Back to Gambling

Object · Rules · When to Hit · Aces · Insurance · Doubling Down · Splitting · Card Counting

Object of the Game
The object of blackjack is to get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over. Each player plays against the dealer only, not each other. Players can take a hit (another card) as often as many times as they want to. As soon as their total goes over 21, they lose. They can stop at any time before going over 21.

Rules of Blackjack
Blackjack can be played with one to seven players and a dealer. The house (dealer for the casino or the person dealing and backing the money) shuffles decks of cards without jokers (blackjack can be played with one deck or even up to eight decks). One of the players cuts the decks, the dealer burns (discards) the first card of the shoe (the stack of cards of the six decks), then deals the cards from left to right. The dealer deals the cards one at a time, and ends with himself. All cards are dealt face up except for one of the dealer's cards. Each player (starting with the player to the left of the dealer) can take a hit if they want to. They can take as many as they want in their turn until they are satisfied with their hand or until their hand goes above 21. The players are only playing against the dealer, not other players. Next, the dealer turns his other card face up. He must hit until he gets above 16 (some casinos play where the dealer must also hit when his hand totals seventeen if he uses and Ace as an 11) or until he busts (goes over 21). If the dealer busts, everyone at the table that hasn't already busted, wins. Otherwise, the dealer pays the players who have a higher hand than him, and takes the money from the losers. Everyone else ties and no money changes hands. Every card counts face value except for Aces and face cards. Aces count one or 11 (the player gets to choose). Kings, Queens, and Jacks count as ten.

When to Hit
You can take a hit any time you wish, no matter what your cards total. However, there is a perfect strategy to hitting. The experts have run computer simulations and come up with the best possible hitting strategy in every possible situation. There are several books that have hitting charts, and some may vary slightly. Click the link below for a hitting chart that has helped me succeed in the past (this chart is based on a 6-8 deck shoe).

Keep in mind that following this strategy alone will not guarantee success. Nothing will make you a guaranteed winner at blackjack. However, following this hitting strategy along with card counting and bet varying, you will decrease the casino (or dealer's) edge they have on you to below one percent. See the section on card counting for more details. (top)

Click here for a hitting chart

Aces
As stated earlier, Aces can count for either one or 11. It is your choice. If you have a hand that contains an Ace, you can use it as an eleven if it does not make your hand go over 21. In this case, you can take a hit if you choose and you will NEVER BUST. This is because if you take a hit and your hand goes over 21, your Ace then counts as a one. If you are dealt two Aces, ALWAYS SPLIT THEM. Refer to the Splitting section for more details about splitting, and the hitting chart for more details on when to hit when your hand contains an Ace. (top)

Insurance
If the dealer is showing an ace, each player has the option of taking insurance. The player can only bet an amount equal to half of his original bet on insurance. The dealer gives everyone a chance to take insurance, then looks at his bottom card. If the dealer has a ten face down (blackjack), he pays insurance at a rate of two to one to those who bet the insurance bet, then takes everyone's original bets. If the dealer does not have blackjack, he only takes the insurance bets. The insurance bet has bad odds for the player and it is recommended that you never take insurance. (top)

Doubling Down
A player has the option of doubling down before they take any hits. This means they can put an amount equal to their original bet, and take only one more card. This is done to try to "double your winnings" and is usually done when the dealer is showing a bad card and your hand is 9 - 11. See the hitting chart for information on when to double down. (top)

Splitting
A player can split their hand if they have two cards of the same value (this only applies to the first two cards dealt to you - before you have taken any hits). Splitting is basically making one hand into two hands. To split, you must put another bet in the amount equal to your original bet. The dealer then splits your cards into two hands and hits the first one for you. You then play that hand out before you get your second card hit to your "new" split hand. NEVER split 10s. ALWAYS split aces. See the hitting chart for more information on when to split. (top)

Card Counting
If you can learn to count cards, you can make a lot of money playing blackjack. Card counting consists of a basic plus/minus system that helps determine if the deck is "rich" (Aces, face cards, and 10s are due) or "poor" (small cards are due). This information is used to know how to vary your bet. Over the long run, you will lose more hands than you will win at blackjack. That's why the casinos alwasy win over the long run and play this game. The way to win is to vary your bet - lose the small bets and win the big bets. This is how you can come out on top. Depending on the count, you can also alter your hitting strategy (this is the only time to alter the hitting strategy) - if the deck is rich and you have a hard 16, you may stay instead of hit. To count cards, do the following:

Every time the dealer deals an Ace, face card, or ten, the count is -1. Every time the dealer deals a 2 - 6, the count is +1. The count is divided by the number of decks left in the shoe. Keep the running total in your head (if the casino suspects you of counting, they may ask you to leave). After each round, you use the running count to determine your betting size. If the count is rich, bet more. If the count is poor, bet less.

The lowest amount you choose to bet is called one unit. If you bet $5 each time, $5 is one unit, $10 is two units, etc. Use the following as a guideline on how much to bet according to the count (based on a 6-8 deck shoe):

 

Top

Back to Gambling

Counting Example: