 |
 |
|
|
|
BLACKJACK
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FEATURES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COLUMNS |
|
|
|
| Hot Bets
Tips from our SportsBook expert
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 
How to Play: Blackjack
With a scant 2.74 house advantage, blackjack is an easy win--well, an easier win!
Just to be really basic for a moment: Most cards have straightforward numerical values--a three is worth 3, a nine is worth 9, etc., and face cards are all worth 10. Aces are the wild card and can be worth either 1 point or 11, whichever is more advantageous to the player.
The goal is to beat the dealer by getting as close to 21 as possible without going over (a "bust"). Players place their bets (usually in a betting circle front of them) and the dealer deals two cards to each player, starting with the first player on his left (known as "first base"). Each player decides whether to "stand" (settle for the cards he or she's got) or "take a hit" (receive another card). Several hits can be taken in one turn, which ends when he or she stands or goes bust--in which case the dealer claims the wager.
To request a hit, scrape your cards toward you. To stand, wave your hand over the wager.
After all the players finish, the dealer plays his hand, and going last is where the house gains most of its advantage. Even if the dealer goes bust, he's often already collected from players who busted before him.
The dealer plays according to specific rules: He must take a card if he has less than 17 and stand if he has 17 or more. Some casinos make dealers take a card when they have a "soft 17"--that is, when one of the cards is an ace, counting as 11. This is another advantage for the house because it often helps the dealer get closer to 21 without any risk--if a high card is drawn the ace can then be counted as one.
After the dealer finishes playing his hand, he tallies his hand against each of the players: paying off the winners, taking from the losers and tapping the table in front of a player when it's a draw (a "push"). The played cards are then gathered and put into the discard rack before the next hand.
A blackjack (any combination of a 10-count card and an ace) or natural (a 10-count card and an ace) usually pays 3-to-2 odds--and pays off immediately, during the player's turn (though some money-grubbing casinos now pay only 6-to-5). So if you bet $20, you'd get paid $30 for a blackjack instead of just $20. Casinos occasionally run special promotions where they pay 2-to-1 odds for a natural. Get in that game!
Blackjack can be played with one, two, four, six or eight decks of cards. The more decks used, the greater the house advantage--because it's harder for players to keep track of what's been played. The cards are also played a bit differently, depending on the number of decks used. In one- or two-deck games, the first two cards are dealt face down; in higher-deck games, cards are dealt face up. The dealer's hand is always dealt one card face down, one card face up.
That's the gist of basic play, but there are a few important twists:
Double down, double your fun. After you've been dealt your first two cards, you can increase your wager up to double the original bet if you think you're well positioned to beat the dealer. (Some casinos only allow you to double down if your first two cards total 9, 10 or 11). However, after doubling down, you only receive one additional card--not the potential multiple hits you can take with a regular hand.
"Surrender" is not just a Cheap Trick number. Some casinos let you fold your hand and lose half your bet if you don't like the looks of your first two cards. This is called "Surrender" and can help minimize your losses when the cards go bad for you.
Splitting pairs can become splitting hairs.
If you're dealt two of a kind, you have the right to split the two cards into separate hands. If you split, you must place a new wager, equal to your first, on the second hand. The hands are now played separately, but each one will get hit with only one new card. Whether you should split depends on the cards you're dealt and what card the dealer is showing (see "Betting Tips" for details).
Insurance is for the house.
If the dealer's up-card is an ace, he'll offer players insurance. Don't take it. This is a side bet against the very real possibility that the dealer has an unbeatable two-card blackjack. You bet half your original wager against yourself, and the bet pays 2:1 if the dealer has blackjack. But this is really a bad bet because the dealer has an even better chance of winding up with a pat hand (totaling 17-21). If that happens, you lose your insurance and very possibly your initial bet, too.
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
 Said to be the most popular card game in the world.
|
|
|
In hands dealt face down (one- and two-deck games), you may use only one hand to pick up your cards.
|
|
In hands that use a "shoe" to hold the cards (four decks or more), the cards are dealt face up and you may not touch them. Even when you split a pair, you're not allowed to touch them--just set a second wager next to the cards (not on them), and the dealer will understand.
|
|
A soft hand is one that contains an ace, and a hand without an ace is said to be a "hard" hand.
|
|
Always check the minimum/maximums sign near the table to make sure you're in the right game.
|
|
Have a stack of chips equal to your bet prepared in case you want to split or double down. It keeps the game flowing better if you don't have to fumble for chips.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
