Blackjack, also known as 21, is a card game that is quite famously played at casinos around the world. It is one of the most enjoyed games around casinos. Because it is fun and easy to understand, most players are willing to play a game of blackjack. It is an attractive option for those looking to enjoy their time and indulge in something unpredictable. Since blackjack is both uncertain and easy, it is quite a craze among players, both novices and experts.
The evolution of blackjack has given it many variations. In physical casinos, the standard 52 card deck is used while the six deck game is the most popular one. It has a total of 312 cards with an additional blank plastic card that is not dealt. It is only placed towards the end of the deck to indicate the time for the deck to be reshuffled.
Aim of Blackjack
The game of blackjack is about reaching a count as close to 21 as possible, without crossing the 21 mark. If the player is able to do so, he defeats the dealer. The aim of the game, thus, is to defeat the dealer.
Card Values
In blackjack, all cards have the same numerical value as the number written over them. So, cards 2-10 will have the values of 2-10. Queen, Jack, and King will have the value of 10 and Ace has a value of 1 or 11.
Betting
Before the game starts, each player has to put a bet in the form of chips.
Hard Hand and Soft Hand
A hard hand is a total of any two cards excluding an ace. A soft hand is a total of any two cards including an ace. The highest soft hand is a 9 and an ace.
Shuffling
The dealer shuffles all the cards thoroughly and gives them to one of the players to cut the deck. The dealer inserts the blank plastic card so that the last 60 to 75 cards are not used.
Coming to the Deal Blackjack
Once each player has placed his bet, the dealer deals one card face up to every player in a clockwise direction. After this, the dealer places one card face up to himself.
In the second round, the dealer again puts one card face up to all players and one card face down to himself. This means that all the players have their cards face up while the dealer has one face up and the card face down to himself.
Blackjack
Once the cards are distributed in such a way, the players have to see if their cards form a blackjack. This means that the two cards they have received must add up to 21 with a 10 and an ace. The 10 card might be numerical or a court card.
If the dealer sees that his face up card is an ace or a 10, he immediately checks his face down card to see if he has gotten a blackjack.
If the dealer has got a blackjack, he collects the bets of players who have not got a blackjack. Also, if a player has got a blackjack, the dealer gives the player one and a half times the amount of their bet.
The Game Blackjack
The player on the left decides to stand or hit. Stand means the player sticks to his two face up cards and passes the game to the next player. When the player hits, he asks the dealer to give him an additional card, one at a time. The player attempts to reach as close to 21 by asking the dealer to give him more cards one by one.
On the contrary, the player may also go bust if by asking for another card, his score reaches above 21. In this case, the dealer takes all the amount the player had betted.
This way, the dealer serves all players one by one.
The Dealer’s Turn Blackjack
Once the dealer has dealt the cards to all players, he turns his face-down card. The dealer’s decisions are automatic in the play. If the total of the dealer’s two cards is 17 or more, the dealer has to stand. If the total is 16 or less, he automatically has to take another card and keep taking cards until the total reaches 17 or more.
the dealer gets an ace and counting it as an 11 brings the total of his cards to 17 or more but not more than 21, then he has to count it as 11.
The players, on the hand, have the option to choose whether to stand or hit. The dealer does not have this liberty.
Other Possibilities Blackjack
It might be the case that, in blackjack, the player gets two cards of the same denomination. In this case, the player can decide to treat these two cards as separate hands.
There are various more possibilities and variations in the game of blackjack. The game isn’t just interesting but also a comparatively easy one. It attracts quite a few players in both online and offline casinos. So, how about a bet?
