The most important blackjack rule states that the hand with the highest total wins (as long as it doesn’t exceed 21). This is the cornerstone of the game, and a hand with a total greater than 21 is said to have went “bust.”
What are some other official blackjack rules? Two through ten are worth their face value, and face cards are all worth 10 points. An ace is worth 11 points if it won’t cause the player to bust. If it will, then the ace is valued at 1. Hands with an ace counting as 11 are called “soft hands.”
Another set of official blackjack rules cover winning and losing. If the player has a higher total than the dealer, then he or she will win (unless they bust). A bust is always considered a loss in blackjack. If the dealer and player end up with the same point value, then it’s considered a “push” (which is the same as a tie). In a standard game of blackjack, the player gets his original wager back on a push.
Each casino will have a minimum and maximum bet at each blackjack table. Once the bets have been placed, the dealer will deal the cards to the players at the table. If he deals them from a deck in his hands, the dealer is said to be dealing a “pitch” game. Otherwise, the dealer will distribute cards from a shoe (which contains four or more decks of cards shuffled together).
Each player, as well as the dealer, receives two cards to begin the game. These cards are dealt face down in a pitch game and face up when using a shoe. One of the dealer’s cards will be visible, while the other will be face down (known as the “hole card”). In European blackjack, the dealer’s second card will not be dealt until everyone else at the table has completed play.
In the official blackjack rules for the American version of the game, the dealer will immediately check their hole card if their face up card is worth 10 or 11. The players, however, are first offered “insurance” if the face-up card is an ace.
Insurance costs extra (up to half the player’s original bet), but it allows the player to keep from losing everything if the dealer has a blackjack (also known as a “natural”). If the dealer does have a blackjack, everyone immediately loses unless they purchased insurance or have a blackjack themselves. In the latter case, it is considered a push.
After a player has busted, elected to stand or doubled down, their turn is over. When all players are finished, the dealer then reveals their hole card and finishes playing out their hand. Regardless of the players’ totals, the dealer must play out their hand until they bust or have at least 17. When this is completed, any winning players receive their chips.
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