Playing Blackjack and Strategies

Playing Blackjack is fairly easy to learn. But learning to play the game well takes education and playing practice. The Blackjack is all about the total of 21 when adding up the cards dealt to you and the same applys for the dealer. The cards equal face value from 2 through nine. Ten and face cards are each a total of ten and the aces are either one or eleven. The premise of the game is to get as close as you can to 21 without going over or busting your hand. The dealer must hit (take a card) any hand that totals less than 17. If the dealer has a soft 17, which is six and an ace, the dealer must hit the hand. Any hand that totals over 17 the dealer will stand pat on that hand. The player has no such rules. The player can stand on any total they wish to stop at.

The game begins with each player electing an amount to bet on the hand up to the table limit. The deal begins with each of the players being dealt two face up cards and the dealer being dealt one face down (the hole card) and one face up. These cards are dealt in order. Each player adds up their card total and then makes a decision about what they will do when it is their go to hit the hand. If the dealer is dealt a blackjack, the hand stops and the dealer wins all hands that are not a blackjack. A player with a blackjack hand would tie the dealer and the bet would stay up. Blackjack is an ace and a card with a value of ten.

The most major rule of blackjack is to let the dealer bust and keep your hand in play. The only time you would hit a bustable hand is when the dealer is showing a seven or higher card. If you have between sixteen and twelve you should hit the hand if the dealer has a seven or better showing. Any time the dealer has a bust card showing the player should not hit their hand. The exception is if you have a total of ten or eleven, you should double your bet if the dealer is showing a break card. If the dealers face up card could be part of a good hand, it is a decision based on how your luck has been going. There is a good deal extra to this game. A new player would be wise to read a book on blackjack or go on the Internet and read further about the play of blackjack and the various other rules.