About Blackjack games
Blackjack is one of the most popular card games in most casinos worldwide. In fact, blackjack is said to have a bigger number of players than other common games such as craps, roulette, and baccarat. It is a game of strategy which is also known as “twenty one” in some circles.
Basically, blackjack is played using 1, 4, 6, or 8 decks of cards. There are many advanced casinos today that use non-stop shuffling machines for multiple decks. These are multiple deck games where cards are dealt from a tray or box known as a shoe. Otherwise, in a singe or double-deck game, the dealer usually shuffles and deals out the cards in the traditional way. The cards are usually dealt face down before each player picks up his cards. However, the basic game for both shoe games and hand held games is the same.
As in any other casino game, the objective in blackjack is to beat the house, specifically the dealer. You win the game when the total value of your cards is higher than the dealer’s but not above 21. If your hand goes beyond 21 then you “bust” and automatically lose. You do not win when the dealer busts because you must act first.
There are a few basic facts you need to know before you can play blackjack. Most importantly, you need to know the value of each card. This is because each card has a constant value throughout the game and you need to reach 21 with the least number of cards possible.
Blackjack is not a complicated game to play when you know your options when it is your turn to play. There are normally two options. You can decide to “hit” which simply means you can pick another card as long as you do not go over the 21 value or choose to “stand” and do nothing but keep the cards. There are other options that you can use for some specific hands. These include “taking insurance’ which is only possible when the dealer shows an ace. In this case you can place a new bet which can pay at 2-1 when the dealer really does have a blackjack. However, you will lose your other more lucrative bet which would have paid 3-2 but won the insurance all the same helping you break even.
Another option is “double down” where you can double your bet but only receive one more card. You can also “split” which simply means making two hands from a single hand when you have two cards of the same value. As a last resort, you can choose to surrender and give up half of your bet if you are sure that the dealer has a blackjack. Surrender is sometimes a desirable option when you have a hand that is very likely to bust and the dealer has already shown a face card.
