Jack's
Blackjack Rules
What makes Blackjack
such a popular game for many people
is the fact that you are in total
control of your hand. You make the
choices that ultimately result in
a win or a loss at the end of the
blackjack hand.
Below are a few choices that are
available when trying to beat the
dealer at blackjack.
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Hit
or Sit in Blackjack
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Once you have received your initial
two cards in blackjack, you have
to decide whether you are going
to ‘Hit’
or ‘Sit’.
‘Hit’
means to take another card while
‘Sit’
or ‘Stand’
means to stay with the total that
you presently have. In blackjack
the usual method for taking another
card is to tap
the table with your finger or palm
of your hand (you will see
a large and strange variety of methods
of tapping for another card at land
based Casinos). As you hit, you
can accept as many cards as you
want until you think you have a
total good enough to beat the dealer
or until you bust.
The usual method in blackjack for
signaling that you'd like to sit
or stand is to wave your hand with
your palm facing down over the table.
Sometimes in the excitement and
the heat of the moment, you may
accidentally tap for another card
instead of wave to sit. Depending
on what type of blackjack dealer
you have at the time, he or she
may ask you again to make sure of
your decision rather than throw
a card down on your Hard
17, for example. If you receive
a card that makes you bust, your
wager will be collected and your
cards will be removed immediately.
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Doubling
Down in Blackjack
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'Doubling
Down' in blackjack offers
you the chance to raise your bet
in a potentially beneficial situation.
A
two-card total of 9, 10 or 11 are
the best totals to double down on
in blackjack depending, of course,
on the blackjack
dealer's face card. You simply
place an amount up to the value
of your original bet (never over)
next to your first wager, and you're
given a third
and final card. Any wins
or losses are now based on this
new total wager. The only exception
to this is if the blackjack dealer
has blackjack; if that is the case,
only your original wager is lost.
The blackjack dealer will usually
say, “Dealer
has Blackjack and takes original
bets only” If you are lucky
enough to win a few good double
downs, you can increase your chips
in a very short amount of time.
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Splitting
Pairs in Blackjack
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If your first two cards in blackjack
are a pair,
you have the chance to play two
independent hands. You indicate
that you want to 'Split
your Pair' in blackjack by
placing an equivalent
stack of chips next to your original
bet. When playing in a land
based Casino, never touch the cards
when splitting! If you do the blackjack
dealer will quickly remind you to
please refrain from doing so :-)
The blackjack dealer will separate
your cards, deal another card to
the first hand, complete the hand
with you and then repeat the same
procedure with your second card.
When Splitting
Aces in blackjack it is important
to remember that you will only receive
one
more card for each ace. All
other split hands are played as
any other would be.
A common practice by the novice
blackjack player is to split
10’s or two picture cards.
It would have to be one of the worst
decisions in blackjack, as the object
of the game is to get as close to
21 without going bust. 20
is a impressive total in blackjack
and gives you a great chance to
win the hand! You’d be crazy to
throw it away!
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Insurance
in Blackjack
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If the dealer's face card is an
ace, the blackjack dealer
will offer you 'Insurance'
before continuing the game. In blackjack,
insurance is a side bet that can
protect
you against the dealer potentially
getting blackjack. You can
place up to half of your original
wager on insurance. There is a special
section on the table where it says
"Insurance
pays 2 to 1". If the dealer
has blackjack then players with
blackjack are tied (push) while
all other hands lose, and insurance
bets are paid off.
Statistically, making an insurance
bet in blackjack is not that great
an idea and in most cases the casino
ends up with the bet.
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Surrender
in Blackjack |
This blackjack method is quite advantageous
for the player and is not
that common in casinos. If you are
not happy with your bet or think
that you are going to be beaten,
it allows you to 'Surrender'
half of your bet rather than
playing out the blackjack hand.
Surrender is not available as an
option after you've hit, split or
doubled down. Surrender is also
the only blackjack play that is
made verbally. If you wish to surrender
you do so by simply saying "surrender"
before playing your hand out.
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The
Dealer's Hand in Blackjack
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When the last blackjack player
on the table has completed making
decisions about their hand, it's
then the blackjack dealers turn
to finish his or her hand. The
blackjack dealer has no decisions
to make. He or she sticks to the
rules of blackjack at that particular
casino. You can usually see it
printed clearly on the table for
everyone to see. You will find
that most Casino Blackjack Rules
will state that the dealer must
take
a card on 16 and stand on a total
of 17 (soft or hard total).
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