How to Play Blackjack

Objective of the Game

The objective of the game is sometimes misunderstood – it is a common saying that you need to have a hand that is as close to 21 as possible to win. In fact, to win, players need to beat the dealer and this can be achieved in three different ways:

• Players win immediately if they have a natural, i.e. if their first two-card hand is blackjack (an Ace plus a 10-value card). The payout is 3:2.
• Players win if they have a total that is higher than the hand of the dealer without going over 21. In this scenario, they receive even money (1:1).
• Players win if their hand has a value of up to 21 and the dealer busts. Once again, they receive a 1:1 payout.

It is important to clarify when players lose, too – either when their hand exceeds 21 and they bust or when the dealer holds a stronger hand. Whether the dealer has blackjack or simply a higher hand than the player, it makes no difference for the outcome of the round.

Evaluating Hands

So, how do we find the total value of the hands in blackjack? This is the simplest part of the game – cards from 2 through 10 count as their face value and higher hands (Jack, Queen, and King) count as 10. Aces are more interesting as they can be counted as 1 or 11, depending on which value helps the hand.

Soft and Hard Hands

There are two types of hands in blackjack – soft and hard. It is extremely easy to distinguish between the two although some guides on blackjack would probably feature complex descriptions of the so-called “softness” and “hardness”. Soft hands or soft totals, as they are sometimes referred to, include an Ace, which can be counted as either 1 or 11. The remainder of the hands can be described as being hard.

A soft hand would be, for instance, a hand of an Ace and an 8 because the total of the hand can be either 9 or 19. Typically, only two-card hands are categorized by these two properties, so a hard hand would be an 8 and a 7, which totals 15, or 9 and 10, which would be the hard equivalent of the soft Ace-8 hand. If we apply these terms to hands with 3 or even more cards, we can take a total of 14 as an example – Ace-5-8 would be a hard 14 where the Ace counts as 1. If we count it as 11, the value of the hand would be 24, which exceeds 21 and is a bust.

These two categories are rarely used when describing the player’s hand but it is important to distinguish between dealer soft and hard hands. It is also essential to understand them when we start using a strategy.

Number of Decks

The standard game of blackjack uses 6 decks of cards – each deck comprises of 52 cards from 2s through Aces. All Jokers are removed and there are no wild cards or cards with some other special function. Many blackjack versions are also played with 8 standard decks. Some games use 1, 4, or 5-deck shoes. While many inexperienced players simply do not take the number of decks into consideration, expert-level players and card counters always do because using fewer decks reduces the house edge.

Typically, games that use a single-deck shoe offer a house edge of 0.17%, whereas variations with 6 decks have a house advantage of 0.64%. The house edge in 8-deck blackjack versions is slightly higher at 0.65%. It is easier for the player to get a natural when playing single-deck blackjack than when playing a 6-deck game, for instance. If he receives a 10-value card in the beginning, the probability of getting an Ace is 4 to 46 since there are still 50 cards in the deck. Four of them are Aces, while 46 cards are not. In percentage, this could be expressed as 8.70%.

When we compare it with a 6-deck blackjack game, the probability of getting an Ace in the same scenario is lower. If only 2 cards have been dealt (a 10 to the player and a non-Ace to the dealer), there will be 24 Aces left in the shoe against 284 cards, which are not Aces. The probability is then 8.45% (24/284). This may not seem a huge difference (8.45% against 8.70%) but the number of decks affects more aspects of the game.

Hit or Stand on Soft 17

Every version of blackjack has a rule determining the dealer’s actions when having a soft 17. As already mentioned, the house usually requires the dealer to Hit on Soft 17, which increases his chances of receiving a higher total. The Soft 17 rule is typically printed on the table felt and can be instantly seen by players.

In some games, the writing says Dealer Stands on Soft 17 or Stands on All 17. This rule is beneficial to the player as the dealer is required to play out a hand of Ace-6 without drawing any more cards. Such a hand is always better to Hit on, however.

No Hole Card

Most casinos outside the United States offer the so-called “no hole card” variations of blackjack. This type of blackjack is sometimes referred to as European blackjack and in it, the dealer draws a single face-up card in the beginning and gets a second card only after the player’s turn has ended.

Resplitting

Some blackjack variations allow spit hands to be resplit multiple times as long as the new card is the same as the original card. Each time players decide to Split, they place another bet that is equal to the original wager, while the dealer divides their hand and deals a further card to each of the new hands. Usually, only one Split is allowed or players have the option to split up to 3 times.

Split Aces

The standard rules say that only one card will be dealt to split Aces and that Aces can be split just once. Typically, players cannot Hit or Double on such hands. But some variations allow players to resplit pairs of Aces. Sometimes, quite rarely, in fact, the rules permit hitting on split Aces. Another important thing is that a split hand consisting of a 10-value card and an Ace is simply 21 and not blackjack.

Double on Hard 9, 10 and 11

In some variations of blackjack, Doubling is allowed only on hard totals of 9, 10, or 11, i.e. 9/10/11-value hands without an 11-point Ace. Typically, this rule can be found in European-style blackjack and it favors the casino rather than the player. Under the Reno rule (named after the town of Reno in Nevada), players can Double Down only on hard 10 or 11.

Early or Late Surrender

Surrender is allowed only in some versions of blackjack but usually, the option appears after the dealer checks for blackjack. It is referred to as “Late Surrender” and can be found in many American blackjack games. In certain variations, however, players are allowed to surrender their hands even before the dealer peeks at the hole card and this option is called Early Surrender. This variation of the rule is, of course, more favorable to the player but is rarely offered by casinos.

Blackjack Pays 6:5 or 1:1

The standard payout for player blackjack is 3:2 or 1.5 times the bet size. Sometimes, casinos pay out less in order to increase their house edge. Often, they pay 6:5 or 1:1 (even money) and players should avoid such games if possible. For instance, if a player bets $1.00 and gets blackjack in a 3:2 game, he receives $1.50 plus his original bet, while in a 6:5 game, he would be paid $1.20. If the payout is even, then the profit will be $1.00.

5/7/10 Card Charlie

The so-called “Charlie” rule means that players who collect a certain number of cards without going bust win automatically. Originally, the 5-Card Charlie started as an interesting rule in home blackjack games but some online casinos started offering it in order to attract more players. Nowadays, there are similar rules that include 7, 8 or even 10-cards. Of course, collecting 10 cards without going over 21 is extremely unlikely and this variation of the rule may never be applicable.

Still, the 5-Card Charlie favors the player and reduces the house edge. Players should know, however, that the odds of getting 5 cards without busting are approximately 50 to 1. The 6/7/8/9/10 Charlie occasions are even less likely to occur.