BLACKJACK

The object of blackjack is really simple:  a player must have his hand reach a score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over.  If he goes over, he 'busts' and loses the hand.

The player starts with two cards, so success at the game is largely dependent on luck.   The player’s decisions throughout the hand introduce strategic thinking as an important component of the game.  Players have numerous choices available to them, as this guide will explain.

When a player sits at a casino blackjack table, he may have many other players at the same table. The players do not contend with each other.  Each of them is playing against the dealer. This setup allows for many winning players in a hand of blackjack.

If a player's hand ties with the dealer's, the player 'pushes'. The player's original bet is returned, but he does not win any more on that hand.

The scoring system for Blackjack is easy to understand.  The value of the numbered cards is obvious and the picture cards are worth ten points each.

Scoring rules for the Ace are a bit more complex.  If the rest of the hand totals ten or less, the Ace counts as eleven (also called a "soft hand"). If the rest of the hand totals eleven or more, the Ace counts as one.

The name "blackjack" stems from a rule change in the American version of the game.  The game developed in French casinos and was called "vingt-et-un" ("twenty-one").  When the French settlers brought it to America, it was not very popular.  To tempt players into trying it, casinos would give bigger payouts for a hand with a black Jack (spades or clubs) and the Ace of Spades.

Today the term "blackjack" pertains to all hands with an Ace and a ten-value card.  Fittingly enough, blackjack is the best starting hand a player can receive.

In the American variation of the game, if the dealer has 'blackjack', all the other players lose unless one of them also has a blackjack.  If the player has a blackjack, the hand is a “push”.

Dealers deal two cards to each player.  If the game uses one or two decks, the player’s cards are facedown.  If the game uses a multi-deck shoe, the player’s cards are face-up.  The dealer also gets two cards, one face-up (the “upcard”) and one facedown (the “hole card”). 

Some players learn how to "count cards" to anticipate the best times to hit or stand.  They consider the face up cards and attribute a point value for high cards (-1) and low cards (+1).  At that point, they make their decision based on the count.  The higher the count, the more they bet.

Casinos often eject players for counting cards, although it's not technically cheating.  The movie "21" showed an example of card counting, where a team of MIT students attempt to bankrupt the casino.

Here are some common terms used in Blackjack:

Hit: The player takes another card to increase his score. A good strategy is to hit when your score is under seventeen, as you likely will not win the hand in any case. The hand signal to hit is to tap the table with your finger.

Stand: The player chooses not to take any more cards.  Other names for this move include 'stick' and 'stay'.  The player signals this by moving his hand over the cards.

Double Down: The player doubles his bet and takes only one more card.  The player puts his second bet down behind his first to signal a double down.

Split: The player can split his hand when his first two cards have the same value, including face cards.  The player then makes two new hands, with the split pairs acting as the first card in each hand.  Each of the new hands are separate and can add to the player's chances of winning.  The player puts his second bet beside his first to signal a split.

Surrender: The player quits the hand and loses half of his bet.  Many casinos do not provide this choice.  The player makes a chopping motion to signal surrender.