Blackjack Basics

Just recently a buddy of mine turned the ripe old age of 21 and a couple of friends and I decided we'd break him in by making a few weekend trips down to Atlantic City, to get his beak wet so to speak. A few of us had been there before but nothing major really sank in with us until we discovered how well we all seemed to play at the blackjack tables. Now do not get me wrong, Atlantic City is no Las Vegas, but for a weekend trip for a bunch of college kids with a little money in their pockets to burn after graduation, Atlantic City is the top of the crop.

Blackjack is the most common and popular card game in the world. More importantly it is a game of memory and even more important for those who do not like to lose money during their trips to the casino, it is a beatable game. Now, there are plenty of strategies to playing this game, including some that our frowned upon, such as counting cards. However, before you can develop basic strategy into your repertoire of money making strategies when you hit the casino floor, you need to know some of the basics of the game.

The goal of blackjack is to beat the dealer, so you are playing strictly against the casino, not the players at your table. So here is how it works:

The dealer deals two cards to each player at the table and two to himself. Every card on the table is facing up except for one of the dealers cards. The goal of the game for you to attain the score of 21 as destined by the point value of each card in the game. The point values are quite simple to understand. The cards 2-9 in a deck of cards are all face value. The cards 10 through King, which include the Jack and the Queen, all equal ten points. The Ace, the most valuable and versatile card in the deck can be worth 1 or 11 depending on the use of the card holder.

Once you receive your two cards there are a number of options in which you can choose to take. You can either stand, hit, split, double down, or surrender. When a player stands it means he is satisfied with the values of his cards and thinks his cards can beat those of the dealers and does not want any more cards. When a player hits it means he wants another card to add to his two card total, a player always hits when his two cards value up to under 11, giving them the best chance to beat the dealer. Splitting refers to when a player receives two identical cards, such as two 8's. He can split the cards and play each as a separate hand, but he must also double his bet as well. This is usually done with 4's, 8's, and Ace's because they allow for maximum opportunity for payback and reward. Doubling down refers to when a player wants one more card and has to double his bet on the three cards that will appear. He can no longer hit after he doubles down. The best opportunities to double down are when a player has two cards totaling an 11 or 10, this allows the best opportunity to get closet to 21 with just one more card. Surrendering means exactly as it implies, giving up your cards without a fight and losing your wager.

Now since you are only playing against the dealer, the card set closest to the number 21 without going over wins. If you go over the number 21, it is called busting and you lose regardless of what the dealer has, including if he or she busts as well. The ideal card set to get during a hand is an Ace and a card value of 10, which would give you 21, or blackjack. Blackjack pays out 3 to 2 at most casinos so you get more for your money when you attain it. The dealer also has a certain strategy when they are playing in which they must stand at 17 or in the case of a soft 17, they have to hit. Allowing for no room of the dealer to make the choices for the casino and also giving the casino the best chance to beat the players.

Now that you know the basics of the game you can get into basic strategy.