Blackjack Beginner’s Guide
Blackjack is one of the oldest casino games in the world, and can trace its origins back to 18th century France. The game is easily the most popular casino game in the world, and attracts a devoted following due to its emphasis on skill.
Playing Blackjack for Beginners
The basic rules of blackjack are extremely simple, and the game can be played with only one player at the table. The game starts by the dealer dealing two cards to each player as well as themselves. The dealer’s first card is presented face up and is described as the face card.
In European blackjack the dealer’s second, or hole, card is only dealt once all the players have played their hands. In American blackjack both of the dealer’s cards are dealt at the beginning of the game, and the dealer must check for blackjack if the face card value is 10 or an ace. If the face card is an ace, the dealer is required to offer insurance to players before checking for blackjack.
Once the cards are dealt, the object of the game is for players to attempt to reach the value of 21 with the cards in their possession. Once the game starts the player will be given the opportunity to either draw additional cards for their hand, or the player may stand, refusing any additional cards. Any aces dealt to a player may be counted as either 1 or 11.
The player may draw as many cards as he or she wishes until the player chooses to stand, achieves a hand value of 21 or busts as the hand value goes over 21. Once each player at the table has played their hand, the dealer’s hole card is flipped over. If the value of the dealer’s hand is less than 17 the dealer is required to draw until the hand value equals or exceeds 17.
If a drawn card pushes the dealer’s hand over the value of 21 the dealer is said to have bust. If a player did not over-draw their own hand they win automatically with a 1:1 payout on their bet. If the dealer’s hand value is between 17 and 21, the player wins with a higher value, and loses when the hand value is less than the dealer.
If the dealer and player’s hand value are equal the game results in a push, which sees the player’s stake returned. If the player achieves a hand value of 21 from the original deal (i.e. an ace and a 10 card), this is described as a blackjack and is rewarded with a 3:2 payout unless the dealer also hits blackjack.
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William Hill Casino £30 Blackjack BonusBlackjack for Beginners - Basic Strategy
Playing blackjack successfully requires players to stake different amounts for each hand. Staking the same amount for every hand inevitably results in wins for the house. A player must read the flow of the game carefully and only make big bets occasionally.
During games player’s will be given opportunities to split or to double up on their hands. Players may split when they are dealt two cards of equal value, they can then draw on these two hands as per the normal rules. This is only a good option if the split card value is 10 or Ace and the dealer’s hole card value is below 7.
Players can double up their bet on any hand. This means the players bet is doubled, and a single card is drawn onto their hand. This is generally a good strategy only when the player’s hand value prior to the draw is between 9 and 11 and the dealer is showing 7 or lower.
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