Blackjack, also known as twenty-one, is the most widely played casino banking game in the world. Blackjack is a comparing card game between a player and dealer, meaning players compete against the house rather than each other.
It is played with one or more decks of 52 cards. The objective of the game is to beat the dealer in one of the following ways: .
Exclusive BlackJack Casino Offers:
-Get 21 points on the player’s first two cards (called a “blackjack” or “natural”), without a dealer blackjack;
-Reach a final score higher than the dealer without exceeding 21; or
-Let the dealer draw additional cards until his or her hand exceeds 21 (“bust”).
Players are each dealt two cards, face up or down depending on the casino and the table at which you sit. In the U.S., the dealer is also dealt two cards, typically one up (exposed) and one down (hidden).
European Blackjack is dealt from a shoe of 2-8 decks containing all 52 cards with no jokers. The house edge for blackjack decreases as more decks are used. .
The value of cards two through ten is their pip value (2 through 10). Face cards (Jack, Queen, and King) are all worth ten. An Ace can count as either 1 or 11. A hand’s value is the sum of the card values.
Players are allowed to draw additional cards to improve their hands. A hand with an ace valued as 11 is called “soft”, meaning that the hand will not bust by taking an additional card; otherwise, it is called “hard”.
The dealer hand will not be completed if all players have either busted or received blackjacks. Once all such side bets are settled, bonuses collected, and chips exchanged for cash, play proceeds to the next hand.
Blackjack has numerous rule variations. Since approximately 75% of casino visitors in North America play blackjack[citation needed], casinos have devised ways to keep them playing longer against the house edge, by offering variations with favorable rules for the player.
When offering single deck blackjack games, casinos are more likely to disallow doubling on soft hands or after splitting, to restrict resplitting, require higher minimum bets, and to pay the player less than 3:2 for a winning blackjack.
On average, a player playing basic strategy will lose money at a rate of about 1% of their original bet per hand[citation needed]. The house edge increases with each additional deck in play and diminishes in value with more favorable player rules[citation needed]. Rule changes which decrease casino advantage include allowing players to double down on any first two cards (DAS), resplitting pairs (RSP), late surrender (LS), and insurance wagering (INS). Each rule variation alters basic strategy slightly[citation needed]. For example, if late surrender were allowed after an initial two card deal of an ace and any 10 valued card – late surrender would be unavailable if you were then dealt another ace due to having blackjack – therefore it would be advisable to stand on 20 rather than take late surrender due to this change in basic strategy. Many casinos play by Las Vegas rules which prohibit late surrender and have only one deck; however some casinos such as those in Atlantic City allow late surrender but may use four or more decks[citation needed].
Some small casinos only offer one dominant version of Blackjack such as Atlantic City rules with four decks rather than offer multiple rule variations[citation needed]. The reason that casinos disallow doubling after splitting pairs or resplitting pairs is because it gives players too much of an advantage over casinos – therefore they restrict these plays in order to protect themselves from losing too much money. Allowing players to double down on any first two cards gives players too much of an advantage over casinos so they only offer this option when their own hand totals 9-11 – this includes soft 19 and 20 as well as hard 9-11[citation needed]. Insurance wagering increases casino advantage so it is rarely offered except when using multiple decks[citation needed]. Players should avoid any side bets offered by casinos because they significantly increase casino advantage over players – for example “insurance” bets offered when dealer’s upcard is an ace increase casino advantage by 5% over basic strategy making it unwise for players to make these bets[citation needed].
In conclusion, whether you call it blackjack or twenty-one, it is still one of the most popular games in casinos today because it provides players with a fair chance to win while still giving the house an edge.
