Blackjack is without a doubt one of the most popular casino games of all time. Essentially, the aim of the game is to get your hand to the value of, or as close to, 21 before the dealer. The game has been enjoyed for centuries, and researchers believe that it originated in French casinos around 1700, where it was known as “Vingt-et-Un”, a rough translation of “Twenty-one”. In the modern day, you can play Blackjack online at Paddy Power Games, for example, and with so many new and themed ways to play the beloved game at an online casino site, it can be hard to know where to start. So, join us as we go back to basics and explore everything you need to know about Blackjack.
How to play
As previously mentioned, the main aim of Blackjack is to draw a hand that totals to 21, or comes closer to 21 than the dealer, without going over. Both you and the dealer will start with two cards each. The dealer’s first card will face up, and the second will be face down. All face cards have the value of 10, Aces can count as either one or 11, and all other cards represent their face value. So, any Ace with either a 10, Jack, Queen or King equals 21, and therefore is a “Blackjack”.
If you have a Blackjack, you’ll receive a payout of one and a half times your bet, unless the dealer also has a Blackjack, in which case no one wins this round.
If you don’t have Blackjack, you can ask the dealer to “hit”, giving you another card. You can draw as many cards as you’d like to get as close to 21 as you can, choosing to “stand” when you’re happy with your hand. Although, if you go over 21, you’ll go “bust”.
When all players are happy, the dealer will turn their face down card face up, and then choose whether they want to stand or hit if necessary. In most games the dealer will stand at 17 or higher.
Betting in Blackjack
At the beginning of the game, you’ll be asked to place your bets. The table will usually have a minimum and maximum wagering limit that you’ll want to consider. All winning bets are paid even money (1:1), except for when you win with a Blackjack, then you’ll receive that payout of one and a half times your bet (3:2).
Side Bets
Whilst betting on Blackjack, you can place some side bets in an attempt to receive some even bigger payouts. An example of this is the Lucky Ladies side bet, which you’ll win if the first two cards that are dealt equal 20. This optional wager may exceed the original Blackjack wager and is only valid on the first two cards dealt. Other side bets include:
Insurance:
You can take out insurance if the dealer’s “up card” is an Ace. This is essentially a side bet on the fact that you think the dealer will have Blackjack. You can bet up to half your original bet, and if the dealer does have Blackjack and you don’t, then your original bet will lose and your insurance bet will be paid 2:1.
Split:
When you have two cards of the same, you may choose to split them to create another hand. Then, you can place another bet and have both hands in play.
Double down:
Choosing to double down means that you think you can win by taking only one additional card. You can wager any money up to your original bet when doing this.
Surrender:
You can choose to discontinue play of your hand before you’ve decided to double down, split, stand or draw, and surrender only one half of your wager if you believe this is better than taking the risk and potentially losing it all.
