Blackjack requires around one to eight normal decks of cards. Cards having face value 2 through 10 are arranged as per their ranks. Each face card carries 10 points. Aces carry either 1 or 11 points and are considered semi wild. An ace is the highest hand in blackjack and a black jack is any 10 point card. A blackjack can win up to 3 to 2. The bet is said to be a push if both the player and dealer have a blackjack in their possession. A winning hand will pay you money other than a blackjack. A player is said to be successful if his hand earns more point than the dealer, without exceeding 21. So, one can see that the 21 point hand is as far as you will go and hence the name 21 for the game. If by any chance a player’s hand exceeds 21, it is called a bust or break and he is considered a loser. In a case where both the player and dealer bust, it is the player who loses, owing to the house advantage. If both of them end in a tie, it is decided in a push.
The flag off of a blackjack is when each player places a bet in the logo or center right in front of him.
The dealer will present each player and himself 2 cards each. The card of the players are dealt face up. One of the dealers card is face up and the second one is face down. If it happends that the up card is ten or an ace, then he might have a blackjack, in which case all players lose unless any of them has a blackjack at their disposal. The practice in US allows the dealer to check for a blackjack quickly. If he has, the dealer collects all losing bets if possible.
In a situation where the dealer himself has an ace for the up card, he should allow other players to insure their hands from a blackjack. This resembles any insurance cover where you are safeguarding yourself against any mishaps that might occur. Under this insurance cover, you are eligible for 2:1 return in cases where dealer has a blackjack. If the player has a blackjack and the dealer an ace, he can ask for even money. This move is made to ensure that the game has a result, because otherwise the outcome will be an even money. The dealer provides the option of insurance and it is up to them to accept or decline.
If the dealer does not have a blackjack in his possession, the players may start playing.
The options available are
Stand : if the player is confident about his stand, he can stand pat. This can be signified by waving the dealer away. If it is a single deck game, keep your cards face down your bet.
Hit: the player can continue playing or opt for another card till he stand or bust. If you want to hit, just give a tap on the table using your finger. Or else you can scrap it against the felt lightly.
Double: if he feels that if he can win it in just one more card, he may double the bet and then go with the dealing. This option is available only on the initial two cards, or the initial 2 after splitting. This can be signified by placing yet another wager of equal value next to your original wager. Or place your bet to face up your cards.
Split : he can split the card into two hands if the first 2 cards are of equal points. So, each card becomes the initial card of a fresh hand. For the 2 nd hand, he should make a different wager which is similar in value to the first wager. One can perform a split after a split, but resplitting the aces is allowed only under special circumstances. He can do this up to 2 to 3 times until a new chance presents itself. It is not always possible to double after splitting. It can be signified by putting an extra wager to the actual wager. Or just face up your bet by placing your cards.
Surrender: if the player wants to surrender, he can go about with this.
If the player believes that the cards are not good, he can forfeit half of the bet and his cards. A later surrender is when the dealer has a ten or ace and plays his blackjack before the first player actually plays. An early surrender is when dealer does not play a blackjack and do not play a hole card. This is a better option for the player since it protects against the blackjack of the dealer.
The dealer will start playing after the other players have played their from left to right. He cannot play as he wants but should play according to certain rules. He should hit till he scores seventeen or more. In some casinos, a dealer has to hit if he has a soft 17. When a dealer bust, all other active players are considered winners.