To have the best chance of winning, you should learn and practice "basic strategy", which is the mathematically best way to play each hand against each possible dealer upcard.

For a free chart that shows the right play in every case, visit our Blackjack Basic Strategy Engine. If you are looking to play from the comfort of your home, you can visit our online blackjack or live dealer blackjack sections for further resources.

Hopefully I've covered just about everything you need. But if you have other questions, feel free to post a reply at the bottom of the page. Want to practice?

Our free blackjack game lets you play at your pace, and the Strategy Coach provides instant feedback on the best strategy. To find the best strategy, use our most popular resource: The Blackjack Strategy Engine provides free strategy charts that are optimized for your exact rules.

If you prefer a plastic card that you can take to the table with you, we have those too: Blackjack Basic Strategy Cards. Hi, Im new at this game and not sure which basic strategy chart to memorize.

They have single ,double ,and 6 deck games. What would you suggest as a beginner? Great article btw. If a player decides to stand on 15 for whatever reason and the dealer has 16, must the dealer still draw another card since it is less than 17?

Ken Smith. Is there any significance in blackjack when you have a black jack paired with a black ace, same suit?

The question came up on the multiple choice question on Millionaire. I guessed 16 but the answer was 32??? In playing 21 with one deck off cards aND two people playing, in playing Blackjack with one deck of cards and two people playing what is the most black jack show up.

This may not be the most appropriate page to post this, but let me explain the situation. I aspire to hopefully gather a group of trustworthy guys together to form a blackjack team.

Just knowing of a good source either online or a good book I could get my hands on would suffice. Thank you. Team play is complicated and far more involved than a group of friends pooling resources.

There is not much published on team play. The following book may be helpful. The strategy does not change, but the player is worse off by around 0.

As the dealer I get up to Can the dealer chose to stay and take the chips bet from player on the left. But pay the player on the right?

The dealer cannot CHOOSE to do anything. His rules are fixed. He must hit until he has 17 or higher, and then he must stand.

Even if all the players at the table have 18, the dealer must stand if he ends up with a One complication: Most casinos now deal games with an extra rule about soft This is covered in detail in the article above.

In your particular example, the dealer of course must stand with a total of 20, and he will collect the chips from the player with 18, and pay the player with I have a question.

I signed up on an online casino and I was getting ready to play blackjack for real money and I asked the live chat help person how many decks were being used and she said 24 decks.

Is that allowed? Casinos, both online and land-based, can deal the game pretty much any way they like, including increasing the number of decks to a ridiculous 24!

Fortunately, once you get to 8 decks, the game does not get much worse for the player by adding even more decks. Use the 8-deck strategy for these games.

Eight decks is the most typically seen in brick-and-mortar casinos, but in most jurisdictions, land-based or online, there is no legal requirement for any specific number of decks.

Is there any standard in the way a dealer deals from the deck? Is this allowed? You are describing a CSM continuous shuffle machine , where after each hand the dealer immediately puts the used cards back into the shuffler.

As you note, this eliminates the ability to count cards, or to even observe a useful bias. Since used cards can return into play immediately, the penetration is effectively zero.

These machines have spread widely. The only recourse is to see if your casino also still offers regular games either hand-shuffled, or machine-shuffled but with a normal discard tray.

If not, voice your discontent and look elsewhere. Toggle navigation. Learn Blackjack School Blackjack Basic Strategy Engine Blackjack Rules Card Counting Tournament Strategy Blackjack Betting Strategies Debunked What is Wonging in Blackjack?

Casino Blackjack: Rules of the Game Last Updated: September 2, You must only touch the cards with one hand. If you are a poker player, this can take some effort to break old habits!

You must keep the cards over the table. Don't pull them close to your body. Any cards that the dealer subsequently deals to your hand are left on the table, not added to the cards you are holding.

Part 6 — Playing at the Casino Basics Choosing a Table at the Casino If you are new to the game, there are a few items you should notice when looking for a game… The most important item is the sign declaring betting limits.

Next, take a look at how the game is being dealt. There are two different dealing styles: Shoe games : The dealer distributes cards from a dealing shoe and the player cards are all dealt face-up.

These games typically use 6 or 8 decks of cards. Hand-held games : The dealer holds the cards in his hand and usually deals the player cards face-down.

These games typically use 1 or 2 decks of cards. Buying Chips To play the game, you will need to exchange some cash for chips from the dealer. Wait for a break in the action, and place your cash out in front of you on the table felt.

A few points of etiquette apply here: Don't try to hand your money to the dealer. For security reasons, he can't take anything from your hands.

Just lay it on the table instead. Don't put it into the betting circle, as some casinos will allow cash bets, and the dealer may think you want to bet it all!

Along with king and queen cards, jacks have the second-highest value in blackjack. When paired with an ace, face cards can hit 21 blackjack.

In blackjack, a queen is defined as a face card. Face cards are worth 10 per card, the highest value besides aces in the game. When a queen is paired with an ace card, the player hits blackjack.

As a result, face cards are an integral factor to any blackjack strategy. Homepage Casino Blackjack Rules.

Blackjack Rules. Whether you're completely new to blackjack or a seasoned veteran, taking a closer look at the rules will only increase your chances of success.

On this page we'll cover blackjack rules, both basic and advanced, a step-by-step process of playing and some essential etiquette for players and dealers.

Jump To:. Video by Justin Flynn , Blackjack Innovator. Transcript How to Play Blackjack for Beginners Hello, I'm the blackjack innovator and in this exclusive video for OnlineGambling.

Sit back and enjoy the blackjack tutorial. Blackjack Tutorial Whether you're sitting at any online or live casino blackjack table, both can be very intimidating, it can have you skipping this otherwise very rewarding and profitable game.

There are 13 different types of cards in a single deck of cards. Now let's take a look at the point value for each card.

Now, there are 52 cards in a single deck of cards. Player Options Now let's discuss some additional options. Splitting Splitting occurs when a player has two cards of the same point value, here the player has two 8's, the player will option to split, in doing so he has to double his wager and he will now play these as two separate hands.

Doubling Down Doubling down as another player option. Surrender Surrender is not always an option at the table and I later talk about this in the table rules.

Insurance Insurance can be a very confusing option, so be patient and follow me here. Basic Blackjack Rules The rules of blackjack are fairly consistent across different variations of the game.

A smaller number of decks is beneficial to players because it means there's a higher probability, you'll draw a Blackjack.

The more decks used, the more your odds drop. Whether you should hit or stand see below depends on the dealer's upcard.

Once you stand, the dealer and other players will then draw until all of their hands are also complete. This does mean, however, that you'll have to match your original bet to cover your new second hand.

However, it's a risky move because you only receive ONE extra card and can't hit your hand afterwards. If you want to surrender, you'll need to do so before drawing any additional cards.

The dealer will then take your cards and return half of your original bet to you. You compute your score by adding the values of your individual cards.

The cards 2 through 10 have their face value, J, Q, and K are worth 10 points each, and the Ace is worth either 1 or 11 points player's choice.

At the start of a blackjack game, the players and the dealer receive two cards each. The players' cards are normally dealt face up, while the dealer has one face down called the hole card and one face up.

The best possible blackjack hand is an opening deal of an ace with any ten-point card. This is called a "blackjack", or a natural 21, and the player holding this automatically wins unless the dealer also has a blackjack.

If a player and the dealer each have a blackjack, the result is a push for that player. If the dealer has a blackjack, all players not holding a blackjack lose.

After the cards have been dealt, the game goes on with each player taking action - in clockwise order starting to dealer's left. You can only use the side rules once, when it's your turn to act after the deal.

Then the player can keep his hand as it is stand or take more cards from the deck hit , one at a time, until either the player judges that the hand is strong enough to go up against the dealer's hand and stands, or until it goes over 21, in which case the player immediately loses busts.

In most places, players can take as many cards as they like, as long as they don't bust, but some casinos have restrictions regarding this.

When all players have finished their actions, either decided to stand or busted, the dealer turns over his hidden hole card.

If the dealer has a natural 21 blackjack with his two cards, he won't take any more cards. All players lose, except players who also have a blackjack, in which case it is a push - the bet is returned to the player.

If the dealer doesn't have a natural, he hits takes more cards or stands depending on the value of the hand.

Contrary to the player, though, the dealer's action is completely dictated by the rules. The dealer must hit if the value of the hand is lower than 17, otherwise the dealer will stand.

Whether or not the dealer must hit on a soft 17 a hand of 17 containing an ace being counted as 11 differs from casino to casino.

There might even be blackjack tables with different rules within the same casino. If the dealer goes bust, all players who are left in the game win.

Otherwise players with higher point totals than the dealer win, while players with lower totals than the dealer lose.

To get a blackjack, you must have an ace, but you must also have a point card. Some versions of blackjack only pay off at 6 to 5 odds.

You should avoid such games, as they give the house a much higher mathematical edge than the standard version of the card game.

But you only lose the bet. If both the player and the dealer get a natural, the result is a push. A push is basically the same thing as a tie.

The dealer acts last. The 2 basic moves in the game are to stand or to hit. To stand means to decline any additional cards and take the total you have to the showdown.

To hit means to accept another card from the dealer to increase your total score. You have no limit to the number of additional cards you can take, but you can also decide to stand at any time.

The decisions they make should take into account the cards held by other players at the table, as well as the dealer. In most cases, a player normally stands when the point value of their cards is between 16 and If a dealer has less than 17, they must continue drawing cards until they reach 17 or above, without going over If the scores of the player and the dealer are equal, the player receives their original bet back, and this is a push.

Should the dealer bust or go over 21 at any point, all the players at the table will win and receive a payout. Any player who had blackjack would have already been paid out at least during the round and as much as Depending on the casino, some will let players cut their losses by surrendering half their bets after the initial deal.

An early surrender allows the player to surrender when a 10 or face card is drawn without checking the hole card for blackjack.

That could be preferable if the dealer is showing a particularly strong hand, like an Ace. A late surrender allows the player to surrender after checking the hole card, but before the dealer reveals his or her hand.

Many players view the early surrender as more favorable, especially if the dealer is showing an Ace. For example, virtually all players of 21 will split a pair of Aces by placing an additional bet to create two potentially winning hands.

After receiving two more cards, the player determines whether to hit or stand with each of the two hands he or she now has. Depending on the cards dealt, splitting your cards can double your chances of hitting a blackjack.

Splitting cards can also at least double your potential winnings from the same initial hand dealt. Most will not split a pair of cards worth 20 points, for example, while all will split a pair of Aces.

Blackjack rules say that when your first two cards are identical, you may split them to create two different hands. Knowing when to split your dealt hand is an important element of taking the edge away from the casino and back in your favor.

But if you do split, you increase your chances of getting two hands of Many experienced blackjack players are hesitant to split 8s when dealer is showing an 8 or higher.

The math shows that splitting 8s, although it puts twice the wager, will lose less over time. But the goal in blackjack is to keep your losses to a minimum by choosing the strategy that will lose less than other options.

Why do this? Another popular play that could double your potential winnings—and losses—on a particular hand is the double down.