Play blackjack like a pro!

If you haven’t played much blackjack, it can be scary to step up to a table to play. While there are professional strategies that make the best players successful, it is possible to hide the fact that you don’t have much experience when you first start playing. The basic rules of blackjack are fairly straightforward. If you can remember a few simple ones, you will do well even in the beginning.

Be aware that the rules of Blackjack are not the same everywhere. There will be variations to the rules in different areas and in different casinos. If you’re not sure what the rules are where you’re playing, find out!

The table

The first thing to know about blackjack is how the table is set up. Most blackjack tables have seats for eight people - the dealer and up to seven players. The dealer will have a tray of chips in front of him, a deck of cards to his left, and a sign that indicates the minimum bet. The deck of cards is also referred to as the “shoe”. When you first start to play Blackjack, you should play the less expensive players (those that have the lowest minimum bet).

To the right of the dealer is a slot into which money is dropped. This is a security measure for the casino to prevent employees from taking money. Next to the money drop slot is the discard tray. To the immediate left of the dealer is the seat known as “first base”. The seat immediately to the right of the dealer is called “third base”. In front of each player, there is a betting square. It is printed directly on the felt that covers the table.

The game

A game of blackjack begins when the dealer shuffles the cards and a player “cuts” the deck using a “marker card.” The dealer tosses the marker card out to ensure randomness. This is known as “burning” the card. Players then bet by putting either chips or cash in their own betting box. If you don’t want to play a hand, you can always sit out. Players sit out hands when they need a break or when it seems like luck is not on their side at the moment. If you plan to sit out more than two hands or so, you should leave the table and let someone else take that seat. You can always come back and play later. In fact, in a busy casino, if you sit out a hand, the casino may ask you to resume playing or get up.

After the bets are placed, the dealer deals two cards to each player in succession, starting with the player on his left. In some casinos, the cards are dealt face up, while in other casinos, they are dealt face down. If the cards are dealt face up, do not touch them. If you do, you may be suspected of cheating. After each player has received two cards, the dealer deals two cards to himself, one face down and one face up.

Cards

As with most card games, the cards are valued 1-9 according to the number on the card, 10 for jacks, queens, and kings and either 1 or 11 for an ace. Each player decides, based on the cards he holds and the card the dealer is showing, whether to “hit” (ask for another card) or “hold”. The object is to come closer to 21 than the dealer without going over 21. If your first two cards are a ten and an ace, it is “blackjack” and you win 1.5 times your bet. Otherwise, the odds are 1:1.

In a noisy casino, you may need to use hand signals. If the cards are face down, you can indicate “hit” by flicking them across the felt twice. If the cards are face up, simply point to them in a jabbing motion or nod your head. If you are going to “hold” or “stand”, move your hand in a horizontal motion with the palm facing down to say “no”. You can shake your head at the same time to emphasize “no”. Be sure that you keep your hand up off the table, again to avoid the suspicion that you are cheating.

Most casinos use more than one deck at a time. These multiple deck games may use up to eight decks of cards simultaneously. In fact, Las Vegas is the only place where single deck blackjack is still played. It’s easier to win in a single deck game, because it is easier to count cards with only one deck in the shoe. In multiple deck games, the dealer can deal hands at a faster rate because he does not have to stop to shuffle as often. This, combined with the fact that it is harder for players to count cards with multiple decks, makes multiple deck games more profitable for the casino.

If a dealer has 16 or less, he must hit (that is, deal himself another card). If he has 17 or more, he must stand. In some small casinos, the dealer may be allowed to hit if he has exactly 17. This is known as a “soft 17”. Players, on the other hand, have no rules for hitting or standing. They can do whatever they wish no matter what the total of their two cards.

Doubling down

Before you hit or stand, you may also have the opportunity to double your bet (known as “doubling down”). In some casinos, you can double down no matter what the total of your two cards. However, most casinos only allow you to double down if the first two cards total 11 or less. You double down by pointing to your cards and saying “double” when it is your turn, or, if the cards are face down, by turning them over and placing them on the dealer’s side of your betting square. You then place an equal number of chips next to (never on top of) the chips that are already in your betting box. When you double down, you get only one new card.

Splitting

You can also split your cards. To do this, you double your bet and then turn your cards over, placing one next to the other. Each card then becomes the first card in a new hand, and you will be dealt two new cards (unless you split two aces, in which case you will only get one more card). This is one place where strategy comes in. For example, it is probably not a good idea to split two fives since ten is a good number to draw on. You also don’t want to end up playing four or five hands at a time.

If the dealer is showing an ace, he will ask if the players want insurance. If you accept, you place half of your bet in the insurance semicircle on the felt. If the dealer then gets blackjack, you win the insurance bet but lose your original bet. However, insurance pays 2 to 1, so you come out even. If the dealer does not get blackjack, you lose the insurance bet and play the remaining half of your original bet as usual. The only time you should place an insurance bet is when you are counting cards. Then, take the insurance if the ratio of remaining non-“10” cards to tens has dropped below 2:1.

Surrender

Another move that players are sometimes allowed to make, though it is not very common, is“surrender”. There is “early surrender” and “late surrender”. Early surrender is dropping out of the hand after the first two cards are dealt because you don’t like the card the dealer is showing. Late surrender is dropping out after the dealer checks for blackjack. Most casinos do not allow players to surrender because it gives the player a slight edge.

As you can see, blackjack is a fairly straightforward game that is easy to learn. If you act like a pro and you can play like a pro no matter how much actual casino experience you have!