How to Play Blackjack

When you visit a casino you will always find that the Blackjack tables are a favorite place to be. The game is simple, fast paced, and so much fun. The object of the game is so simple that most people will be able to catch on quite quickly, which is appealing to those who are intimidated by games such as poker and all of its variants.

The object of blackjack, also known as 21, is to put together a hand of cards that is valued as close to 21 as possible without going over. To win, you also need to be closer to 21 than the dealer. The game is played with anywhere from one to eight decks of cards, with some casinos using constant shuffling machines to make card counting more difficult.

Each player needs to place their bet with the dealer before any cards are dealt. To start the game the dealer will deal cards face down, although when they are dealt from a shoe they are dealt face up. When you look at the first cards that are dealt you can then decide to hit, which is to accept more cards, or to stand, which is to accept more cards to get closer to 21. Knowing when to hit and when to stand can be difficult, so there are some basic guidelines that will help you improve your odds of winning.

Your strategy should also involve knowing when to stand and knowing when to hit. You should always stand if you have a hand value ranging from 12 to 16 and the dealer has an up card that ranges from two to six. You should stand if your card count is between 17 and 21. You should stand if your hand is valued between 12 and 16 and the dealer has an up card of seven or more. Additionally, you should always plan to split aces and eights, and never split fours, fives, or 10’s. Lastly, your live dealer blackjack strategy should involve doubling down on 11, unless the dealer has an ace or a 10.

These may seem like really difficult rules to follow, but once you play and apply these strategies to your game they will become second nature. Of course, even following these strategic rules completely will not guarantee that you will win. Blackjack is a game of chance, so you never know what is going to come out of the deck next. As such, even if you hit when it is advisable, you can bust, or go over 21. When you stand, you can always end up having a lower hand value than the dealer. The idea is to use these strategies to help improve your odds against the house, which always has the advantage in the game of blackjack.

As you can see, when you start playing blackjack there is much to learn, but the object of the game is quiet simple, so the strategies are easy to follow once you get the hang of the game. Practicing in free games may be advisable to help you put these strategies into action.

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