Blackjack is the world’s most popular casino game. It is played by one or more players against the dealer with a goal of reaching 21 before the dealer. Blackjack is a card game and does involve luck to an extent, but you can learn basic strategy and more advanced card counting techniques to help skew the odds in your favor.
In a blackjack game, each player is dealt two cards face up and the dealer is dealt one card face up and one card faced down. The cards are then compared and the player decides whether to hit or stand. If the player has an ace and a ten-card, which is a count of 21, it is a “blackjack” and the dealer pays out one and a half times the bet amount to the player. The player may also buy insurance against the dealer’s potential blackjack but only if he believes that the dealer will definitely bust.
The dealer must also have a hand (17 through 21) to beat the player’s. The dealer’s hand is made up of his own cards and the community cards in play. The value of the dealer’s hand is determined by adding the value of each card to his total, based on suit and rank. In addition to the standard rules of blackjack, many casinos have adopted rules that affect how the game is played, such as allowing players to split aces and double down on certain hands, or reducing the payout for a blackjack from 3 to 2 to 6 to 5.
Some casino rules are designed to make the game more difficult for a skilled card counter. For example, some tables use more than one deck at a time and cut a percentage of the cards out of play so that a card counter cannot see them. Others allow players to surrender their hand when the dealer has a card showing that they will bust.
Hitting a blackjack hand when the dealer has a 7 or higher has a 58% chance of making you bust and only a 2% chance of pushing, so it’s better to stand. On the other hand, hitting a soft hand when the dealer has a 4 or 5 has a high probability of busting you and a low probability of pushing. Therefore, it’s best to hit these hands unless you believe the dealer is likely to bust.