how to play blackjack
Blackjack, also known as 21, is one of the most popular casino card games. To win, you have to beat the dealer's hand without going over 21.
After the bets are placed, each player is dealt two cards face-up. The dealer receives one card face-up and the dealer’s hand is completed once all players have finished drawing cards. This is known as English Style.
If your first two cards total 21, you win because you have a Blackjack which pays 3 to 2 on your bet. If the dealer also has a Blackjack, you would Push (tie).
If the dealer exceeds 21, all players who have 21 or less win. Otherwise the dealer compares his or her point total to each player's. All winning bets are paid even money (one to one).
Face cards (Kings, Queens, and Jacks) have a value of 10. Numbered cards are worth their face value except Ace, which can count as 1 or 11.
So, based on your first two cards, you have some decisions to make.
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Terms to help you play:
Soft Hand: a hand that includes an Ace and has two totals, neither of which exceeds 21
Hard Hand: a hand in which there is no Ace or the Ace counts as one
Blackjack: any first two cards dealt to a hand that total 21
Bust or Broke: cards add up to 22 or more
Hit or Draw: signifies you want another card (with a scratching motion on the table)
Doubling Down: when you double down, you double your original bet and receive one additional card
Splitting Pairs: if you have two cards of equal value in one hand, you may split them into two separate hands by placing an additional bet equal to your original bet. If you split Aces, you get only one hit on each Ace.
Surrender: Once you have received your original two cards, you have the option to surrender if you do not like the cards you received. The dealer takes half of your original bet and your hand is discarded. You can surrender on any original two-card hand, except when the dealer has a Blackjack.
Insurance: If the Dealer's first card is an Ace, you can insure your bet against the possibility of the dealer's final hand being a Blackjack. Insurance bets are up to one half of your original bet. If the dealer's hand is not a Blackjack, the player loses his or her insurance bet. If the dealer's hand is a Blackjack, the insurance bet is paid two times the amount paid for the insurance.
Stand: you don’t want any more cards
Push: you have the same count as the dealer – a tie – and nobody wins.
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Payouts
All winning bets are paid even money except for a Blackjack, which pays three to two. When a push occurs, you keep your original bet.
A Blackjack (two cards that equal 21) beats all other combinations of cards that equal 21. A two-card 21 on split hands is not a Blackjack.
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Lucky Ladies BlackjackTM
Lucky Ladies is an easy and exciting Blackjack side bet. If your first two cards equal 20, additional bonuses are paid depending on your cards.
Before each round of Blackjack play, you can place a voluntary Lucky Ladies bet on the designated spot on the table at the same time you make your regular bet.
Once the dealer has dealt the first two cards to each player, the dealer determines if any Lucky Ladies wager players have two cards totaling 20. Remember: this occurs with the first two cards only and before you act on your hand. After the winners are paid out, the Blackjack game resumes as normal.
Payouts
Players are paid 4:1 or up to 1,000:1 depending on the type of cards.
Two-card 20 Pay table
Cards Pays
Queen of Hearts Pair 1,000:1
(if dealer has Blackjack) 125:1
Matched 20 19:1
Suited 20 9:1
Any 20 4:1
Note: Only highest payout paid per player. Matched 20 are two identical cards. The minimum and maximum wagering limits of the Lucky Ladies wager are determined by the house.
