The Basics of Blackjack

Blackjack refers to a game played between a player and the dealer. The goal of this game would be to reach a number close to 21 without exceeding it. The dealer begins by dealing twice until every player sees two face-up cards in front of him and the dealer sees one face-up card and one hidden card.

After you get your cards, your options are as follow:

To Hit

Hitting means that you want another card dealt to you, so the dealer will give you another card to add to your hand. If you do not exceed 21 with your hit, you can hit again if you would like to.

To Stand

Standing means that you would like to stick to your hand without adding more cards. After you stand, other players can decide on what they want to do. The last one to go would be the dealer.

Other things you might have to deal with:

Busting

If you end up getting a hand that exceeds 21, or if the dealer does, that would be a bust. A bust means that the hand is automatically lost, regardless of how much you bet in the first place. Keep in mind that your goal in the game would be to reach a number close to 21 but not exceed it.

Double-Downs

This lets you double your first bet for a card. By opting for double-down (keep in mind that it is only possible to do this with certain card combinations depending on which game that you play, though), according to blackjack probability, the dealer is going to give you a card with which you need to stand. Players tend to use this command whenever the dealer's face-up card looks quite weak like a 6, and if the player is holding a great starting hand like a total of 10, giving them great chances of doubling bets and making the dealer totally bust.

Splitting

Splits can happen whenever a player holds two cards that are exactly the same. In these cases, players can announce their split and then double their bets as the hand gets split into two during play. Players then play normally and are free to hit, stand or double-down as needed. There is only one exception to this rule: splitting Aces. Here, the dealer will not be able to hit after such a split.

Surrendering

This option is not always available but it lets players surrender their hands if they think they are losing anyway. In such cases, surrendering means you will get half of your first bet back.