RULES OF BLACKJACK

Blackjack is one of any casino’s most popular games. Part of the game’s appeal lies in the simplicity of its basic rules. The object of the game is to accumulate two or more cards with a point total as close to 21 as possible, without, of course, going over 21. Face Cards - Jacks, Queens, and Kings - are all worth ten points each. Aces, on the other hand, are worth either one or eleven. All the other cards have a value equivalent to their respective number.

If the player and the House tie, then it is a push, and no one wins the hand. An ace and a ten, or a natural Blackjack, on the first two cards dealt is an automatic player win with a payback of 1.5 to 1, unless, of course, the house ties.

If you happen to be one of those players that tries to keep the slightest edge possible on the House by counting the cards as they are dealt, then be sure to read the game rules for each different game, whether it is Las Vegas High Street or Atlantic City Trump. The number of decks used may vary from game to game.

Do you realize there are two hands you should always play the same, regardless of the number of decks used in the game? Moreover, to top it off, the dealer’s up card is of absolutely no consequence whatsoever. You should always stand when your hand is a pair of tens (10, 10). In addition, you should always split a pair of eights (8, 8).

Finally, always bet the minimum when you start a new game or when you play a new deck, since there are usually clumps of high cards that tend to stick together through the first shuffle. This favors the dealer.

The value of the cards

Of course, as a player, you already know the value of each card in the deck. The Face Cards (K, Q, J) have a value of 10, whereas the ace card’s value is either 1 or 11. The remaining cards all have