General Blackjack Rules

Blackjack Rules

The object of Blackjack is for the total of your cards to be closer to 21 than the dealer’s cards, without exceeding 21. In Blackjack, aces count as either 1 or 11, face cards as 10, and number cards as their face value.

If you receive an ace and a ten-value card as your first two cards, you have Blackjack and win one and a half times your bet (if you bet was $10, you receive $25). If the total value of your cards is closer to 21 than the dealer’s, you win as much as you had wagered (if your bet was $10, you receive $20). If the total of your cards is more than 21, you “bust” and lose your bet. If you and the dealer have the same card total (17 and up) neither of you win and your bet is returned to you in a “push”. Blackjack beats a score of 21.

Split
If your first two cards have the same point value, you may split them into two separate hands by placing a second bet equal to the original bet. You then proceed to draw cards. You may draw as many cards as you like on each split hand, but if you split two aces, you receive only one additional card for each ace. If you receive an ace and a ten-value card in a split hand, it is counted as 21 and not Blackjack.

Double
After you are dealt two cards, and think that another card will allow you to beat the dealer’s hand, you can increase your bet by an amount up to your original bet or “double” your bet. Your wager is doubled, and you are allowed to receive one more card.

Insurance
Insurance is considered to be a game of its own within Blackjack. If the dealer has an Ace as his up card, you’ll be given a chance to buy insurance. When you buy insurance, you’re betting that the dealer has a blackjack. It allows you to try and protect yourself when you think that the dealer may have Blackjack. When buying insurance, you place half of your initial bet by pressing the Insurance button. If the dealer does have Blackjack, you are paid 2 to 1 on your insurance bet. If the dealer doesn’t have Blackjack, you lose your insurance bet.

10 Card Charlie
It is theoretically possible for the player to draw 10 card without going bust. In this case the player’s hand automatically wins, except when the dealer has Blackjack.

Note: These are general blackjack rules. They may vary slightly in some online casinos

Winnings

Bet	Pays
Winning Hand	1 to 1
Insurance	2 to 1
Blackjack	3 to 2

Basic Strategy

Want to know whether to "hit' or "stand"? Experts from the gaming world have developed a basic strategy to help increase your chances of winning. This strategy can act as a guide when deciding on whether to ask for an additional card or not. The value of your hand is in the left hand column, the dealer's is on the top row. You can print this chart out and keep alongside as you play. The chart below is purely a guide to making decisions playing Blackjack. Whilst we hope you find it useful, many Blackjack players have their own strategies and systems.

Your Hand	Dealers Card
	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Ace
8	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT
9	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT
10	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	HIT	HIT
11	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	HIT	HIT
12	HIT	HIT	S	S	S	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT
13	S	S	S	S	S	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT
14	S	S	S	S	S	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT
15	S	S	S	S	S	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT
16	S	S	S	S	S	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT
Ace, 2	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT
Ace, 3	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT
Ace, 4	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT
Ace, 5	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT
Ace, 6	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT
Ace, 7	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	HIT	HIT	S
Ace, 8	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
2,2	HIT	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT
3,3	HIT	HIT	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT
4,4	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT
5,5	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	HIT	HIT
6,6	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT	HIT
7,7	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	HIT	HIT	S	HIT
8,8	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	HIT	HIT
9,9	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	S	SPL	SPL	S	S
10,10	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
Ace, Ace	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL	SPL