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Blackjack Rules and Terms |
The game of blackjack comes in many shapes and sizes: Classic blackjack, Atlantic City blackjack, Vegas Strip blackjack, and many more. The many variations on the game make blackjack interesting and exciting, and help ensure that you will find a blackjack game that is just right for you.
On the other hand, you might worry that all these blackjack games will create too much confusion. How, you might be asking, can I possibly learn all the rules of all these games? In truth, there is no need to worry. The rules of all these blackjack games are 90 percent the same; the differences are only in the details. On this page, you will learn the basic rules of how to play blackjack. Once you understand these basic rules, you will find it easy to learn the specific blackjack rules of any particular blackjack game. The Blackjack CardsThe goal in blackjack is to beat the dealer by getting a hand that is closer to 21 than the dealer's hand, but without going over. If your hand goes over 21, you "bust" and automatically lose.Blackjack is played with anywhere from one to eight decks of cards. These are standard 52-card decks; there are no jokers. The 2 through 10 cards each have a value equal to their normal face value. Face cards (jacks, queens, and kings) have a value of 10. An ace can be worth either 1 or 11, whichever is more advantageous. A hand with an ace valued at 11 is called a "soft hand"; thus, a hand comprising a 2, 4, and ace is a "soft 17." A hand with an ace valued at 1 is a "hard hand"; a hand made up of 7, 9, and ace is a "hard 17." Starting the Blackjack GameAt the start of the blackjack game, you are dealt two cards, both face up. The dealer is also dealt two cards: one face up (the "up card") and one face down (the "hole card"). If your two cards are an ace and a 10-value card - congratulations! You have blackjack! Blackjack automatically wins, and it pays off at odds of 3 to 2. (Unless the dealer also has blackjack, in which case the hand is a tie, known as a "push.")If you do not have blackjack with your first two cards, then it is time to play your hand. Playing Your Blackjack HandAfter examining your cards and the dealer's up card, you play your hand by taking one of the following actions:
Some of the variations in the splitting rule are as follows. In some blackjack games, if one of your new hands after splitting contains two of the same denomination, you may split that hand as well; this is known as resplitting. Other blackjack games do not allow resplitting. In some blackjack games, you may split two 10-value cards of different denominations, such as a jack and a queen; in others, you may split only two cards of the exact same denomination. In some blackjack games, you may double down after splitting; in some, you may not. In some blackjack games, if you split aces, each ace receives one additional card and no more; in others, you may choose to hit after splitting aces. The Dealer's Blackjack HandIf you received blackjack and the dealer did not, you win the hand. If you surrender or bust, you lose and the hand is over. Otherwise, after you have finished playing your hand, it is the dealer's turn to play his hand.Unlike you, the dealer has no discretion in how to play his hand. His moves are strictly determined by the blackjack rules. These are the rules by which the dealer is bound: Winning at BlackjackA blackjack, also known as a natural, is a hand consisting of an ace and a 10-value card as your first two cards. If you get a blackjack and the dealer does not, you win a payout of 3 to 2. All other wins in blackjack pay out at a normal rate of 1 to 1.If you stand without busting, and the dealer busts, you win the hand. If neither you nor the dealer busts, the hand with the higher value (in other words, the hand closest to 21) wins. If your hand and the dealer's hand have the same value, the hand is a tie, known as a "push." You neither gain nor lose any money. Different Rules for Different Online Blackjack VariationsMost blackjack variations — such as Classic blackjack, Atlantic City blackjack, and Vegas Strip blackjack — follow the rules described on this page. The differences are in the fine points of the particular blackjack game. Different blackjack games use different numbers of decks. Some blackjack games allow surrender or resplitting; others do not. Some blackjack games allow doubling down on any two cards; some only on certain combinations. In some games, the dealer stands on soft 17; in others, he hits.Following is a summary of the blackjack rules for some of the online blackjack variations offered at Wild Jack Online Casino: Atlantic City Blackjack: Eight decks; surrender allowed; dealer stands on soft 17; double down on any two cards; split up to three times (but split aces only once); unlike 10-value cards may be split; split aces receive only one card; double down permitted after split. Big Five Blackjack: Five decks; surrender allowed; dealer hits on soft 17; double down on any two cards; split up to three times (but split aces only once); unlike 10-value cards may be split; split aces receive only one card; double down permitted after split. Classic Blackjack: One deck; no surrender; dealer stands on soft 17; double down only on 9, 10, or 11; split only one time; unlike 10-value cards may not be split; hit on split aces; no double down after split. European Blackjack: Two decks; no surrender; dealer stands on soft 17; double down only on 9, 10, or 11; split only one time; unlike 10-value cards may not be split; hit on split aces; no double down after split. Vegas Downtown Blackjack: Two decks; no surrender; dealer hits on soft 17; double down on any two cards; split up to three times (but split aces only once); unlike 10-value cards may be split; split aces receive only one card; double down permitted after split. Vegas Single-Deck Blackjack: One deck; no surrender; dealer hits on soft 17; double down only on 9, 10, or 11; split only one time; unlike 10-value cards may be split; split aces receive only one card; no double down after split. Vegas Strip Blackjack: Four decks; no surrender; dealer stands on soft 17; double down on any two cards; split up to three times (but split aces only once); unlike 10-value cards may be split; split aces receive only one card; double down permitted after split. By the way, the specific rules of each particular online blackjack game are clearly stated in the Help screen of the game, so you don't have to memorize all these details. The important thing is to understand the basic blackjack rules as described above, and to understand that they can differ in some of their details in different online blackjack games. Unusual Blackjack Games Have Unusual RulesThe blackjack games described above can all be called standard blackjack games, and they all follow some variation of the standard blackjack rules. But there are also some more unusual blackjack variations that have more unusual rules. In Double Exposure Blackjack, for example, both of the dealer's cards are dealt face up. In Bonus Blackjack, there are special bonus payouts of up to 50-to-1 for certain two-card combinations. For the rules of these and other off-the-beaten-path blackjack games, please see Blackjack Variations.Play Blackjack OnlineBlackjack is one of the most popular games in the online casino. Now that you know the basics of how to play blackjack, give it a try and experience the excitement of online blackjack for yourself. Good luck, and have fun playing online blackjack!
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