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The game of
blackjack
is played with one, two, four, six or eight decks of cards. In single and
double deck blackjack games the dealer holds the cards and deals them
out. In multi-deck blackjack games the cards are dealt out of a tray
like box that is called a shoe. The casinos are starting to look at
continuous shufflers that are a shoe that shuffle as well as hold the cards.
In hand held games the cards
are dealt face down and the blackjack player is allowed to pick up
his cards. In a shoe game the cards are dealt face up to the player and you
are not allowed to touch your cards. The basic play for either version of blackjack
is the same.
The objective of the game is
to beat the blackjack dealer. If your cards total higher than the blackjack
dealer's cards without going over 21 you win. You are not trying to get
close to 21. If your hand or the blackjack dealer's hand goes over 21
you "Bust." If you bust you automatically lose. The player must
act first. If the player busts he loses regardless if the dealer busts or
not.
The suits of the cards have no
affect on the game of blackjack. Cards 2 - 10 are counted at face
value without regards to their suit. All face cards have a value of ten. An
ace can count as either one or eleven. A queen and a five would equal 15. An
ace and a five would total either 6 or 16. A hand that does not have an ace
is referred to as a "Hard Hand" in blackjack because it has
only one value. A hand that contains an ace is referred to as a "Soft
Hand" in blackjack because the value can change. If you draw to
a soft hand and the three cards total a number where counting an ace as
eleven puts you over 21 then the hand becomes a hard hand. Example: You are
dealt an ace and a three. You have 4 or 14. If you then draw a ten you now
have a hard 14 because if you count the ace as 11 you would have 25, which
would bust you.
Common blackjack terms
- Action
- The amount of money risked by
a player during an entire blackjack session.
- Betting Limits
- Establishes the
minimum and maximum amounts that can be wagered on one bet in blackjack.
- Blackjack
- A hand whose first
two cards total 21.
- Burn Card
- The card placed on the
bottom of the deck or in the discard tray after a shuffle and cut.
- Bust/Break
- To exceed a total of
twenty-one.
- Chip/Check
- A casino term for tokens
used instead of money.
- Cut
- To divide a deck into two parts.
- Cut Card
- A different colored card
used to cut the decks.
- Early Surrender
- To surrender or give
up after a player receives their first two cards but before the dealer
checks for a blackjack. Player loses half of their bet.
- Even Money
- In blackjack, to
get paid the same as you wagered plus your original wager when the
player has a blackjack and the dealer has an ace showing.
- Expected Win Rate
- The percentage of
the total amount wagered that the player can be expected to win or
lose over time while playing blackjack.
- Face Cards
- The King, Queen or Jack
of each suite.
- First Base
- The first seat nearest
the blackjack dealer's left hand.
- Hard Hand
- Any blackjack hand
that does not contain an ace valued at eleven.
- Hit
- To take another card.
- Hole Card
- The blackjack
dealer's face down card.
- Insurance
- A side bet that the dealer
has a natural 21 that is offered when the dealer's upcard is an ace.
If the dealer has a natural, the player is paid double. If the dealer
does not have a natural (a blackjack), the insurance bet is
lost.
- Natural
- A hand whose first two cards
total 21. Also known as blackjack.
- Push/Tie
- When the player and the
dealer have unbusted hands with the same point total. No money changes
hands.
- Shoe
- A plastic or wooden device that
holds multiple decks of cards to be dealt.
- Soft Hand
- Any blackjack hand that
contains an ace valued at eleven.
- Stand
- To refrain from taking any
more cards.
- Surrender
- To give up half your wager
to not have to complete the hand.
- Upcard - The dealers card that is face
up.
