Blackjack Rules: Part 2 – Blackjack Basics

Premise of the Game

Blackjack is pretty simple. The basic premise of the game is that you want to have a hand value that is closer to 21 than that of the dealer, without going over 21. Other players at the table are of no concern. Your hand competes only against the hand of the dealer.

The rules of play for the dealer are strictly dictated, leaving no decisions up to the dealer. Therefore, there is no problem with the dealer or any of the other players at the table seeing the cards in your hand. In fact, if you’re playing at a shoe game, the player cards are all dealt face up.

In any event, when you’re just learning to play, don’t hesitate to show the dealer or other players your cards and ask questions.

Values of the Cards

In blackjack, the cards are valued as follows:

• An Ace can count as either 1 or 11, as explained below.
• The cards from 2 through 9 are valued at their face value.
• The 10, Jack, Queen, and King are all valued at 10.

The suits of the cards do not have any meaning in the game. The value of a hand is simply the sum of the point counts of each card in the hand. Some examples:

5 + 7 + 9 = 21, so this hand has a value of 21.

10 + 10 = 20, so this hand has a value of 20.

9 + 3 + 10 = 22, so this hand is a “bust”. Any hand that goes over 21 “breaks”, or is “busted”, and is an automatic loser.

Pretty easy, eh?

The Ace adds a new twist…

An Ace can be counted as either 1 or 11. You need not specify which value the Ace has. It is assumed to have the value that makes the best hand, and that may change as more cards are added to the hand.

This hand is valued at 7 or 17, also known as a “soft” 17.

A soft hand is any hand where an Ace can be counted as either 1 or 11 without going over 21. The name reflects the fact that the hand can’t break if you draw another card. It’s “soft”.

Let’s draw another card:

Now our hand is 17, since 1 + 6 + 10 = 17. We no longer have the option to count the Ace as 11, because that would go over 21. (This hand is now a hard 17, despite having an Ace in it.)

Let’s back up, and draw a different card instead:

Now our hand is “10 or 20”, a soft 20. Twenty is a great hand, so we would stop there.

The Deal of the Cards

Once all the bets are placed, the dealer will deal the cards to the players. He will make two passes around the table starting at his left (your right) so that the players and the dealer all have two cards each. The dealer will flip one of his cards over, exposing its value as the “dealer upcard”.

(In some parts of the world, the dealer may get only one card. That is covered in Rule Variations, later in this series.)

In games dealt from a shoe, the players’ cards will be face-up, and players are not allowed to touch the cards. If you are just beginning, this is the best kind of game, because you don’t have to worry about handling the cards.

Once the initial hands are dealt, play proceeds around the table starting at the first seat to the dealer’s left, also called “first base”. Each player in turn indicates to the dealer how he wishes to play the hand. (All of those choices are explained in the next part of this series.)

After all of the players have finished their hands, the dealer will complete his hand, and then pay the winning bets and collect the losing bets.

How the Dealer Plays His Hand

The dealer will first flip over the “hole card” to reveal his two-card starting hand. The dealer is then required to play his hand in a very specific way, with no choices allowed.

He must draw cards until he has a total of 17 or more. The dealer has no choice in how to play the hand. He must continue taking cards until his total is at least 17.

(I will discuss one slight variation of this rule in the Rule Variations section of this series.)

Let’s look at one possible dealer hand:

After flipping over the hole card, the dealer’s hand was (Ace, 5). That makes a hand value of 16, so he must draw another card.

He drew a 7, making the hand value 13 (the Ace can no longer be counted as 11). With a total of 13, he must hit again.

He drew a 6, making the hand total 19. Since that is “17 or more”, the dealer stops with a final total of 19.

Wins, Losses, and Ties

Once the hand is over, how does the dealer decide which bets to pay, and which bets to collect?

If you draw a card that makes your hand total go over 21, your hand is a bust. That is an automatic loser. The dealer will immediately collect your bet, and discard your hand.

Assuming you did not bust, the dealer will play out his hand at the end. If he busts by going over 21, all the remaining players win their bets.

If neither you nor the dealer busted, now the dealer will compare his final total to yours.

If his total is higher than yours, you lose the bet, and he will collect your bet and put the chips in his tray.

If your total is higher than his, you win the bet, and he will pay the entire amount you have bet. After he pays you, you’ll have your initial bet plus the amount you won in the circle.

So, what happens if you and the dealer tie, with the same exact total? Nothing at all. A tie is called a “push”, and you do not win or lose your bet. Your chips stay in the betting circle where you can leave them for the next hand if you want, or you can add to or remove from them as you wish before the next hand.

What is a Blackjack, or Natural?

A blackjack, or natural, is a total of 21 in your first two cards. A blackjack is therefore an Ace and any ten-valued card, with the additional requirement that these be your first two cards. If you split a pair of Aces for example, and then draw a ten-valued card on one of the Aces, this is not a blackjack, but rather a total of 21.

The distinction is important, because a winning blackjack pays the player at 3 to 2. A bet of $10 wins $15 if the player draws a blackjack. A player blackjack beats any dealer total other than blackjack, including a dealer’s three or more card 21. If both a player and the dealer have blackjack, the hand is a tie or push.

The dealer will usually pay your winning blackjack bet immediately when it is your turn to play. In the face down games, this means that you should show the blackjack to the dealer at that time. Some casinos may postpone paying the blackjack until after the hand is over if the dealer has a 10 card up and has not checked for a dealer blackjack. Other casinos check under both 10 and Ace dealer upcards, and would therefore pay the blackjack immediately.

Regardless, when you are dealt a blackjack, turn the cards face up, and smile. It only happens about once every 21 hands, but it accounts for a lot of the fun of the game.

← Part 1 – Casino Basics

Part 3 – Player Choices →