Rules and Objectives of the Blackjack Game:

The objective of the casino game Blackjack is for a player to come as close to 21 without going over, while still having a higher number than the dealer....most gambling sites state this, but its wrong. You 'just' have to beat the dealers hand. You win even with a small hand if the the dealer busts - go above 21.

If the total value of the player’s cards is closer to 21 than the dealer, the player wins as much as he wagered. If the player has Blackjack, he wins 3 to 2 - as long as the dealer does not also have Blackjack.

If the total of the player’s cards exceeds 21, he 'busts' and loses his wager. If his cards total the same number as the dealer (from 17 to 21), no one wins and the player receives his wager back. This is considered a 'push.' Keep in mind that 'Blackjack' beats a score of 21 consisting of 3 or more cards. Blackjack is achieved when your first two cards total 21.

Blackjack Card Values:

If the player has a hand that consists of a 6 and an Ace, he may either consider it at 17 or drop its value to 7. The Ace may count as 1 or 11. You may change the value of the Ace as the hand progresses.

The Dealer is not allowed to hit on a soft 17 (at most casinos but this may vary from casino to casino depending of the casinos blackjack rules). All hands which contain an ace valued at 11 are considered 'soft' hands (i.e. A6 is a soft 17). Hands containing an ace valued at 1 are considered 'hard' hands (A, 6, 10 is a hard 17).

Prior to receiving any cards, the player must place a wager. Once the wager is made, the player is dealt two cards face up. The dealer is also dealt two cards, one facing up and one facing down. The dealer’s card will remain face down until the player has completed his hand.

The dealer then turns over his card. The dealer continues to draw cards until his total is greater than 16. At most casinos the dealer must not draw another card if his hand is a soft 17. The player wins if the dealer goes over 21 ("Busts"), or if the players hand is higher then the dealers hand.

Deal:

Clicking on the deal button after placing a bet starts a new game.

Hit/Stand:

Clicking on the hit button will deal the player an additional card. Clicking on the stand button will keep the player’s hand at its current value.

Split:

If the player’s first two cards are of the same value (i.e. 7, 7, or Q, K) he may split them into 2 separate hands, placing a second wager of equal value. The player then proceeds to draw cards as usual, at some casinos with these exceptions:

If a player splits two aces, he receives only one additional card for each hand. A hand totaling 21 after splitting aces is considered 21, not Blackjack - and therefor only pay 3:2.

Double:

When a player has been dealt two cards and believes that a third card will give him a position to beat the dealer’s hand, he can “double.” His wager is doubled, and he is allowed to hit and receive just one additional card.

Insurance:

Insurance gives the player a chance to protect himself when he believes the dealer might have Blackjack. If the dealer’s first card is an ace, he is considered to have a fair chance of getting Blackjack. If the player believes the dealer’s hole card (face down) value is 10, the player may purchase insurance against dealer Blackjack at the price of half their initial bet. If the dealer does have Blackjack, the insurance pays 2 to 1, which corresponds to the amount of the initial bet. If the player has bought insurance and the dealer does not have Blackjack, the player loses his insurance. The player’s initial bet is then settled by comparing his cards with the dealer’s. If the dealer and the player both have Blackjack the game results in a push. Insurance is a bad bet from a statistic point of view. If you are not a card counter - you should always choose NO to Insurance.

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