Blackjack is a card game whose origins date back to Renaissance Italy. At that time they played a game called “thirty-one”. This game spread throughout Europe until it reached a version called “twenty-one”, a direct predecessor of blackjack. As a curiosity we tell you that the first written mention of this game is in the book of Don Quixote de la Mancha.
Currently, blackjack is one of the most popular card games in casinos, both online and physical. This is due to the fact that it is a very simple game to understand and learn as well as very fun.
If what you want is to learn to play blackjack, you are in the perfect place! Keep reading and then we will tell you everything you need to know to become an expert in the field.
Basic Blackjack Rules
Target
Lets start by the beginning. In blackjack you compete individually against the dealer (you vs. the dealer), and to win you have to add the closest value to 21 without going over. Here it is essential that you keep in mind that the dealer must also come as close as possible to 21 without going over. Therefore, if it adds 22 or more points and you have less than 21, you have automatically won.
Card value
Blackjack is played with up to 8 English decks of 52 cards each. The only thing that matters in blackjack is the value of the card, the suit is irrelevant. Cards from 2 to 10 have their face value, face cards (J, Q and K) are worth 10 and the Ace is worth 1 or 11, depending on what suits you best.
Also Read: History Of Blackjack
How is blackjack played?
The first thing you should do when starting a hand is place your bet. Once all the players have done it, the dealer deals two cards to each one and two to himself starting with the one on his left. The dealer’s first card is placed face down and the second card is placed face up. If this is an AS, the dealer will offer you to place a side bet called insurance, which pays 2 to 1 if the dealer has blackjack. Then the dealer will reveal his second card, if it is a 10 he would have blackjack and the round would end automatically. In this case, you would lose everything you bet if you had not made the “insurance” bet.
But let’s put ourselves in a situation where the dealer doesn’t have an Ace first. Once each one has been dealt two cards, it is their turn to decide what to do. When it touches you, you can choose one of the following actions:
- STAND: You keep the sum of the two cards you already have, without the dealer giving you more.
- CARD: The dealer hands you a new card. You can continue asking for cards until you decide to stand or until you go over 21, where you automatically lose.
- SPLIT: If you receive two cards of the same value you have the possibility to split them and play two hands, adding a bet equal to that of the first hand. Each hand receives a second card and you choose whether you want another card or stand for each hand.
- DOUBLE: In this option you double your initial bet and receive one more card. You can no longer receive any more. It is used when you have a good hand and you think that with one more card you can get blackjack or stay very close to 21.
Once all players have had their turn, it’s up to the dealer. He reveals his second card, and if it adds up to less than 16 points, he is forced to give himself another. If, on the other hand, it adds up to 17 or more, the dealer stands.
Finally comes the most exciting part, see if you have won. If the dealer exceeds 21, automatically all players who do not add more than 21 points have won. If the dealer does not reach 21, all those players who add more points than him win the bet. In case of a tie between the player and the dealer, the bet is returned and the game starts again! Have you seen how easy it is to play a hand of blackjack?
A characteristic of blackjack in physical casinos is that the cards are not shuffled between hands, which makes the phenomenon of counting cards appear, surely you have heard a lot about it. If you want to learn different strategies to learn how to count cards , don’t miss our last post about blackjack.
Also Read: Strategies To Win At Blackjack