What Are the Hands in Blackjack?

In blackjack, the player’s hands are the two cards dealt to them face down. The dealer also has two cards, but one of these is dealt face up.

The face up card is called the dealer’s upcard.

The player’s first card is called their hand’s upcard, and the second card is called their hand’s downcard. If the player has a blackjack, they are paid 3-2 on their bet.

If the dealer has a blackjack, the player loses their entire bet.

The player can hit, which means they take another card from the deck. They can stand, which means they don’t take any more cards.

They can double down, which means they double their bet and take one more card. And they can split, which means they split their two cards into two separate hands and play them both independently.

If the player’s hand totals more than 21, they bust and lose their bet. If the dealer busts, the player wins their bet.

If neither the player nor the dealer busts, then the hand with the highest total wins.

There are a few other things to know about blackjack hands. For example, if you have an ace and a ten-value card in your hand (like a jack, queen or king), that’s called a natural or blackjack.

And if you have an ace in your hand and you can use it as either 11 or 1, that’s called a soft hand.

In conclusion, blackjack hands are the two cards dealt to each player face down at the start of each round of play. One of the dealer’s cards is also dealt face down, while the other is dealt face up for all players to see. If either the player or dealer has a blackjack (a natural 21), they are immediately paid out 3-2 on their bet.

Otherwise, play proceeds until someone busts (goes over 21) or both players decide to stand (take no more cards). The highest total hand wins at that point.