I like to assume that anyone reading one of my posts is starting at zero. I’m not doing exactly that here, because I’m not explaining in detail all the rules of casino blackjack.
But I do want to draw the distinction between hard hands and soft hands.
Blackjack is a simple comparing game where the player and dealer each start with a two-card hand. The one with the higher total points for their hand wins the bet, but only if they keep theirtotal to 21 or below. A total of 22 or higher is an automatic loss.
The cards have points based on their rank. The numbered cards have the same number of points as their numbers: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. The face cards (jack, queen, and king) are alsoworth 10 points each.
The only exception is the ace. No one would blame you for thinking that an ace is worth 1 point. It is, in fact, in many situations, worth a single point.
But it’s also worth 11 points.
When you have a hand with no aces in it, you have a hard total. This means that the total is what the total is.
For example, if you have a jack and a 3, you have a hard total of 13. There’s no wiggle room there. That’s the total.
But if you have an ace and a 3, you have a soft total. That’s because the ace counts as 11, but if you get a card that would otherwise give you a total of 22, you can count it as a 1 instead.
Blackjack Rules: Learn how to play 21 card game. After this introduction to the game, it is time to get down to business and explain how to play blackjack if you’ve never had a chance to play this hugely popular game. The good news is that blackjack rules are very easy to learn as far as the play is. There is a basic version of blackjack offered by Real Time Gaming. In this version, players may play one or two hands at the same time. The Standard Blackjack game is the only Real Time Gaming blackjack game that allows a player to play more than one hand at a time. The rules are: Dealer hits soft 17; Double down any two cards.
With an ace and a 3, you have a soft 14. If you hit that hand and get a 10, you have a hard 14. (Any hand where the ace must be considered 1 point to avoid busting is also considered a hardhand.)
The strategy for a player with a soft hand as opposed to a hard hand is significantly different. Since you have that added layer of protection from busting, the right move is often to play a softtotal more aggressively.
But when we talk about a soft 17 “rule” in blackjack, we’re talking about how the dealer plays his hand.
Hit or Stand gameplay is based on Atlantic City and Las Vegas multiple deck casinos rules. Blackjack rules vary from casino to casino, which makes learning blackjack strategy more complicated. However, many correct moves are fundamental enough that they do not differ from casino to casino, and most large scale casinos have very similar rules - usually matching those in Vegas or A.C.. The strategy tables for Vegas and A.C. are displayed below. To find strategy tables for a particular casino, you can visit BlackJack Info, a site that can generate customized tables.
Basic Blackjack Rules:
- The goal of blackjack is to beat the dealer's hand without going over 21.
- Face cards are worth 10. Aces are worth 1 or 11, whichever makes a better hand.
- Each player starts with two cards, one of the dealer's cards is hidden until the end.
- To 'Hit' is to ask for another card. To 'Stand' is to hold your total and end your turn.
- If you go over 21 you bust, and the dealer wins regardless of the dealer's hand.
- If you are dealt 21 from the start (Ace & 10), you got a blackjack.
- Blackjack usually means you win 1.5 the amount of your bet. Depends on the casino.
- Dealer will hit until his/her cards total 17 or higher.
- Doubling is like a hit, only the bet is doubled and you only get one more card.
- Split can be done when you have two of the same card - the pair is split into two hands.
- Splitting also doubles the bet, because each new hand is worth the original bet.
- You can only double/split on the first move, or first move of a hand created by a split.
- You cannot play on two aces after they are split.
- You can double on a hand resulting from a split, tripling or quadrupling you bet.
For more information about Blackjack rules,strategy, and etiquette you can visit Hit or Stand's recommended book list.
Does Blackjack Dealer Hit On 17
Below you will find the strategy tables for both Atlantic City and Las Vegas. These table are what the Hit or Stand games is based on. Hit or Stand accepts a correct move from either Vegas or A.C.(they differ only slightly). It needs to be noted that using the below tables will not cause you to make money - the odds are still against you. The only way to put the odds of Blackjack in you favor is to count cards which is a large topic of its own.
Blackjack Ace Rules
Las Vegas Multiple Deck
| Atlantic City Multiple Deck
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Blackjack Rules Printable
People often ask how it is known that the strategy tables such as the ones above are correct. They are created and validated in two ways: The first method involves applying probability theory which uses extremely complicated mathematics. The second technique involves using computers to simulate thousands of blackjack deals that are played using different strategies to see which combination of moves give the best end results (the moves that cause one to lose money the slowest).