If you’ve ever been on a casino floor, you know the most popular table game is blackjack. You’re probably also familiar with some of its vernacular, like 21, hit me, double down and — the best phrase of all — dealer busts.
Blackjack is a game that’s played quickly, where betting and communicating with the dealer is done though hand signals. Allyson Ott, CEO of The Casino Institute, which trains professional dealers in San Diego, said don’t let that intimidate you.
“Blackjack is one of the games with the best odds for the player in a casino,” said Ott, adding that the fundamentals are the same wherever you play.
“Every casino has its own set of rules, such as no surrenders, no doubling after splitting and so on. But just ask the dealer, whose job it is to inform you of all the house rules and make sure you are having a good time.”
Here are those fundamentals.
The object
To get closest to 21 without going over and to beat the dealer.
Value of the cards
The numbers 2-10 are all face value.
The jacks, queens and kings are all values of 10
The ace can be used as a 1 or 11, whichever makes the better hand.
The deal
The player will begin by placing their wager in the betting circle. The dealer will deal each player one card at a time, clockwise around the table, including one for the house/dealer.
The dealer will then give a second card to each player around the table, ending with the house/dealer.
The dealer will expose one of their cards face up, while the second card in their hand remains hidden. This is called their hole card.
Next, the dealer will announce the “point total” of the players hand starting from the furthest left position and wait for their “signal” to determine what they would like to do.
It’s important to note that the player cannot verbally tell the dealer how they would like to act on their hand; they must use hand signals.
Hand signals
1) To request another card or to HIT: The player will make a brushing/scratching or tapping motion with their hand.
2) To decline to take a card or to STAND: The player will make a waving motion with their hand back and forth.
3) To DOUBLE DOWN: This action allows a player to increase their initial bet up to 100 percent but in exchange, they will only receive one additional card. To do this, the player will place an additional bet to the side of their original bet.
4) To SPLIT a hand: In the event a player receives 2 like value cards, say two 8s, they have the option to SPLIT them into two separate hands. To inform the dealer that you would like to split, the player must place a new bet that is equal to their original bet. It is important to inform the dealer that you are requesting to SPLIT the hand by showing the “two-fingers” signal for SPLIT. This way there can be no confusion on whether you may have wanted to Double Down. Now that they are split, each hand will be played separately. The player can split three times for a total of four hands and they can even double after a split.
Deciding whether to hit, stand, double or split depends on not just your hand but what the dealer is showing. You can go with a hunch but it’s better odds to first familiarize yourself with a basic strategy chart, which is based on mathematical odds. These can be found online; some casino gift shops sell wallet-sized cards.
Dealer’s turn
After all the players have acted, the dealer will reveal the house’s second card. The house will always hit on a soft 17, when the ace can be used as 1 or 11, and must stand on a hard 17 or above. HIT until they reach hard 17 or above.
Winning hands
If the dealer goes over 21, that’s a bust and everyone at the table gets paid.
Another way the player can win is when they get blackjack — when they receive an ace and 10 value card (10, jack, queen or king) on the first two cards. The bet is paid 1 ½ times, so a $10 bet pays $15.
Losing hands
If you continue to hit and go over 21.
If you stay, but the dealer’s hand is higher than yours and 21 or under. (If your hand and the dealer’s hand tie, or are of the same value, say 19, you PUSH. You neither lose your bet nor win.)
If the dealer hits blackjack; everyone at the table loses.
Insurance
When the dealer’s exposed card up card is an ace, players have the option to buy insurance. This is a side bet made if the player thinks the dealer has blackjack (with a 10-value card) below. The player can place a new wager up to half of their original bet on the insurance line. If the dealer has blackjack, the original bet loses and the insurance bet pays 2:1. So the player either loses nothing or at least minimized their losses. If the dealer does not have blackjack, the insurance bet loses. People typically buy insurance if they have a good hand like, 19 or 20.
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