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What is Blackjack? Blackjack is amongst the most popular and well recognized of modern casino games. It is a game between you and the dealer. During a game of Blackjack cards are dealt from a deck of cards called a shoe. Traditionally a shoe may contain anything from one standard 52-card deck to 6 such decks. Our version of Blackjack is played exclusively with a single 52-card deck, as this offers you the best possible chances of winning. You will be dealt two cards, as will the Dealer. The Dealer's second card however remains face down until you are finished with your hand. The card that remains face down is called the 'hole card'. The object of Blackjack is to obtain a hand with the highest possible value without exceeding 21. All face cards (Kings, Queens and Jacks) have a value of 10 and the Aces can have a value of 1 or 11. If your initial two cards do not total 21 then you may request additional cards (called a 'Hit'). If your hand does not go bust (exceeds 21) and still does not equal 21 you may continue to request additional cards until your hand goes bust, reaches 21 or you decide to 'Stand' (Stay). If you are dealt a Blackjack (an ace and a card of value ten) then the dealer will automatically lose unless his single card is an ace or a card of value ten. If you are dealt a Blackjack then he will not be allowed to draw further cards as he already has the best possible hand. If you go bust the game is over and the dealer wins. Should you reach 21 or choose to Stand (Stay) the Dealer will draw another card. If the Dealer's hand is less then 17 in value the dealer must continue to draw cards until his hand's value equals 17 or more. In the event of the dealer not going bust the value of the dealer and your hands are then compared. If your hand is stronger the Casino will pay you twice the amount originally wagered. If you win on a Blackjack you will be paid out 2.5 times your original bet. Blackjack Features Before you can play Blackjack you must place a bet on the table. This is done by left clicking with the mouse on the circle on the Blackjack table in front of you. Use the right mouse button to decrease the size of your bet. Alternatively use the Chip Selector in the bottom right hand corner to add coins of any available size to your wager. The Deal button starts a new game of Blackjack once your current game has been finished. The Hit button causes the dealer to give you another card. The Stay button ends your hand and moves the game onto the next phase (be it the completion of the dealer's hand or of your second hand in the event of a 'split'). The Split button is only available if the first two cards dealt to your hand have the same value. The Split button causes this single hand to be split into two separate hands. The Double button will only be available if the value of the first cards of your hand equals 9,10 or 11. The Double wager is essentially a wager on your next card being sufficient to beat the dealer's hand. To double you must wager an amount equal to your original wager. After pressing the Double button you will receive only 1 more card to complete your hand. Please note you will not be allowed to double should you have insufficient credits available. The Insurance button is only available when the Dealer's first card is an Ace. Insurance is a bet against the Dealer getting Blackjack. The Insurance bet costs half as much as your original bet and will payout 2 to 1 if the dealer gets Blackjack. Playing The Game Playing Blackjack is easy. Upon starting the Blackjack game you will be presented with the Blackjack table. Before you can play you must place a wager on the table. This is done by left clicking with the mouse on the center circle on the Blackjack table in front of you. Use the right mouse button to decrease the size of your bet. Alternatively use the Chip Selector in the bottom right hand corner to add coins of any available size to your wager. Once you are satisfied with the size of your bet press the 'Deal' button to start the game. The Dealer will deal you two cards and deal himself two cards, of which the second card remains face down. As soon as the last card is dealt (and you do not have Blackjack) you can decide to hit (draw another card) or stay (end your turn). If your initial cards are an Ace and a card of value of ten then you have Blackjack and unless the dealer has an Ace or Ten you automatically win the game and are paid out 2.5 times your original bet. If you hit and the value of your hand now exceeds 21 then you have gone 'bust' and have lost this hand. You may play again by clicking on the 'Deal' button. If you are satisfied with your hand press the 'Stay' button to allow the Dealer to complete his hand. The dealer will now draw cards until his hand exceeds or equals 17. If the dealer's hand exceeds 21 you win because the dealer has gone 'bust'. If the dealer's hand exceeds 17 in value but is less than 21 the value of the two hands are compared and the stronger hand wins. If you have been dealt two cards of the same type (i.e. two aces, two threes or two tens but not a ten and queen or a jack and king) then you may choose to 'Split'. A split divides your hand into two hands and costs as much as the original wager. You may now play each separate hand exactly as you would a normal Blackjack hand. PLEASE NOTE: If you split a pair of tens or a pair of aces and then receive an ace or ten this is not counted as Blackjack. Blackjack only occurs on the first two cards dealt. Such a hand's value is still 21 and beats or ties all other hands except a Dealer's Blackjack. If your first two cards have a combined value of 9, 10 or 11 you will be allowed to 'Double '. Doubling is an additional wager, costing as much as the original hand. If you choose to double you will only receive one more card. If you win with that card you will be winning back double your total wager, which is four times your original wager. If the first card dealt to the Dealer is an Ace you may take Insurance. Insurance costs half as much as your original bet and pays 2 to 1 only if the Dealer gets Blackjack. If your hand is of greater value than the dealer's you will receive double your wager back. If not you just lose your wager and can play again by pressing the Deal button. Blackjack Rules Like any other game Blackjack has certain rules. You may receive a total of seven cards (unless you split, in which case you can receive seven cards per hand), as long as the value of your hand does not exceed 21. If you go over 21 this is called a 'bust' and you automatically lose the hand. If you have not yet exceeded 21 after receiving seven cards you will automatically stay and the dealer will receive another card. The dealer must stand on all 17 and draw on 16. Face cards (the Jack, Queen and King) all have a value of ten in Blackjack. An 'Ace' card may have a value of either 1 or 11. Any combination of cards that contains an Ace card and whose value does not exceed 21 is referred to as a 'soft hand'. An 'Ace' will adopt the value most beneficial for your hand. For example an Ace and 8 will add up to 19 but if the player chooses to take another card that would cause the hand's value to exceed 21 the Ace will revert to a value of 1. If you are dealt an 'Ace' and a card with the value of 10 (a natural 10 or face card) as your first two cards this is called Blackjack. You will automatically stay when you receive a Blackjack. If you beat the dealer with a Blackjack you are paid out at 3 to 2. If you receive two cards of the same value (such as two 'Ace's or two fives or two tens) you may 'Split' your hand. This means that your pair is divided into two separate hands. You wager a second amount equal to that of your original wager on the second hand and are able to play both hands as individual hands. If you have split a pair of Aces and then draw a card with a value of 10 this combination will not be counted as Blackjack. Such a hand would have a value of 21. It will beat any dealer's hand with a value of less than 21 and is a push against all other Dealer hands except a Blackjack. This rule also applies to splitting pairs of cards with a value of 10. Should you split a pair of 10s (or face cards) and then draw an Ace this hand is not counted as Blackjack. If the value of your first two cards is 9, 10 or 11 then you are allowed to 'Double'. This is a wager that your next card will be sufficient to beat the dealer's as-of-yet-uncompleted hand. The wager costs as much as your original bet, but should you win you will be paid double of your total wager (or four times your original wager). Insurance only covers your original bet. It does not cover any Double bet. In the event of you splitting your hand and the Dealer's first card is an ace you may choose to take insurance on both, either or neither of your hands.
Note: The above rules and instructions relate specifically to the games operated by the casino sponsoring this page. Whilst most casinos will adhere to the same or similar rules for their casino games, some differences may occur and you are advised to read a casino's rules and conditions before play. |