at all times! This is why it is important to always check the rules of the particular table you choose and decide if you want to play or not.

The Dealer Wins the Ties

Instead of returning bets, some casinos give the dealer the win when the hands are tied. Again, this rule is very important to a player’s winning odds, so never sit at these tables.

Blackjack Rules for Side Bets in Blackjack

Some casinos and variations of blackjack allow players to place side bets. Side bets are placed in a separate space next to the regular blackjack bet before the hand is dealt and are usually resolved upon completion when the starting hand is finished.

Blackjack Rules for Insurance Bets

The word insurance is a bit misleading, as it leads players to believe that the insurance bet they are making has nothing to do with the blackjack hand they are playing. Insurance is actually a type of side bet that is offered to you when the dealer’s face-up card is an ace. In that case, the dealer will ask if any of the players want to buy insurance against the dealer having natural blackjack. As a player, you are not required to place an insurance bet. However, if you decide to place an insurance bet, you will have to place a bet of up to half of your original bet. It can be less than half of your original bet, but it cannot be more than half of your original bet.

Insurance pays 2 to 1 and when you make an insurance bet that is half your original bet and the dealer has a natural blackjack, you will get double your insurance bet, which will be equal to your original bet, which you have lost because the dealer has a natural blackjack.

What are Your Next Steps?

Now that you are aware of all the rules of blackjack, it is time for you to try your luck at the real game. You should start with playing Blackjack at casinos that offer the free version of the game until you build your knowledge and skills in the game. You can also continue with reading our in-depth guides for the different strategies in the game here.