Rules of blackjack game

 

Rules of the card game

Blackjack or Twenty-One is a casino type game in which players bet against the dealer on hands as close to 21 as possible without picking. This game is one of the most popular and best in the Greek online casino 2022, on the GreekOnlineCasinos website there is a separate article https://greekonlinecasinos.com/blackjack/rules/ where everything is told in more detail about this type of online game.

Card Rank

Cards from 2 to 10 have a face value. Face cards are worth 10. Aces are worth 11 or 1, depending on which is more profitable for the hand. 

The Deal

At the beginning of the game, the dealer shuffles a deck of cards (usually more than one) and selects a random player to cut the deck. After the deck is cut, a plastic insert is randomly placed in the deck to indicate a shuffle. This limits the ability of the card counters and makes the game more difficult to beat the dealer.

Players then place bets for the round. The dealer deals one card to everyone, including himself, face up. The dealer then deals one card face up to all players and one card face down to himself. 

Winning.

If your hand is closer to 21 than the dealer's, you win an amount equal to your bet. If your hand equals 21, it is called a "blackjack" or "straight" and you automatically win 3:2 unless the dealer also has a blackjack; if both you and the dealer have a blackjack, you fold and no bets are exchanged.

Losing.

If the dealer's hand is closer to 21 than yours, you lose your entire bet. If your hand is over 21 after the hit, this is called "busting" and you automatically lose your bet, regardless of whether the dealer is busted.

Push.

If your hand and the dealer's hand are even, you neither win nor lose anything. 

How to play

In a game of Blackjack, players always go first before the dealer reveals their face-up card. However, before the official game begins, a player can do one of two things or none: buy insurance or fold. The player can buy insurance in case the dealer has blackjack. The insurance is equal to the original bet and is returned to the player if the dealer does have blackjack. Insurance should be purchased only if the dealer's face card is a 10, an open card or an ace. In addition, the player can surrender his hand if he is sure that he will lose. A fold returns the player half of his bet and the other half is given to the dealer.

Starting with the person sitting to the left of the dealer, players try to make their hand closer to or equal to 21 than the dealer's without going bust. This can be done by hitting, standing, splitting and doubling. 

Hitting.

A player can choose to "hit" and ask for an additional card from the deck. A hit can be signaled by saying "hit" or by tapping the table. 

Stand.

A player may decide to "stand" and keep the original cards dealt. The "stand" signal can be given by waving the palm of your hand over your cards.

Split

A player may decide to "split" his cards only if the cards originally dealt to him are pairs. Splitting turns a pair into two separate hands, each with its own bet equal to the player's first bet. The dealer then deals the players two additional cards to complete each hand and the player again has the option to bet, stop, split or double down.

Doubling down.

If a player is confident in their abilities, they can decide to "double down" by doubling their initial bet. After the player has made the initial bet, the dealer gives him one more card, after which the player must stand.

Basic Strategy

Although the casino almost always has the edge, players can adapt to a mathematically proven strategy known as Basic Strategy to increase their odds. Here are some general rules of the Basic Strategy:

Never hedge. Most of the time it doesn't make sense. If the dealer has blackjack, it is better to take the loss.
Always double your bet if your initial cards are 9-11. In this case, the extra card will only help you get closer to 21 without breaking the bank.
Always stay put if you have 12-17 and the dealer has 2-6. In this case, the dealer will fold and either hopefully get a smaller amount than you have or go bankrupt.
Always fold if the dealer has 7-A and you have 12-14 or ace/2-6. If the dealer has 7-A, he is in the most advantageous position and it is better to try your luck with an extra card.
Always call if you have a pair of twos, threes, sixes, sevens, eights or nines and the dealer has 2-6.
Always call if you have 2 aces.
Below is a basic strategy chart for playing Blackjack using 6 decks. You can also view the chart and other blackjack resources here.