In Blackjack, the player tries to draw cards with a total of 21 points. The main aim of blackjack is to beat the dealer. To do this the player must have a hand that will be higher than the dealer’s and not go over 21.
The suits of the cards do not play any role in the game. The hand value is simply calculated by summing up the point value of each card in the hand.
The Value of Cards
= Face Value of the Cards
=10 and all Pictures have a value of 10
=Ace can be considered as 1 or 11 depending on the play
Blackjack Hands
Let's now consider the most common hands in blackjack that players should remember.
=21 Blackjack or Natural is a hand of two cards that equals 21 immediately after the deal. The hand is formed by an Ace and a card with a value of 10.
=16 Soft Hand is a hand with an Ace where the Ace can be counted as 11 without exceeding a total point value of 21.
=17 Hard Hand is a hand without an Ace or a hand with an Ace where the Ace is valued at 1 point.
How to play Blackjack?
Rules of how to play blackjack are very simple, you’ve got to get as close to 21 without going over 21 (going bust), ending up with a hand better than the dealer has who will play his/her hand last.The player makes a bet before any cards are dealt. Then the player gets two cards face up and the dealer has two cards too, one of them is dealt face up and one is face down. The dealer's Face down remains unknown until the player has completed his hand. The player makes a decision about how to play the hand based on the two dealt cards and the dealer's face-up card. After the player has decided to stand (stop taking cards), the dealer turns over his hole card. If his hand is 17 or more he must stand. If the dealer’s hand totals 16 or under the dealer must hit (take more cards).
If the first two cards total 21 (an ace and any 10-value card), it is Blackjack, the highest hand of the game. If the player has blackjack he wins unless the dealer has blackjack as well, in this case, the hand is a "push" or a tie.
If the dealer’s face-up card is an ace, the player can choose to opt for "insurance" to guard against the risk that the dealer holds a blackjack. The insurance pays 2:1 if the dealer’s hand is a blackjack. The dealer with blackjack wins except the player’s hand that also has a blackjack.
Payout: The player wins 1:1 that is the same amount as he bets unless it is a Blackjack which pays 3:2.
Bust: When a player crosses a total of 21, he/ she automatically loses and go “Bust”. The hand comes to an end for them.
Push: When a player and the dealer get the same total it’s a “Push”. Which means that neither the Dealer nor the player wins hence, it’s a tie. The player only recovers the value of bet placed by him/ her.
PLAYER OPTIONS
HIT
The player can HIT meaning he wants to draw other cards.The player can hit as many times as he likes until he busts or forms a hand of 21.
STAY
When a player wants to sit on his/her card total, they choose to stay.No more cards are dealt and the total value of his cards will be the final value for that round.
DOUBLE DOWN
The player can DOUBLE DOWN the bet after the first two cards have been dealt. Some of the casinos allow doubling only on a total of 9,10, or 11 though some others allow doubling on any hand. After doubling down, the player will get only one more card.
SPLIT
If the player has a pair he may SPLIT it, and play them independently. The original bet will go with one card and an equal amount will be added to the new hand.
INSURANCE
An additional side bet, half of the original bet, available to players after the initial deal when the dealer shows an Ace. If the dealer turns up a natural 21, the player with insurance is paid 2:1 on the insurance bet, but not the original bet. If the dealer does not have a Blackjack, the Insurance bet is lost.