How
to Beat the Dealer
"The main aim of Blackjack
is simple; you just have to Beat
the Dealer"
There
are two ways to do this in Blackjack:
1. By getting a higher total than
the dealer without exceeding a total
of 21
(total face
value of the cards).
2. By having the dealer go over
21 (bust) with your cards still
on the table.
The
Card Values in Blackjack
One of the first things you need
to understand when playing blackjack
is how to ‘Total’
or ‘Value’
the cards, and as a result, value
your blackjack
hand. Card values in blackjack are
as follows:
 |
In
Blackjack, cards 2 through
10 have their face
value. For example:
2=2, 9=9 etc. |
|
Jacks,
Queens and Kings (called face
cards in Blackjack)
all have a value of 10. |
|
Aces
are counted as either 1 or
11 depending a player's preference
at the time. |
|
Suites
have no meaning in the game
of blackjack. |
The
Hand Values in Blackjack
Simply adding the card values gives
you the total
hand value. For example,
a Jack and a Queen is a hand of
20. An Ace and a 4 can be either
5 or 15.
Hand
Types in Blackjack
|
Blackjack
|
Blackjack is the most desired
hand.
Blackjack is a total of 21
in your first two cards. Also called
a 'Natural'.
Blackjack
can only be an ace and a 10-value
card.
A dealer with a Blackjack beats
everyone at the table, even those
with four or more cards totaling
21. Only a player with a 'Natural'
(Blackjack) is immune to losing
their hand and that person will
tie (push) the dealer and retain
their original bet.
|
Pat
Hands |
Hard
totals of 17 through 21 are considered
'Pat'
in the game of Blackjack.
Players who follow Basic
Blackjack Strategy or
just exercise simple common sense
and logic will not draw additional
cards on a 'Pat'
Hand.
|
Soft
Hands |
As mentioned earlier, an Ace can
be counted as either an 11 or a
1.
As a result, a soft hand is one
that contains
an ace and can have either value
without making the hand bust.
For example, if you are dealt an
ace and a 3, you have a soft hand
of 14. If you draw another ace after
that, you would have a hand that
could be worth either 5 or 15.
|
Hard
Hands |
Basically
this is a hand that does not contain
a Double-Action
Ace (either because the ace,
in
that instance, can only be counted
as a one or because the hand doesn't
contain an ace at all.
For example, a hand of 9 and 4 is
a hard
13. If you were to be dealt
an ace after this, you would have
a hard
14.
|
Push |
Commonly known as the gambling word
for a Tie
or Draw. A hand of equal
value to the dealer's hand is a
'Push'
and no money is will be exchanged.
The player will, however, retain
their original bet.
|
Bust |
When a hand value exceeds 21,
it 'Busts',
and it loses.
|
