Blackjack: Rules & Strategies

Blackjack is the most widely played casino game in the world, and if you are new to playing then you want to learn as much as you can before you pick up the cards. It is easy to learn how to play, but difficult to master – and that is why even the most experienced of casino gamers still come to the table to try and beat the dealer.

One of the reasons that blackjack is popular is that there are strategies for playing that can make it more likely that you will win – based on mathematical studies done back in the 1950s and ‘60s, these strategies are the part of the game that takes the longest to master.

In this article, we will look at the rules of Blackjack, as well as some strategies that you can employ to bolster your gameplay and increase the possibility of winning. 

Blackjack Gameplay

In this game, you are playing against the dealer rather than the other players. You are dealt two cards to begin with, and the aim of the game is either to have a higher total in your hand than the dealer or make 21. Anything over 21 is bust, and you are out of the game. 

The card values are as follows:

• Number cards – 2-10 – as their value.
• Face cards – all worth ten
• Ace – can be 1 or 11, depending on what you need to make the best hand. 

After the initial bets have been placed, the dealer deals to players from left to right, and usually deals one card to themselves face up. 

Players make decisions based on their cards, as follows:

• Stand – no more cards.
• Hit – deal another card.
• Split – create two hands when both cards in your hand are the same value. Each of these hands receives an additional card and you need to place another bet to cover the second hand.
• Double down – Increase your bet by 100% (doubled) and take one more card.

Once all the player decisions have been made, the dealer will deal cards to their hand until they reach at least 17. 

• If the dealer busts (over 21), all player hands that have not bust will win.
• Any hands higher than the dealer will win.
• Wins paid out at even money.

In most games, a Blackjack (a black jack card plus an ace) will beat any hand, including a 21, and sometimes it will pay out more too. 

Basic Strategy Tips

Blackjack is a numbers game, which means there is a mathematical strategy to winning hands. This was first explored in a paper named The Optimum Strategy in Blackjack, which was published in 1956 by Roger Baldwin, Wilbert Cantey, Herbert Maisel, and James McDermott. 

The equations used were tested by a blackjack player named Ed Thorp, who created a bestselling book called Beat the Dealer in 1963 based on their ideas.

Below are some of the strategies highlighted in that book:

1. Know When to Stand

Making decisions in Blackjack is easier than in games like poker. This is because in poker the likelihood of you winning depends on what the other players are holding, while in Blackjack it is all about what the dealer is holding in comparison to you. 

If your hand totals 12-16, and the dealer is showing 2-6, then the best thing you can do is stand. There is a higher likelihood of the dealer busting with a 10-card being drawn. 

2. Know when to Hit

If you are holding a 12-16 in total in your hand, and the dealer is showing 7-Ace, then you might as well hit. The dealer is only likely to strengthen their hand, so you need to make yours as strong as you can to beat them at the end, and you can only do that with more than 16-7 in your hand.

3. Know When to Split

You already know that you can only split when you have two cards of the same value, but there are times when a split should be the only thing you are doing – and that is when you are holding two Aces or two Eights. With an Ace as a base card, you have a much better chance of creating a strong hand, while splitting eights reduces the odds of you being left to hold a 16 – which in some cases, you will have to hit on. 

4. Know When to Double Down

If you have 11 in your hand, and the dealer has 2-10, you are in a great position to double down because mathematically you have a good chance of drawing a card with a value of 10. 

5. Know When to Stop

Good strategy isn’t all about winning, but also about enjoying your play – and if at any point you are not having an enjoyable time, then you need to recognize when it is time to stop. Keep your gameplay fun.

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