Blackjack Rules Explained- Part 1
Blackjack is a lot of fun and it is a fast paced game. As blackjack players get use to the game they seem to move a little quicker than those playing poker. Blackjack doesn’t require as much thought as say poker and it shows. When playing the game, each player has to place their bets in the betting circle, or the area directly in front of them. The dealer and each player then get two cards. The dealer’s cards are one-down and one-up, while the player’s cards are up. The purpose of the game is for players to tally up their cards and come as close to the value of twenty-one as possible without going over. If no one’s cards add up to that value, then the player who is closest without going over it, or busting, wins. Of course you are playing against the dealer and you don’t want him or her to have blackjack either.
Each one of the number cards take on their face value when tallying the totals. The face cards, Jack, Queen, and King, are all worth ten and the Ace is worth either one or eleven. It depends on which value brings you closer to blackjack without going over. For example, if you have an Ace, but using it would put you over twenty-one, you can use it as a “one” instead. It is totally dependent on what you want to do with it. A hand without an Ace in it is referred to as a “hard total” and a hand with an Ace is a “soft total.” If a player or the dealer gets an Ace and a ten, then he or she is said to have “natural blackjack.” A natural blackjack automatically is deemed the winner of the game and that player then gets a bonus of three-to-two instead of the normal one-to-one for that hand.
When the cards are handed out, then the players have to fight it out for blackjack. Here are some options players can pick:
Hit: Hit means that the player is asking for another card from the dealer. So if your hand equals 9 and you say hit me to the dealer you will be dealt another card, and if the hand value increases your hand to 15 you may want to hit again. Of course if you get too close to twenty-one you want to stop because otherwise you may go over, which is called a bust.
Part two coming next.
