Blackjack

Online Blackjack can be played with one deck of cards or up to eight decks of cards. The object of the game is to get as close as you can to 21, without busting (going over 21). Cards are ranked at face value, however all face cards are worth 10 points, and Aces are worth 1 point or 11 points. The best hand in Blackjack is an Ace and a picture card – this hand is actually called Blackjack and will pay 3:2 on your wager. A winning hand pays even money and you win a hand by having more points than the dealer, without going over 21. At the end of the hand, if you have the same point total as the dealer, it's a push (a tie).

The dealer has to follow set rules (must hit 16 and under and stand 17 and over), but your hand is in your control – you can hit or stand as you wish. You can also double your wager under certain circumstances, and split pairs if you wish to do so. If both you and the dealer bust, you lose your bet – and therein lies the house advantage. However, the house advantage can be minimized by the fact that you can hit, stand, split, double and surrender when you choose.

The game is dealt with each player and the dealer being dealt two cards – all the players cards are face up, but one of the dealer's cards is dealt face-down. If the dealer is dealt an Ace as the face-up card, all players are offered Insurance, should they wish to insure their hand against a dealer getting Blackjack. Insurance bets pay 2:1 if the dealer's other card is a picture. With the dealer's card remaining face-down, players act in turn to hit, stand, split, double or surrender.

• Stand - If you wish to Stand, you wave your hand and the dealer will move on to the next player. If you're playing online, you simply press the Stand button.
  
• Hit - If you wish to Hit, you tap the table and the dealer will give you another card. You can keep on hitting until you choose to Stand, or until you bust.
  
• Double - Different casinos have different rules as to when you can double. Usually you can only double if your first two cards add up to 9, 10 or 11. However, some casinos will let you double on any two cards. If you decided you wish to Double, you simply place an equal wager next to your original wager, and the dealer will deal you one, and only one, more card. If the card dealt is not to your liking, you have no choice but to accept it and hope for the dealer to bust.
  
• Split - If your first two cards are of equal point value, you can split them by placing an equal wager next to your original one. Splitting your hand basically creates two hands out of one, and each hand is played individually. Some casinos allow you to split more times than once if you are dealt cards that are of equal point value to your split cards.
  
• Surrender - Some casinos allow you to Surrender your hand. If you don't like your chances of winning, you can forfeit your hand, and reclaim half your original wager.

When all players have finished acting, the dealer will flip over his face-down card. The dealer has to hit if the two cards are under 17 and stand if they are 17 or over.

Summary:

This guide covers the basic rules of blackjack. To learn to play the game properly, you should learn some basic strategies for when you should hit, stand, split, double or surrender. There are many blackjack cards which give you specific instructions on when to hit, stand, double, split and surrender. Be careful when using these instructional cards, as you may require different cards for different rules. If the rules at the online casino you're playing at are different to the online casino rules your blackjack card is written for, you'll need a different card.

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