What Is Pure Blackjack?

Blackjack, also known as twenty-one, is a comparing card game between usually several players and a dealer, where each player in turn competes against the dealer, but players do not play against each other. It is played with one or more decks of 52 cards, and is the most widely played casino banking game in the world.

The objective of the game is to beat the dealer’s hand by either having a total 21 or higher, or by having the dealer bust and go over 21. If both the player and dealer have a tie—including with a blackjack—the bet is a push and no money changes hands.

Otherwise, the player wins an amount equal to his bet.

The blackjack name comes from the fact that if you hold an Ace of Spades and either a Jack of Spades or a Club, you have what is called “a natural blackjack”, which pays out at 3:2 odds (as opposed to the usual 1:1).

A pure blackjack is when you are dealt an Ace and any ten-valued card as your first two cards. This hand automatically wins against any other hand except for another blackjack, which would result in a tie.

The odds of being dealt a pure blackjack are 4/13, or approximately 31%.

While a pure blackjack is always a strong hand, there are some situations where it may be preferable to play something else. For example, if the dealer is showing a low card and you have a high chance of busting if you hit, you may be better off standing on your current total of 20.

In general, though, a pure blackjack is always going to be a strong hand and one that you should be happy to see when you’re dealt your cards at the start of a hand.