How to Play Blackjack

Blackjack is the easiest table game to learn and the hardest one for the casino to beat. Here are the full rules in plain English.

The goal

Get a hand value closer to 21 than the dealer's — without going over. Going over 21 is called 'busting' and you lose immediately.

Number cards = face value. J, Q, K = 10. Ace = 1 or 11 (whichever helps you).

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Each round follows the same flow:

•Place your bet.
•You receive two cards face-up; dealer gets one up, one down.
•You decide: hit (take a card), stand (keep your total), double (double your bet, take one card), or split (if you have a pair).
•Once you stand, the dealer reveals their card and hits until they reach 17+.
•Highest non-busting hand wins.

An Ace + 10-value card on your first two cards is 'blackjack' — it pays 1.5x your bet. Avoid 6:5 tables, which pay only 1.2x.

Bet, decide, dealer plays, highest hand wins. Then learn basic strategy to lower the house edge to 0.5%.

Casino play should always be entertainment, never a way to make money. Visit our Responsible Gambling page if you ever feel out of control.

Intermediate

Optimize your play with mathematical strategy