Blackjack beginner’s guide
Blackjack is one of the oldest and most popular casino games in the world, origins of which can be traced back to 18th century France.
Playing Blackjack for Beginners
The dealer starts the game, dealing two cards to each player as well as themselves. The first card is presented face up and is called the ‘face card’. Players should attempt to reach the value of 21 with cards in their possession. Players are given the opportunity to either draw additional cards for their hand, or may stand, refusing any. Any aces dealt to a player may be counted as either 1 or 11.
The player may draw as many cards, until he/she chooses to stand, achieves a hand value of 21 or ‘busts’ as this goes over 21. Once each player has played their hand, the dealer’s hole card is flipped over. If the value of the dealer’s hand is less than 17 the dealer is required to draw until the hand value equals or exceeds 17.
If a drawn card pushes the dealer’s hand over the value of 21 the dealer is said to have bust. If a player did not over-draw their own hand they win automatically with a 1:1 payout on their bet. If the dealer’s hand value is between 17 and 21, the player wins with a higher value, and loses when the hand value is less than dealer’s.
When both dealer and player’s hand values are equal, the game results in a push, then the player’s stake is returned. If the player achieves a hand value of 21 from the original deal (i.e. an ace and a 10 card), this is described as a Online Blackjack and is rewarded with a 3:2 payout unless the dealer also hits blackjack.
Blackjack for Beginners - Basic Strategy
Staking different amounts for each hand, helps the player to be successful. Players may split when they are dealt two cards of equal value, they can then draw on these two hands as per the normal rules. This is only a good option if the split card value is 10 or Ace and the dealer’s hole card value is below 7.
Players also can double up their bet on any hand, and a single card is drawn onto their hand. This is generally a good strategy only when the player’s hand |
