{"id":4756,"date":"2021-12-15T11:26:18","date_gmt":"2021-12-15T11:26:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.com\/blog\/\/blog\/?p=4756"},"modified":"2025-03-20T07:49:28","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T07:49:28","slug":"blackjack-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.com\/blog\/2021\/12\/15\/blackjack-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Play Blackjack: Rules and Game Play"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Learning how to play blackjack<\/a> might seem complicated, considering the rules vary from casino to casino<\/a>. However, the basic blackjack rules are pretty much the same everywhere you go and, bonus, you can even purchase or download blackjack strategy charts to help you throughout the game.<\/p>\n

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The blackjack card values<\/a> are the same everywhere: number cards count as their number, face cards are worth ten, and aces are worth one or 11, while the goal remains the same: to get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over (bust). To score ‘Blackjack’, the dealer or player must be dealt 2 cards with a value of exactly 21.<\/p>\n

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Now that you know that, let\u2019s start from the beginning and see how to play blackjack with our step-by-step guide.<\/p>\n

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How to Play a Hand of Online Blackjack: Step-by-Step Guide<\/h2>\n

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Let’s go through a hand to see exactly how it works when playing blackjack online at Casino.com. For this example we are using the Premium Blackjack game, although many other versions of blackjack are available.<\/p>\n

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1. Choose Your Bet Amount<\/h3>\n

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\"Playing<\/figure>\n

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We have selected a table with a $0.50 minimum bet, which can be made on one or multiple hands. For this example we will choose to play just one hand, and this time will not make side bets such as ‘Player’s Pair’ or ‘21+3<\/a>‘ but will simply play ‘straight’ blackjack.<\/p>\n

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2. Cards Are Dealt<\/h3>\n

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Click the green ‘Deal’ button and you will receive two cards into your hand and one card will be dealt face-up to the dealer. In our example the player receives a 2 and a 2 versus the dealer’s 7. Your hand score is obtained by adding your cards together, so we have a total of 4 in this hand.<\/p>\n

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The player has the option to stand<\/strong> (take no more cards), hit<\/strong> (take one or more cards), double<\/strong> (double your bet and take one more card) or split<\/strong> (when cards are the same we can divide and play two individual hands).<\/p>\n

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If the dealer’s first card is an Ace, the player is offered Insurance against the dealer having a blackjack. If the player chooses to accept, they pay the amount of their stake and will win at odds of 2:1 if the dealer reveals a blackjack. In our example the dealer was dealt a 7, so no insurance is offered.<\/p>\n

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To play this hand we will follow Michael Shackleford’s blackjack betting strategy<\/a> which recommends to Split the cards in this situation. (Note: Michael’s betting strategy suggests the optimal statistical play, but of course this does not guarantee that every hand will win). <\/em><\/p>\n

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3. Choose Player Action: Stand\/Hit\/Double\/Split<\/h3>\n

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By choosing to Split, the player now plays two hands versus the dealer. Cards are drawn and the two hands are now 2 & 8 (=10) and 2 & 10 (=12). Again, following Michael’s betting chart the player will Double Down with the 10 v the dealer’s 7.<\/p>\n

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4. Player Continues to Act Until Stands or Busts<\/h3>\n

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By Doubling Down the player doubles his\/her bet and takes just one more card. The new total is 14 and after Doubling the player must stand, even though this is not a great hand.<\/p>\n

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The player Hits on their second hand, getting a 6 to make a hand total of 18. The player Stands on this amount, taking no further cards, as to take another card would likely result in going over 21 (bust).<\/p>\n

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5. Dealer Takes Cards Until Stands or Busts<\/h3>\n

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The dealer is required to keep taking cards until their hand totals a minimum of 17 points. Here the dealer had a score of 16 (7+3+6) and was therefore obliged to take another card. This final card was an 8, meaning that the dealer went Bust by going over 21, and so the player won with both of their hands.<\/p>\n

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6. Winnings Are Claimed<\/h3>\n

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In this game the player has won $3, which is double the amount of $1.50 bet on this game. The player will always win an amount equal to what they bet, except in the case of blackjack (Ace & 10 hand) in which case there is usually a bonus percentage awarded, or on side bets which have varied odds. We will take a quick look at the three side bets available on this particular game here:<\/p>\n

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Side Bets Explained<\/h2>\n

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Player’s Pair: <\/strong>This type of side bet wins when the first two cards in the player’s hand form a Perfect Pair (2x exact same card, e.g. 4 Hearts & 4 Hearts), a Coloured Pair (same number and colour, e.g. 4 Hearts & 4 Diamonds) or a Red\/Black Pair (same number, different colour, e.g. 4 Hearts & 4 Clubs).<\/p>\n

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Dealer’s Pair: <\/strong>As above, but for the dealer’s first two cards.<\/p>\n

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21 + 3:<\/strong> This side bet wins if the player’s first two cards and the dealer’s first card form a Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Straight Flush or Suited Three of a Kind combination.<\/p>\n

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Here are the payouts for all winning hands, including the above-mentioned side bets:<\/p>\n

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\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Winnings<\/th>\nPays<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Winning Hand<\/td>\n1:1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Insurance<\/td>\n2:1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Blackjack<\/td>\n3:2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Perfect Pair<\/td>\n25:1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Coloured Pair<\/td>\n12:1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Red\/Black Pair<\/td>\n6:1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Suited Three of a Kind<\/td>\n100:1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Straight Flush<\/td>\n40:1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Three of a Kind<\/td>\n30:1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Straight<\/td>\n10:1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Flush<\/td>\n5:1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

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Note that the odds listed above refer to the Premium Blackjack game at Casino.com, and odds may differ slightly when playing different blackjack variations.<\/p>\n

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Choosing the Best Actions in Blackjack<\/h2>\n

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After the cards have been dealt, the player must make one of the following plays:<\/p>\n

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