Key points
- The hand closer to 21 wins, and going over 21 (a bust) loses on the spot.
- Aces count as 1 or 11, and J, Q and K count as 10.
- The dealer follows fixed rules: draw on 16 or less, stop on 17 or more.
- A 21 on the first two cards (a blackjack) pays 1.5 times the bet (3:2).
- The house edge is about 0.5% with basic strategy, and about 1.9% at tables that pay blackjack 6:5.
Goal
Going over 21 (a bust) loses on the spot. Even if the dealer busts later, your earlier bust still loses.
Example. You have 19 and the dealer 18: you win. You have 22: you lose, even if the dealer ends on 25.
Card values
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| 2 to 9 | Face value |
| 10, J, Q, K | 10 |
| A | 1 or 11 (whichever helps) |
A hand where the ace can count as 11 without going over 21 is a soft hand. A hand with no ace, or where the ace can only count as 1, is a hard hand.
Example. A-6 is soft 17 (one more card cannot bust it). If A-6 draws a 9, the ace drops back to 1 and the hand is hard 16.
Dealing
Six decks are shuffled together and dealt from a shoe.
- Each player gets two cards, face up
- The dealer gets one face-up card only (the upcard)
- Players act in turn
- After everyone is done, the dealer draws a second card
The dealer holds no face-down card at the start (no hole card, second card dealt last).
Player actions
- Hit: take one card. As many times as you like
- Stand: take no more cards
- Double: double your bet and take exactly one card. Only on your first two cards, and only on hard 9, 10 or 11
- Split: split two cards of the same value (including two different 10-value cards like 10 and K) into two hands, with an equal bet on each
- Surrender: give up on your first two cards and get half your bet back. Late surrender is giving up after the dealer has checked for blackjack; early surrender is before. Tables offer none, late or early surrender (the default is none). Not after a split or on three or more cards
Split details:
- You may double after splitting (DAS, double after split)
- If another card of the same value comes, you can split again up to three hands in total (resplit)
- Split aces get exactly one card each and are done. Aces cannot be resplit (split aces)
- An ace and a 10 after a split are a plain 21, not a blackjack
What the dealer does
The dealer has no choices. The dealer draws on 16 or less and stops on 17 or more.
The dealer also stops on soft 17 such as A-6 (S17, stand on soft 17).
Example. The upcard is 6 and the second card is K, for 16. The dealer draws again and busts on a 6 or higher.
Settling and payouts
| Result | With a bet of 10 |
|---|---|
| Win | +10 (1 to 1) |
| 21 on the first two cards | +15 (3:2) |
| Same total | 0 (a push) |
| Lose or bust | −10 |
An ace and a 10-value card as your first two cards is a blackjack. It beats a 21 made with three or more cards. If the dealer also has blackjack, it is a push.
Some tables pay blackjack 6:5. A 10 bet then wins only 12, and the house edge goes up by about 1.4%. Check the table sign before you sit down.
Compare the house edge by table rules ›
Insurance
At real tables, when the dealer’s upcard is an ace, you may be offered insurance for half your bet. It pays 2 to 1 if the dealer has blackjack.
It pays 2 to 1, so it breaks even only if the dealer’s chance of blackjack is above 1/3. Ten-value cards are 16 of 52 (about 31%), which is short of 1/3.
Example. You bet 10 and take insurance for 5. If the dealer has blackjack, it pays +10 (2 to 1), which cancels the loss of your 10, for 0 in total. If not, you lose 5.
At a table where the dealer checks the hole card first (peek), the dealer checks for blackjack right after you answer and settles if there is one. At a table where the dealer’s second card comes last (no hole card), insurance is settled with that second card.
Dealer blackjack
The dealer’s second card comes after players act, so the dealer can make blackjack after you have doubled or split.
In that case you lose only your original bet; the extra chips from doubling or splitting come back (OBO, original bets only).
Example. You bet 10 and double on 11 (20 bet in total). The dealer makes blackjack. You lose only the first 10; the added 10 comes back.
At a table where the dealer checks the face-down card first (a peek), the hand ends when the dealer has blackjack, before you double or split, so you lose only your original bet. OBO gives the same result.
Even money and the count
When you have blackjack, you are asked for even money instead (Even money / No). Take it and you are paid 1 to 1 right away, whatever the dealer has. Decline and it is a push if the dealer also has blackjack, otherwise 3 to 2 (6 to 5 at a 6:5 table). It is the same as insuring your own blackjack.
- At a 3:2 table (example): you bet 10. Taking even money gives +10. Declining, as long as the chance the dealer has no blackjack is above 2/3, averages above +15 × 2/3 = +10
- At a 6:5 table the payout is low: declining is worth about 0.83 per unit bet; taking even money is worth 1
While counting, when the share of 10s among the unseen cards is above 1/3 (TC +3 or higher), insurance has a positive expected value, and so does taking even money at a 3:2 table.
Double Up
Double Up (DU) is regular blackjack with one extra option.
Full rules: Double Up rules.
Free Bet
Free Bet is blackjack where some doubles and splits are free, in exchange for a dealer 22 being a push.
Full rules: Free Bet rules.
Blackjack Switch
Blackjack Switch is blackjack played on two equal hands where you may swap the second cards between them. In return a dealer 22 is a push and blackjack pays 1 to 1.
Full rules: Blackjack Switch rules.
Spanish 21
Spanish 21 is blackjack with a 48-card deck: the tens are removed. With fewer 10-point cards, the player gets favorable rules and bonuses in return.
Full rules: Spanish 21 rules.
Pontoon
Pontoon is casino blackjack with a 48-card deck. It is close to Spanish 21, but the dealer’s second card comes last (no hole card). It is a different game from the home game of the same name (the one with twist and stick).
Full rules: Pontoon rules.
How to play casino table games for the first time, and what to know before you sit down
