Blackjack is played on a semicircular table with up to seven players (known as “spots”). The dealer stands behind an empty chip rack.
Each player receives two cards face up and must decide whether to hit or stand, where hitting means asking for an additional card while standing means keeping the current one. Once all decisions have been made, the dealer reveals his or her hand and completes it.
Some players make serious errors in their blackjack playing. Novices miss golden opportunities by playing too defensively, often standing when they should hit and failing to double down or split pairs when odds favor them; thus giving away money to the house by not taking full advantage of its simple strategy.
“Blackjack” refers to any hand that totals 21 with only two cards – often called naturals in poker – giving a total count of 21 in just two cards, giving the player a winning hand against the dealer and leading to payout of one and a half times their original bet amount by them. But this doesn’t guarantee all naturals win; opponents still must beat their dealer as part of this game’s objective.
When holding an ace and any face-up card with a value of 16 or higher – except picture cards – they must remain in their deck until hitting. Otherwise, it is over and players lose.
When playing against a dealer with an Ace and only one face-up card visible, players can purchase insurance that pays 2 to 1 should he or she have a blackjack hand. Initial bets cannot exceed half their original amounts as payment for this insurance coverage.
Dependent upon the rules of a casino, payout for blackjack may be reduced from three to two, six and then five chips – increasing house edge and decreasing players’ chances of success. Some casinos may prohibit this rule but if permitted it must be observed. If a dealer holds blackjack players should always split pairs of 2s, 3s or 4s; do not split 10s.