Blackjack is the most popular casino game, both in online casinos and offline casinos. If you don?t know how to play blackjack, this page will be a good place to start. I would also suggest that you practice your blackjack over at Bodog, as they have practice games in addition to real money games. You can visit Bodog through our link at the bottom of this page.
Blackjack is also known by the moniker 21, as they object is getting closer to 21 than the dealer does. There are two ways to win a hand in blackjack. The first way to win is getting closer to 21 than the dealer (without going over 21), and the second way is to have the dealer go over 21 (also known as the dealer busting or the dealer breaking). If you get the same total in your hand as the dealer, then it is considered a push and you don?t win and you don?t lose.
General Blackjack:
The first step in learning how to play black is learning how the flow of the game. Before any cards are dealt you must decide how much you want to play, and place it in the circle in front of you. After you have placed your bets the cards are then dealt out. You will receive a total of two cards face up, and the dealer will get two cards with one being face up and one being face down. At this point you must decide if you want additional cards or not, which is also known as hitting or standing. You take as many cards as you like, until you are either satisfied that you have a good chance of being closer to 21 than the dealer or until you go over 21. If you go over 21 you lose the hand and the dealer will take your bet.
After you have finished taking cards, the dealer will play his hand. A dealer must always hit if they have 16 or less, and they must always stand if they have 17 or more. The only exception to this if is the dealer has a soft 17 (a total of 17 that contains an ace and another card). Some casinos require the dealer to hit this hand, some require the dealer to stand on this hand.
After the dealer draws cards to get to 17 or more then the winner of the hand is determined. If the dealers goes over 17 then you automatically win, assuming you didn?t go over 21, in which case you would lose because you busted first. If you are closer to 21 than the dealer, then you are the winner of the hand, and the dealer will pay you what you bet. I have listed a few general blackjack terms below in addition to this general how to play blackjack article.
Getting a Blackjack: This is when the first two cards dealt to you equal 21. You are usually paid $3 for every $2 that you bet if you receive a blackjack, which is better than the $2 you would win with a regular win.
Doubling Down: If you are dealt a total of 9,10, or 11 on your first two cards you may want to double down. This means that you double your bet and receive one more card. This can be good to do if the dealer is showing a 4,5,6,7, or 8.
Splitting: If you are dealt two cards with the same numerical value (for example two 9?s) you can elect to split and play 2 hands. Your first card in each hand will be one of your first two cards, and then you will get additional cards.
Insurance: Insurance is a bet that is offered if the dealer is showing an ace. You can make an additional wager equal to half your bet that the dealer does indeed have blackjack. This is always a terrible bet, and you should never take insurance.
