Blackjack is played on a special half-round table with six to seven spots that
serve as the designated betting areas for the players. The game uses a standard
deck of 52 cards. All designated cards numbered 2 through 10 are counted at face
value. The court, or picture cards all count as 10s, with kings, queens and
jacks having no special value. The same is true of the different suits: spades,
clubs, hearts and diamonds are not relative to any of the game results. Aces are
different from all other cards because they can be counted as either a 1 or 11.
The choice of how to count the ace is up to the player, not the dealer. You will
also find many casinos that used 2 decks for blackjack, and others who use a
box-like device to deal multiple decks of 4, 6 and 8.
You must wager before any cards are dealt out by the dealer. Each player does
this by placinghis or her bet in the centre of the designated spot in front of
his or her position. The placard on the side of the table will alert you to the
minimum and maximum bets for that specific table. The dealer begins by shuffling
the cards and one player cuts the deck. The dealer then begins to deal cards
from left to right, one card to each player and then one for the dealer. The
dealer then deals a second card in turn to each player. Cards can be dealt
either face down or face up. In single and double-deck games, they will normally
be face down, but anything involving more decks are typically face up.
It is also important to note that one of the dealer's cards will be turned face
up, and the other face down. This is important to you when it comes to make
decisions about what action needs to be taken with your hand. After the cards
are dealt, each player is given the opportunity to play his hand in turn,
starting at the dealer's left and going around the table from left to right.
After all players have acted on their hands, the dealer will play his hand.
Helpful hint: Always look at the two cards that have been dealt to you and then
look at the dealer's up card.
Some people think the object of the game is to get 21, or to get closer to 21
than the dealer without "busting," which means going over 21. This is incorrect!
The real objective of the game is to beat the dealer. There are 3 ways in which
a player can beat the dealer:
The player receives an ace and a 10-value card for blackjack.
The player gets closer to 21 than the dealer.
The dealer goes over 21 and the player, regardless of what the total is in
his hand, does not.
Blackjack Trivia and
Facts:
It is well documented that Napoleon played and loved the game 21.
Is it chips or checks? What's the official name for the disc or token that is
imprinted with a cash value and used in place of money at casinos? Casino
management uses the work check, whereas the general public uses chip. You can
consider the two words interchangeable.
Blackjack is the most popular casino game.
You as a player have lots of options, whereas the dealer can only hit on 16
and under and stand on 17 and above.
