Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games in the world. The objective of the game is to beat the dealer’s hand by having a higher point total than the dealer, without going over 21.
Blackjack is a social game, so it’s important to know the etiquette and protocol of the game before sitting down to play.
Exclusive BlackJack Casino Offers:
In order to win at blackjack, you need to have a basic understanding of how the game is played and what your options are on each turn. Blackjack is played with one or more standard 52-card decks, with each player starting with two cards face up.
The dealer also starts with two cards, one face up and one face down. The face down card is called the hole card.
The value of each card is as follows: Ace: 1 or 11 points, 2-10: Face value, Jack/Queen/King: 10 points. The goal of blackjack is to get as close to 21 points as possible without going over (busting).
The player with the highest point total wins the hand.
If both the player and dealer have blackjack, it is a push (tie) and no money changes hands. If you are dealt a blackjack (an Ace and any 10-point card), you automatically win unless the dealer also has a blackjack, in which case it’s a push.
After all players have taken their turns, it’s then the dealer’s turn to play.
The dealer must follow certain rules when playing their hand. They must hit (draw another card) if their point total is 16 or less and they must stand (take no more cards) if their point total is 17 or more.
If the dealer busts (goes over 21), all players who are still in the hand win.
If you are not dealt a blackjack and do not bust, you now have a choice to make on each turn: Hit or Stand? Hitting means taking another card from the deck and adding its point value to your hand total. Standing means taking no more cards and keeping your current point total.
The decision of whether to hit or stand should be based on two factors: your hand total and the dealer’s up-card. The general rule of thumb is that you should always hit if your hand total is 11 or less and always stand if your hand total is 17 or more.
If your hand total falls in between 12 and 16 (inclusive), you shouldhit if the dealer’s up-card is seven or less but stand if the dealer’s up-card is eight or more. This basic strategy will help you make the right decisions most of the time but there are always exceptions to consider (see below).
Once all players have either busted or chosen to stand, it’s time for the dealer to finish their hand. If their point total is 16 or less, they must hit until they reach 17 or higher. If they start with 17 or more points, they can choose to hit or stand at their discretion.
If they bust (go over 21), all remaining players win their bet. Otherwise, whoever has the highest point total between themselves and the dealer wins their bet while everyone else loses theirs.
Now that you know how blackjack works, let’s talk about how free bets work in this game specifically. A free bet in blackjack allows you to double your bet after seeing your first two cards but before taking any action on your hand (hitting, standing, etc.).
This effectively doubles your chances of winning since you’re now playing two hands instead of one but it also doubles your risk since you could potentially lose both bets instead of just one. In order for free bets to be offered at a casino, they typically require that you purchase chips worth at least double your original bet amount first so keep that in mind when deciding whether or not to take advantage of this option.
