Beating Blackjack: Basics & Rules

My Mom and Father are going to Las Vegas, Nevada this April to hit up some of the casinos, see the sites, and hopefully have a good time. While golfing with my Father, he told me he was planning on only playing the slots. My reaction, as you can imagine, was that I didn't believe he would be fully experiencing Vegas casino's if all he did was play the slots. I asked him why he was only going to play the slots, and he said that he didn't recall how to play any other games, and did not want others at the tables getting frustrated for him for his lack of experience (which if anyone has played blackjack in the casino, experienced players get very angry when amateurs don't make the right call). I told him, that he doesn't have to play Texas Hold 'Em, he could just play blackjack, it is very simple to understand, and the strategy is just as easy to remember (FYI: this is not going to teach you how to count cards... yet, I am still trying to figure that out myself). That is why I am writing about how to play blackjack, Vegas style. Here you go father:

BlackJack Basics

Each player is playing against the dealer or house, and tables can consist of 6-8 seats. Every player must place a bet in the circle given, there is generally a minimum bet that is required in order to receive cards. This is very key for a newcomer to the game of blackjack, you do not want to be at the higher stakes tables, instead go towards the lower stakes tables first (which unfortunately will be the hardest tables to get on). The best tables to go to are called "shoe" tables, where 6 to 8 decks are used, and all hands are dealt face up, allowing the dealer to guide players into what their next move is (NOTE: If a dealer is pressuring into decisions, or making them for you, you have the right to tell them to stop!). 

When you find your table, and you are seated, wait for the hand to be over, and place your money in your spot in front of you (you may have to wait for the deck to be re-shuffled). When you are how much you want to buy-in for, remember that the general rule-of-thumb is to buy-in 5 to 10 times the amount of that you will bet on average.

      EX. if you plan on betting around $5.00 a hand, you will want to buy-in with anywhere from $50.00 - $100.00.

This does not need to be followed to be successful, but it allows you the most cushion.

Now, when you are ready to make your bet, place it in the circle in front of you, and you are ready to begin.

Blackjack Rules/Basics continued...

Each player who has placed a bet will be dealt a card, going in clockwise formation. You can think of a blackjack table as a clock, the dealer is always 12 o'clock. In low-stake games, you will be dealt your cards face up, while the dealer will have place the first card face down, and the second one so that you can see it, allowing the players to strategize their move (see Beating Blackjack: Strategy). Each card represents a value, and the goal is to get as close as you can to 21 without busting, or going over 22 because if you bust, you automatically lose.

      Card Values

A: 1 or 11 however you want to use it (ex. A 5 = 16 or 6)

Face Cards (J, Q, K): All equal 10 (ex. J 7 = 17, Q 8 = 18, K 7 = 17)

All Other Cards: Represent their face value (2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = 4, 5 = 5, etc.)

Just like I said before, order is clockwise, remember, you are only playing against the dealer (also known as the house). When it is your turn to decide what you want to do, you have Five (5) options which include:

HIT: You ask the dealer for one more card (ex. 5 5 HIT 10 = 20, 6 7 HIT 10 = 23 BUST)

STAND: You believe you have the dealer beat with your two cards, and do nothing (10 10 STAND = 20)

DOUBLE DOWN: You double your bet, and receive ONLY 1 Card (7 4 DOUBLE DOWN + 10 = 21)

SPLIT: You split your two cards, double your bet, and receive however many cards as you would like. 

Each hand is separate (ex. 10 10 SPLIT 10 7 STAND = 17, 10 3 HIT 10 = 23 BUST)

SURRENDER: You feel as though you are beat, and don't want to risk your whole bet, so you surrender half automatically, and the dealer takes your cards. (ex. You have 10 4, Dealer shows Ace, you surrender $2.50 of your bet, and your hand is taken)

If You Win/Lose

If you beat the dealer, either have higher cards, or they bust, they double you're bet. If you lose, they take your bet. Let's say you bust, and the dealer busts, you still lose your money. If there is a tie, it is called a "push" where nothing happens. If you get 21 with your two cards dealt to you, you get "blackjack," which means you earn your winnings + 1/2 of your original bet. If the dealer gets blackjack, they automatically win. If the dealer shows an Ace in the beginning, some casinos let you buy insurance, which is up to 1/2 of your original bet. If the dealer has blackjack, you will lose your original bet, but get paid back 2:1, but if they don't, they take the insurance. Insurance favors the casino's significantly, but if you have a bad feeling, it is not a bad bet. If you and the dealer both get blackjack, it is a push. *Rememeber* getting 21 (ex. 5 5 HIT 4 HIT 5 HIT 2 = 21) is not blackjack, and is only 21, so you do not get 1/2 of your bet. 

INS & OUTS of Doubling Down and Splitting

Doubling Down

When you double down, you double down your original bet, so if I bet $5.00, and I double down, I have to put another $5.00 downs making my total bet $10.00. You only get one card given to you, and that is what you have to play with. If you win though, you win $10.00 instead of $5.00. If you go to my other article, Beating Blackjack: Strategy, I have information on how to make the most of doubling down.

Splitting

When you split your cards, you must pay for the split. This costs you what your original bet was. Unlike doubling down, you have two completely individual hands now, as if you are playing a second spot. You can split your cards up to 5 times, but like I said you have to pay, this would give you a total of 6 hands. So, you could bust with 4 of them, and win with 2, or you could Push with 2 win with 2 and lose with 2, etc. Once again, to see how to make the most of splitting your hand, and when to do it, read my Beating Blackjack: Strategy, article.

When the Dealer Must Hit, and When the Dealer Must Stand

The dealer has a uniform rule of Hitting when they have anything UNDER 17, and standing on anything 17 OR OVER. This means that if they have a 16 or under, they must hit NO MATTER WHAT. Also, this means that if the dealer has anything 17 or over, they must stand NO MATTER WHAT. This helps to make all tables uniform and fair, making sure that no dealer puts any strategy into the game, and allows them to make the claim that Blackjack pays 3:2. Remember that the dealer must call until he/she has reached 17-21, or busts going over 21.

So, that is the basic rules, if you want to learn more, and how to really make some money in blackjack, read my article Beating Blackjack: Strategy. Goodluck!