Online Blackjack Guide - Blackjack Strategy, casino card games and blackjack hands

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Values of the cards:

King, Queen, Jack, 10 = 10 2-9 = Face value Ace = 11 or 1

The player wins when the total value of cards in his hand is closer to 21 than those held by the dealer, without exceeding 21. A hand with a value over 21 is called a bust (you loose if you bust). If you and the dealer have the same card total (17 and up) neither of you wins and your bet is returned to you in a "push". The player wins one and a half times his bet if his first two cards total 21 - a natural Blackjack. The only way two cards can have a value of 21 is if one of them is an Ace, and the other is a 10-value card. (e.g. An ace and a king, and an ace and a queen are both blackjacks.) A blackjack beats all other hands except for another blackjack. If you have a blackjack, and the dealer has 3 cards that add up to 21, you still win the hand even though you both have hands valued at 21.

Value of Winning payouts

Winning Hand 1 to 1 Insurance 2 to 1 Blackjack 3 to 2

If you lose a hand, you lose the amount you originally bet

The steps of the game follow the same formula each time:

1. Between one and seven players can take part in any hand of Blackjack. The players put an initial wager forward and two cards are dealt to each player, with the dealer dealing him/herself last with one card face down.

2. You count your cards total value and decide whether you need to take another card (hit) to increase your total or keep the tally you already have and hope others will 'bust'. There is no limit on the number of hits a player can take.

3. When you draw an ace, you can decide whether it counts as 1 or 11.

4. When all the players 'stand' (choose not to take any more cards), the dealer reveals his hand by flipping over the face down card. The dealer must 'hit' (add another card) until the total is 17 or above. If the dealer's hand is between 17 and 21, the dealer is NOT allowed to take additional hits. He MUST stand. On the other hand, if the dealer's hand is 16 or under, the dealer MUST take additional hits until the dealer's hand has a value of 17 or higher. If the dealer goes over 21 while taking additional cards, he "busts," and automatically loses. If the dealer busts, all players that are still in the game win. Between the players and the dealer, whoever is closer to 21 without going over wins.

5. Winnings are calculated on the amount of the bet for a winning hand (see the 'winning payouts' table above). The only way you can lose with a blackjack hand is if the dealer has one too.