House Of Blackjack
Enjoy A Free Game On The House
Enjoy A Free Game On The House
The house of blackjack - home of the world's most popular card game. The Hard Hand, Red Sevens, a Soft Hand, the Push, taking Insurance, Early Surrender, a Hot Deck - sweet music to the ears of avid blackjack gamblers.

BLACKJACK RULES

After reading our blackjack basics page, you're left thinking about the options you have when it comes your time to hit or stand. These decisions, as we mentioned earlier, play a large role in how well you may do at the table. Hit and stand are two possible decisions, but there are more. Let's look at anything and everything blackjack rules allow you to do.

Natural Blackjack - The one time you don't need to make any decisions at all is when you are dealt a 21 on your first two cards. Blackjack rules call this a Natural Blackjack, and it entitles you to a larger-than-normal payback of 3 to 2.

Hit or Stand - The two most common decisions: Hit means to draw another card - adding to your total. Stand means you do not want any more cards. If you hit and your new total is more than 21, you bust, and immediately lose.

Double Down - Many casinos allow you to double the bet on your first two cards. The catch is, you can only have one more card to improve your hand. You usually double down if you are dealt an 11 or a 10, so your next card will most likely bring you to a 21 or 20. Always take into account the dealers up-card, if they are showing busting cards it may be a good idea to double down even if your total is as little as 9. To double down, blackjack rules would have you place the equivalent of your original wager directly beside your original wager on the table. Remember, you only get one more card, so you may get stuck with a low total.

Pair Splitting - If you were dealt a pair of cards as your first two (a pair means 2 sevens, or 2 jacks, or two aces, etc.) then you have the option to split that pair into two different hands. To do so just ask the dealer to split your pair and they will push the cards apart a little. You need to place a new bet beside one of the split cards. Blackjack rules then dictate that each card is treated as it's own hand and dealt a second card. You can then play out each hand independently. If either hand happens to be dealt as a natural blackjack you are not usually not paid the extra 3 to 2.

A good rule of thumb is to always split Aces and 8's - you're going from a bad hand to two potentially good ones.

Insurance - When the dealer shows an Ace as their up card, they will ask the table if anybody would like to buy Insurance. Don't ever buy insurance; it never helps your chances. Blackjack rules wouldn't adopt it if it helped the player too much. Basically what you're doing when you buy insurance is you're placing a bet worth half your original bet, that the dealer has blackjack. So if they do, you lose your original bet, but are paid 2 to 1 on the insurance bet, and come out even. If they don't have blackjack, you lose your insurance bet and may win or lose your original bet.

Statistically it is never advantageous to take insurance.

Surrender - Most casinos blackjack rules don't include this one, but what surrender does is allow you to fold, or give up, after receiving your first two cards. If you think you have no way of winning, you can surrender and only lose half your bet.

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