Basic rules to play blackjack

Explaining the Rules of Blackjack

The first thing that happens in a Blackjack game is that the players place their bets. Each player will play individually against the dealer. The dealer will then deal two cards to the player and himself. One of them will be covered and the other uncovered. The objective is to reach 21 or as close to that number as possible. Here are the card values:

  • Ace (equivalent to 1 or 11, the player decides the value that suits him best).
  • Cards with numbers (e.g. 8 of hearts or 3 of spades equals the number printed on the card respectively).
  • Figures (J, K, Q) have a value of 10.

Once the cards are delivered, there are four options available to the player. These are:

  • Ask for an additional card.
  • Stand.
  • Double the initial bet.
  • Separate cards (as long as the first two cards dealt have the same value).

A Classic Full of Action

Let's start with the basics. Classic Blackjack is an action-packed game that starts and finishes in no time, making it even more exciting. The objective is to reach or approach 21 with the cards given by the dealer, without going over that number. It is important to clarify that it competes against the dealer, that is to say, the person who approaches or comes to add 21 with his cards wins.

Casino Advantages

The advantage of the casino in Blackjack lies in the fact that the player is the first to ask for cards. This means that the player can "fly" (draw more than 21) before the dealer does so. In this case it is considered as if the player has lost even if the dealer also "flies".

Both the player and the casino are considered to have a 28 percent chance of "flying" each. This means that there is an 8 percent probability that both parties will "fly" in the same game (0.28*0.28=0.08).

Apart from this, there are no more advantages for the casino in this game. If the player uses the appropriate strategies and knows how to play Blackjack, the 8 percent advantage can be reduced considerably, even to below 1 percent.

How to Bet

How do you play Blackjack? The most basic thing is the bet. Betting is very easy. It is made at the beginning of the game and must be between the lower and upper limit allowed by the casino.

Parallel Bets and Divisions

An article on how 21 is played would not be complete without talking about parallel betting and divisions.

Parallel betting is not exactly about how to play Blackjack as such. Instead, they are bets that are made at the same time Blackjack is played. For example, there is the over/under 13 bet. Basically, the player bets that the first two cards he is dealt add up to either more or less than 13 respectively. Probably, it is better to bet that they add up to more than 13 than less than 13. If you win, you are paid 100% of what you bet.

Another type of parallel bet is the Royal Match. Here the player wins if the first two cards are of the same suit. For example, if his cards are 2 spades and 5 spades, he would win 2.5 times what he bet. If your cards are K and Q of the same suit, you are paid 25 times what you bet.

As for divisions, a player may choose to divide if he gets either two Ace's or two 8's in his hand. In both cases the bet would be doubled. According to probabilistic analysis, the best thing to do in these cases is to divide. If you have two Ace's, you are likely to have at least one Blackjack or 21 in one of the games.

The reason why it is favorable to divide when you get two 8's is because having a total of 16 points with the first two cards is considered as a fairly unfavorable and problematic hand to win in this game. Also if you split in this case, it is very likely to have a relatively high score on at least one hand which would decrease the risk of losing the initial bet.

Many people wonder how Blackjack is played. Now that you know how to play Blackjack and you are ready to play your first game.