|
Blackjack Rules
Last installment we started talking about blackjack action. We talked about placing a bet, how the cards are dealt, and some other action items. When we left off, we were talking about your different options during the hand you hand you have to decide what to do. We already talked about and standing. And it’s here where we’ll pick up the discussion.
So you’re sitting there looking at your two cards and deciding what to do. You already know that you can hit, which means take a card, or stand, which means to end your turn. But what if your two cards are the exact same? You could split them. Let’s imagine that you have two Queens. You could split them into two hands. This of course would mean that you would have to make an additional bet that’s equal to your original wager.
Let me just say right now that if you have two Queens do not split them. However, if you were to receive two 8s, for example, you may want to split them. But we’ll talk more about blackjack strategy in a little bit.
When you split a hand you need to make an additional bet, which is equal to your original wager. Splitting is not something that happens too often and some players never split their hands.
During your turn another move you may make is to double down. When you double down you are first making an additional wager that is equal to your original wager and then excepting one final card. A common hand to double down on is 11. You’ve probably heard the saying “always double down on 11″. You can also double down for less. Let’s imagine that you have a $100 bet out there and you want to double down. You could add just $50 more and double down for less. That’s your option.
Another option you have during your turn, which isn’t offered by every casino, is to surrender. A lot of people like surrender, but many casinos don’t offer it. This is why you should check the blackjack rules before playing again. Here’s how surrender works. You get your first two cards and you can surrender and lose half of your bet. An example when one might want to surrender would be when you receive a really bad hand, such as 16, and the dealer is showing a face card. Many blackjack players will surrender in this instance.
And that about does it for this installment of our blackjack series. In our next installment will be talking about card values, hand values, and how it all plays out. Also I’ll make sure to drop a couple more nuggets of wisdom for winning at blackjack. Keep reading and good luck at the blackjack tables.
Tags: Bet, Blackjack, Blackjack Action, Blackjack Rules, Blackjack Strategy, Cards, Casinos, Two Hands, Two Queens, Wager
Categories: Blackjack, Card Games, Strategies, Systems
We’re nearing completion in our Blackjack terms series. In our next to last series installment, we’ll go over some terms, such as “Money management,” “Paint” and “Push.” We start out with an important term, because it highlights how the Blackjack rules can be different from casino to casino.
Las Vegas Strip Rules – Las Vegas is split into two main gambling regions-Downtown and the Strip. The Strip has different Blackjack rules than Downtown. A major rule to check on before you play is whether the dealer must hit or stand on a soft 17.
Money Management – It’s no secret. Losing players rarely have any money management skills. Money management goes beyond just knowing how much money you have to play with. It involves knowing how much to bet and when. There are many money management systems out there.
Money Plays – A command barked out by a dealer when a player puts actual cash in the betting area.
Natural – When you’re dealt a Blackjack.
Paint – Want to see paint? If so, you’re asking for a face card. It’s called this, because face cards are graphical in nature.
Pat Hand – No, it’s not the hand of someone named Pat. When you have a pat hand, you want to stay. An example of a pat hand is a hard 17. A hard hand is one in which there isn’t an Ace counting for 11 points.
Point Count – If you’re counting cards, you always know what the count of a deck is.
Push – This is another name for a tie. When you have a bet that pushes, you don’t win or lose. Your money is returned. If you’re playing a double face up game, it’s possible that there aren’t any pushes, because the dealer wins all ties.
Resplit – When you get two cards of the same rank, like two 7’s, you can split them. If your first card on a split is also the same rank, you can resplit then hand. Some casinos only allow one split and others may allow up to four. Check with the casino to be certain. While you always want to split Aces, some casinos don’t allow you to play split Aces like a regular hand. Instead, they’ll just give you one card per hand.
Running Count – It’s the same thing as a Point Count. At any given hand, a card counter knows the count of the deck and bets accordingly. If the count is favorable to the casino, the bet is reduced. If the count is favorable to players, the bet is increased.
That does it for this installment of Blackjack terms. We’ve got one installment in our series left. We’ll go over terms, such as Shill, Shoe, Third Base, Toke, Vig and Whale.
Tags: Ace, Aces, Bet, Blackjack, Blackjack Rules, Casino Las Vegas, Casinos, Counting Cards, Face Card, Face Cards, Game, Money Management Skills, Money Management Systems, Pat Hand, Strip Blackjack, Ties, Vegas Strip Rules
Categories: Blackjack, Card Games
Last time, we talked about Blackjack terms, such as “Action” and “Color Up.” Let’s continue forward with part two in our Blackjack terms series. We’ll pick it up with “Comps,” which happen to be my favorite thing in a casino. Let’s get started.
Comps – This is the main reason for playing for many people. A Comp is basically anything you get for free from the casino. It could be food, rooms, cash, travel, drinks and so forth. Here’s a tip. Most casinos comp players based on the data from a player’s card. Whenever you walk into a new casino, ask about their player’s card and get one-they are free.
Cut Card – When you cut the deck in Blackjack-at real live tables-you use a cut card. This card is the same size as a regular card in the deck and it’s usually red. It’s also plastic. Slide that baby in the right place and let’s win some hands!
Discards – These are the cards that have already been played. In a real live game, you’ll see the discards off to the side of the table.
Double Deck – A Blackjack game typically uses 1-8 decks of cards. A Double Deck game of Blackjack uses two decks of cards. In a real live game, this game is hand shuffled and dealt from hand. Shoe games start with four or more decks.
Double Down – You’re so money! Even non-gamblers know this phrase. When you double down, you double up your original bet and take one final card. You can double down on your first two cards only. While online casinos typically make you double your bet on a double down, live casinos will allow you to “double for less,” which means you can put any additional amount down-up to the amount of your original wager.
Double Exposure – This is a variant of Blackjack. You’ll find that there are various Blackjack rules that a casino may or may not use-like surrendering. In this variant, both dealer cards are dealt face up. Sounds like easy money right? Not so fast. These games also have additional rules-usually something like dealer wins all ties. You may like this type of game though, so check it out. Make sure you ask about the rules differences before playing.
Draw – Most everyone says, “hit,” but draw is the same thing. When you draw a card, you’re not getting out a pencil and sketch paper to make an art masterpiece; you’re taking one additional card for you hand.
Edge – Do you have an edge? The edge just means who has the best ability to make money over the long haul. As a gambler, you take steps to reduce the house’s edge and increase your chances of winning. A Blackjack example of this would be card counting. Another example would be playing only certain types of Blackjack games, such as single deck.
We’ll pick up our Blackjack series next time with “Even Money.”
Tags: Bet, Blackjack, Blackjack Game, Blackjack Rules, Comps, Deck Game, Decks, Double Deck, Double Exposure, Gamblers, New Casino, Online Casinos, Shoe Games, Wager
Categories: Blackjack, Card Games
There’s a common misconception that the object of the game Blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possible. This could not be farther from the truth. The actual goal in Blackjack is to beat the dealer-plain and simple. Players who go in with the mentality of getting close to 21 are possibly in for disaster. There are many times when 13,14,15,16 and so forth will win just fine. Many times you just have to stand pat and let the dealer bust. Today, I am going to briefly go over the procedure for playing Blackjack at a table with multiple players.
First, it’s important to know how many decks the game is played with. Blackjack could be played with 1,2,4, or 8 decks. Single deck blackjack (live version) is becoming a thing of the past. Most games are dealt from a shoe, which means they are 4 or 8 deck games. The more decks involved, the lower your changes of winning consistently. You can still win at shoe games, but you want to play at single deck or double deck games if possible. There are still many double deck games around. If you play online, it’s important to ask so you know how many decks they are using.
The game starts with the dealer dealing two cards in a clockwise fashion starting with the player on his or her left. One card is dealt to each player at a time. The dealer will show one of his or her cards. This is called an up-card. Once the dealing is complete, the first player to the left of the dealer is first to act. The dealer will always be the last to act-this gives casinos the edge. If you are brand-new to the game, imagine that the dealer has an 8,9 or 10 under his up-card. Once you get the feel of the game, it’s time to move onto more advanced card techniques.
When it is your turn, you have a few options. You could hit, which means to request another card. You could stand, which means to stay where you are and pass. You could double down, which means to double your bet and take one last card. This option can only be performed if you have not taken a hit yet. You can also double for less if you like. If your first two cards match-like two 8’s-you can split them and make two hands, which also means you double your wager.
Each card is worth the number printed on it. The face cards are worth ten, and an Ace is worth 1 or 11-your choice. After all, players take their turn, the dealer turns over the unseen card. Most houses make the dealer stand on 17. If the dealer has less than this number, he or she hits the hand and continues to do so until the count is at least the stand amount or the hand busts. Blackjack is a fun game that’s easy to learn and profitable.
Tags: 21, Bet, Blackjack, Blackjack Rules, Blackjack Table, Casinos, Deck Blackjack, Double Deck, Game Blackjack, Playing Blackjack, Win Games
Categories: Blackjack, Card Games
| | | | |
