Blackjack is a popular card game in which the goal is to get as close to 21 points as possible without going over, or to have a higher score than the dealer without going over 21.
The game is played with a standard 52-card deck, and the cards are worth their face value, with the exception of the face cards (Jack, Queen, and King), which are worth 10 points each. The Ace is worth either 1 or 11 points, depending on which value would be more beneficial to the player.
How to play blackjack
- The game is played with one or more decks of 52 cards, and the cards are shuffled before each round.
- The players make their bets before the cards are dealt, and the dealer then deals two cards to each player and two cards to themselves. The first card dealt to the dealer is placed face down, and the second card is placed face up.
- The players then have the option to “hit” and receive additional cards to try to improve their hand, or to “stand” and keep their current hand. Players can hit as many times as they want, but if their total goes over 21, they lose their bet.
- After the players have finished taking hits, the dealer reveals their face-down card and hits or stands according to a set of rules that are determined by the casino. The dealer must hit on any total of 16 or less and must stand on any total of 17 or more.
- If the dealer goes over 21, all players who have not already busted win their bets. If the dealer does not bust, the hands are compared, and the player with the higher total without going over 21 wins their bet. If the player and the dealer have the same total, the bet is a push and is returned to the player.
- The game continues with the players making new bets and the dealer dealing new hands until the players decide to stop playing or until they run out of money.