The Objective
The dealer deals all Player cards face up. The dealer’s cards are dealt face down. When all Player cards are dealt, the dealer will expose his top card. This card is what the Player will use to determine his next move i.e. whether to play on by taking another card or fold his hand. The dealer must stand on a score of 17. If a Player has 17, he still has the option to get more cards until he is satisfied with his score and stand or bust.

Typical Blackjack Play

Player Hand

The 4 and 6 would be dealt first to the Player making a total score of 10. As the goal is to try to attain a score of 21, the Player hits and gets a 9 making a score of 19. The likelihood of hitting again and getting a 2 to get a score of 21 is very low. So the Player should stand on this hand, especially as it is close to a score of 21.

During this time, the dealer would have dealt his hand.

Dealer Hand

Dealer’s first 2 cards dealt total 17. It is mandatory that the dealer stands on 17, so he cannot deal another card. 17 is a lower score than 19, so in this instance the Player wins this hand.

The object of Blackjack is to attain a Blackjack (a total score of 21) without going bust. Cards ranking 2 – 10 have their face value. Face cards are valued at 10 and Aces at either at 1 or 11. The highest hand is an Ace and a Face card or 10. This hand is called Blackjack. Blackjack pays 3:2. If the Player and the Dealer both have Blackjack, then the wager becomes a Push and the Player’s bet is returned. The Player wins if his score is higher than the Dealer’s. If either the Player or the Dealer has a score greater than 21, this is referred to as a Bust and both lose their bets. If both the Player and the Dealer’s hands tie, because they have the same score, the wager is referred to as a Push.

In the instance where the Dealer’s Upcard is an Ace, Players have the option to insure their hands against a Blackjack; meaning Players can bet that the Dealer does have a Blackjack. Insurance pays 2:1 to the Player if the Dealer has Blackjack. After it has been established that the Dealer does not have Blackjack, Players may continue to bet to try to achieve the best possible scoring hand. Players may ‘Hit’, ‘Stand’, ‘Split’, ‘Double’, or ‘Surrender’.