Casino 21 card game rules

The object of the game of Blackjack is to have your cards total 21 or as near to 21 as possible without going over

Find an appropriate bet-limit table and find an available seat you like. Sit down and wait for the current hand to be finished. Before the next hand starts, place your cash on the table in front of you (NOT in the "betting circle” or "betting square", where you place your bets) – and say: "Change, please.” The dealer will understand this to mean you want to join the game. The dealer will then take your cash, count it, spread it on the table so that the Pit Boss can see it, announce the amount, and then convert the amount of the cash into an equivalent amount of playing chips, in various denominations.

Place a bet with the chips in the designated area. The dealer then begins the game. Depending on how many people are playing, the dealer will deal each player two cards (face up). The dealer is also dealt two cards, one face up, and one face down. (The dealers faced down card is referred to as the "hole card.")

"Change please" - This is a way of asking the dealer to convert your cash into playing chips.
"Stand” - (take no more cards)
"Hit” - (draw additional cards)
Hand Signals – Nonverbal communication between the player and the dealer to indicate "hit” or "stand.”

If the table is designated a must-hit-soft Blackjack game, the dealer must draw on all soft 17 hands until he or she obtains a point total of a hard 17 or higher.

The best possible hand in Blackjack is a combination of an Ace with a card or a face card. This is an automatic 21, when counting the Ace as an 11, and is called, "Blackjack", or a Natural. It cannot be beaten, unless the dealer has the same, which would be a Push, a tie. In a push, the player receives the bet back.

Stand

When you Stand in Blackjack, your intention is to "stay" with the original two cards you have been dealt, and don’t need another card for the current hand in progress.

To Stand or Not to Stand

In Blackjack there are only 2 good reasons to stand on your hand.
1 When you believe that your total will beat the dealer's total.
2 When you believe that the dealer will bust.
Always remember that a dealer must hit on 16 and stand on 17 or more.

Learn Blackjack Basic Strategy to understand scenarios when you need to Stand on a (Soft Hand and Hard Hand)

Blackjack hand gestures:
"STAND" - To indicate this, you simply extend your palm over the cards, and slightly wave your hand from side-to-side. This indicates to the dealer that you are satisfied with the cards you already have, and do not wish to do anything else. The dealer will then move on to the next player, in turn.

Please Note: Once you've made the decision to "Stand", you CANNOT go back and change your mind, after the dealer has already moved on.

Hit

"Hit" is your intention is to "draw more cards". You "Hit" when you feel your hand is not close enough to 21 and you need to draw additional cards.

Hit Me!

Hit when the dealer shows a 10 - If the dealer shows a 10 and your total is 16, you have to Hit. (Always assume the dealers face down is a 10)
Hit on a Soft 17 - A lot of players make this mistake because the general rule is to Stand on Hard However on a Soft 17 (Ace and a 6 card), the Ace makes all the difference.

Don't get carried away with Hitting. See Blackjack Basic Strategy for tips on when to Hit and when to Stand.

Blackjack hand gestures:
"HIT" - If you’re holding your cards, simply scrape your cards on the table gently to ask for another card. If your cards are face-up, you can either touch your finger on the table or use your hand to wave towards yourself. This indicates to the dealer that you want another card, and he or she will then deal you one card from the shoe, face up, and place it next to your original two cards. You now have to make a decision, on whether to "Stand" or "Hit again".

Beware: If the additional card(s) causes your total to exceed 21, you bust and are out of the game.

Doubling Down

Doubling down is one of the more profitable options for players, when played correctly. You double down (double your bet) if you have two cards whose total value can be much improved by just one good hit.

After receiving your first two cards, or on the first two cards of any split pair, you have the option of increasing your wager by "doubling down". To "double down" simply increase your wager up to the amount of your original bet and receive only one additional card.

For example:
When the dealer is showing a 5 or 6 and the player holds a hand totally 11, the player wants to double down. Assuming the additional card you receive is a 10, your hand total then becomes 21, thereby beating the dealer and being awarded four times the amount of your original bet.

When should you Double Down (Hard Hand)

Double down when you have a hand of 11 and the dealer shows anything from
Double down when you have a hand of 10 and the dealer shows anything from
Double down when you have a hand of 9 and the dealer shows anything less than 7

See Blackjack Basic Strategy for Double Down scenarios for a (Soft Hand)

Splitting Pairs

If a player’s first two cards dealt are the same value, (i.e. two of a kind) the player have the option of "splitting" them into two separate hands and playing them both for the round (completing the first hand before going on to the second). To "split", you must match your original bet.

You may "split" a pair up to three times, making four separate hands (with the exception of Aces). You can take as many “hits” as you like on each hand. If you "split" a pair of Aces, you will receive only one card on each of the hands, but if one of the "hit" cards is another Ace, you may re-split (making up to four separate hands). Note: In split hands, an Ace and a ten equal 21, not a Blackjack.

To Split or Not to Split

Don't Split two 10's - Two 10's is a very good hand. Remember your aim in Blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possible.
Never Split two 4's - The reason is simple, if you play the 4's as one hand, it's highly unlikely that you will Bust. The highest you can get is an Ace, giving you a pretty decent hand of
Never Split two 5's - A hand with a pair of 5's gives the value of This is a good hand to get you in the high value range of with a Hit.

There is more to "SPLIT PAIRS". Check out the Blackjack Basic Strategy for Splitting Pairs for other PAIRS scenarios

Alternatively you can simply say to the dealer: "Split, please". The dealer will then separate the two original cards, place them side-by-side, and then ask you to make a second wager on the second hand. The wager on the second hand must equal the original wager. Once you make that wager, you are now playing two hands.

Note: Pairs may be split three times for a total of four hands, except for Aces that may only be split once.

Bust

You "Bust" in Blackjack when you draw more cards to your hand (by asking to "hit”) and the combined total value exceeds "21”. When you "Bust", you lose your wager and that round is over for you.

Push

A "push" happens when both you and the dealer have the SAME total value of all cards. For example, if your total is, say, 18, and the dealer has the same total of 18, then neither you nor the dealer win or lose. It’s a "push”, a sort of "stand-off” where you don’t lose, and don’t win, and neither does the dealer. If you "push” ANY hand, you can either leave the same wager for the next hand, or change the amount of that wager for the next hand, or remove all your wagers altogether, and even leave the game.

Insurance

Insurance is a side bet protecting you against the possibility that the dealer has a blackjack. If the dealer's "up card" is an Ace, you may make an additional wager known as Insurance. You can wager any amount up to half your original bet that the dealer’s down card has a value of For example, if you have a $ original bet, your maximum insurance wager would be $ (1/2 of the original bet). If the dealer's down card happens to be a 10 (making it a Blackjack), your original bet loses but you are paid 2 to 1 on your insurance.

If the dealer's down card however has a value other than 10, (meaning the dealer doesn’t have a Blackjack), your original wager remains in play and the dealer takes your insurance bet and the game continues as normal.

Surrender

In Blackjack, players have the option of surrendering one half of their original wager after receiving their first two cards. When a player surrenders they are making the choice to fold their hand, at the cost of half of the original bet they placed.

Surrendering is one of the least common decisions made in Blackjack. At blackjack tables where surrender is allowed, there are two types of surrendering, early and late surrender. An early surrender (which is uncommon), is when the player has the option to surrender before the dealer checks his cards for a blackjack. A late surrender is when the dealer is able to check for a blackjack first and then only allow the players to surrender if he does not have a Blackjack.

The answer is True.

If after splitting either Aces or Tens a player has a 10 value card on either or both of the aces or an ace on either or both of the tens, these count as 21 not Blackjack and are paid even money if won, and not 3 to 2 or 6 to 5.