Card game guide
Blackjack, explained clearly
Blackjack is the table game with the most player-influenced decisions — which is exactly why it rewards a little study. Here's the full flow: objective, values, options, dealer rules and a basic strategy summary.
- Objective
- Beat the dealer
- Best payout
- 3:2 blackjack
- Typical house edge
- ~0.5%
- Skill factor
- High
Beat the dealer's hand, not the other players
Every player at the table plays their own hand against the dealer only. Your goal is to get a hand total closer to 21 than the dealer's, without going over 21 ('busting').
Face value
10 points each
1 or 11, whichever helps the hand more
A "blackjack" (or "natural") is an ace plus a 10-value card dealt as your first two cards — an automatic win unless the dealer also has one, which results in a push.
How a round unfolds at the table
Play moves clockwise from the dealer's left. Each player acts fully before play moves to the next seat.
- 1
Place your bet in the betting circle before the dealer says 'no more bets'.
- 2
The dealer deals two cards to each player (usually face up) and two to themselves (one face up, one face down — the 'hole card' — in most North American games).
- 3
Starting from the dealer's left, each player chooses to hit, stand, double, split or surrender as available.
- 4
Once every player has acted, the dealer reveals the hole card and plays their hand according to fixed house rules.
- 5
Bets are settled: wins are paid, losses are collected, and ties push.
Hit, stand, double, split, surrender
These five actions are the entire decision space in blackjack.
Hit
Take another card. You can hit as many times as you like as long as your total stays 21 or under.
Stand
Take no more cards and keep your current total for the round.
Double down
Double your bet, then receive exactly one more card. Usually allowed on your first two cards only.
Split
If your first two cards share the same rank, separate them into two hands, each with its own matching bet.
Surrender
Where offered, forfeit half your bet and end the hand immediately, typically before taking any card against a strong dealer up-card.
Fixed rules the dealer must follow
Unlike players, the dealer has no choices — house rules dictate every dealer action.
S17 vs H17
"Stands on soft 17" (S17) means the dealer must stop on any 17, including an ace-plus-6. "Hits on soft 17" (H17) means the dealer must take another card on a soft 17. S17 tables are slightly better for players — H17 raises the house edge marginally because the dealer gets another chance to improve a weak hand.
3:2 vs 6:5 blackjack
A traditional natural blackjack pays 3:2 — a $10 bet wins $15. Some tables pay only 6:5 — the same $10 bet wins just $12. That difference alone can add well over a percentage point to the house edge, so it's worth checking the table placard before you sit down.
Insurance
If the dealer's face-up card is an ace, players may bet up to half their original wager that the dealer has blackjack. It pays 2:1 if correct, but is lost if the dealer doesn't have blackjack. Mathematically it's a side bet with a high house edge and is not recommended as a routine play, even when you hold a blackjack yourself ("even money").
A basic strategy summary
Basic strategy is the mathematically optimal play for every hand, based only on your cards and the dealer's up-card. It doesn't guarantee a win, but it minimises the house edge to roughly its published minimum.
| Your hand | Dealer shows | Correct play |
|---|---|---|
| Hard 17+ | Any dealer card | Stand |
| Hard 12–16 | Dealer 2–6 | Stand |
| Hard 12–16 | Dealer 7–Ace | Hit |
| Hard 11 | Any dealer card | Double (hit if not allowed) |
| Hard 9 | Dealer 3–6 | Double (hit if not allowed) |
| Soft 18 (A+7) | Dealer 9, 10, Ace | Hit |
| Soft 19+ | Any dealer card | Stand |
| Pair of Aces | Any dealer card | Always split |
| Pair of 8s | Any dealer card | Always split |
| Pair of 10s | Any dealer card | Never split — stand |
Common mistakes new players make
Taking insurance without knowing it's a separate side bet with its own, worse house edge — it does not 'protect' your original hand.
Standing on stiff hands (12–16) out of fear of busting, even when basic strategy says the dealer's weak up-card means hitting is correct.
Splitting 10-value cards because '20 is good, but two hands could be better' — it almost always turns one strong hand into two weaker ones.
Assuming all blackjack tables pay the same — a 6:5 payout on a natural blackjack is worth noticeably less than the traditional 3:5 (3:2) payout.
Ignoring the dealer's up-card entirely and playing every hand the same way regardless of what the dealer is showing.
With correct basic strategy on a favourable S17, 3:2 table, blackjack has one of the lowest house edges of any casino game.
Most players deviate from basic strategy without realising it, pushing the real-world edge well above the theoretical minimum.
Always look at the table felt for the blackjack payout before you sit down — it's printed clearly on every layout.
Ready for the next game?
Continue to the roulette guide for wheel layouts and bet payouts.