Introduction
Blackjack is the American variant of a globally popular banking game known as 21. It is a comparing card game between usually several players and a dealer, where each player in turn competes against the dealer, but players do not play against each other. It is played multiple decks of 52 cards, and is the most widely played casino banking game in the world.
How to Win
- Get 21 points on the player’s first 2 cards (called a “blackjack” or “natural”), without a dealer blackjack
- Reach a final score higher than the dealer without exceeding 21
- Let the dealer draw additional cards until their hand exceeds 21
Player Decisions
After receiving an initial 2 cards, the player has up to 4 standard options: “hit”, “stand”, “double down”, or “split”. Some games give the player a fifth option, “surrender”.
- Hit: Take another card from the dealer.
- Stand: Take no more cards, also known as “stand pat”, “stick”, or “stay”.
- Double down: The player is allowed to increase the initial bet by up to 100% in exchange for committing to stand after receiving exactly one more card.
- Split: If the first two cards of a hand have the same value, the player can split them into 2 hands, by placing a second bet equal to the first. The hands will now be treated as 2 separate hands with equal bet amounts.
