For example, if you are dealt two aces, you can choose to split them into two separate hands. It will become available if you’re dealt a pair. This means you lose your hand before playing it but receive half of your bet back. Some casinos will give you the option to ‘surrender’. So, even if the dealer can see you have a total of 18, they must stand on 16 and allow you to win the hand. The dealer plays by set rules: they will continue to hit until their hand totals 16 or above, then they’ll stand. If you stand, you pass control to the next player (or, in our example, the dealer). Hit and StandĪssuming you don’t make blackjack, you’ll have the option to stand or hit.

If you require three or more cards to make 21, it is not defined as blackjack. Note that it is only called ‘blackjack’ when 21 is achieved in precisely two cards. If you hit blackjack, the casino pays out at 3:2 rather than the usual odds of evens. But a jack (10) and an ace (1 or 11) would make 21, or ‘blackjack’. For example, a jack (10) and a king (10) would make 20. Without an ace, the biggest combination you can hope for is 20. In order to make 21 right off the bat you’ll need an ace. ‘Blackjack’ is the title of the game and also the name of a hand which instantly makes 21. There’s no need to declare whether you want it to be worth 1 or 11 – you can simply play the hand and, at the end of it, the most beneficial value will be attributed to it. This can be worth either 1 or 11, depending on what works best for you. All face cards – so jacks, queens, and kings – are also worth 10. Most of the card values are self-explanatory: 2 is worth 2, 3 is worth 3, 4 is worth 4 and so on up to 10.

So, you have to be careful to avoid going bust at all costs. If you make 22 or above, you’ll go ‘bust’ and lose the hand instantly – regardless of what the dealer is holding. The Aim of the GameĪs mentioned, the aim of the game is to make 21. The dealer has one card face up and one card face down – so you have a hint about the strength of their hand, but you won’t get the full picture until later on. Both of your cards will be face up, which means you don’t have to practice your poker face. If you’re the only player at the table, the dealer will deal three cards – two face up, and one face down. Simple, right? Unfortunately, there’s a bit more to it than that, but we’re here to help you out.įirst, let’s take a look at the setup of blackjack online. In a nutshell, the aim of blackjack is to beat the dealer by making your hand add up to 21 without going over.

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