Blackjack
Last reviewed · CardLore editorial
Blackjack is not a poker game. You are not playing against the other people at the table; you are playing one hand at a time against a dealer who has no choices to make. The aim is to finish with a total closer to 21 than the dealer without going past it.
That makes blackjack unusual among card games: because the dealer’s routine is fixed and public, every decision you face has a mathematically correct answer that does not depend on reading an opponent.
- Players
- 1–7 vs dealer
- Cards each
- 2 to start
- Target
- 21 without busting
- Decks
- 1–8
Card values
- Number cards are worth their face value, two through ten.
- Jack, queen and king are each worth ten.
- An ace is worth eleven unless that would put the hand over 21, in which case it is worth one.
A hand containing an ace counted as eleven is called a soft hand, because it cannot bust with one more card. A soft 17 is ace plus six; draw a nine and the ace drops to one, making 16 rather than 26.
Order of play
- Place a betEach player puts a wager in their betting box before any card is dealt. Once the deal starts, the bet cannot be changed.
- Two cards eachEvery player receives two cards face up. The dealer takes one face up and, in most versions, one face down.
- Check for blackjackAn ace plus any ten-value card is a blackjack and is paid immediately, normally at three to two. If the dealer also has one, the hand is a push.
- Players act in turnStarting at the dealer’s left, each player hits, stands, doubles down, splits or surrenders until they stand or go over 21.
- The dealer plays a fixed routineThe dealer turns the hidden card and must draw to 16 and stand on 17. The dealer makes no choices at any point.
- Settle the betsHands closer to 21 than the dealer win even money. Equal totals push. Hands over 21 lost their bet the moment they busted.
The five decisions
Every turn consists of choosing one of these. Which are available depends on the cards in front of you and on the rules of the table.
What each action does
| Action | What happens | When it is available |
|---|---|---|
| Hit | Take another card | Any time your total is under 21 |
| Stand | Take no more cards and end your turn | Always |
| Double down | Double your bet and take exactly one more card | Usually on your first two cards only |
| Split | Separate a pair into two hands, each with its own bet | When your first two cards are the same rank |
| Surrender | Forfeit half your bet and end the hand | Only at some tables, on the first two cards |
Hand signals matter more here than in poker. Tap the table to hit, wave a flat hand to stand. Casinos record the table on camera and a spoken instruction with no gesture can be disputed.
Why basic strategy exists
Because the dealer must draw to 16 and stand on 17, the dealer’s chance of busting can be worked out from the up-card alone. That single number drives every decision a player makes.
Roughly how often the dealer busts, by up-card
| Dealer shows | Dealer busts about | What that means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 2 or 3 | 35–38% | Reasonable chance the dealer fails on their own |
| 4, 5 or 6 | 40–42% | The weakest cards; stand on stiff hands |
| 7, 8 or 9 | 24–26% | The dealer will usually make a total; keep drawing |
| 10 or ace | 17–23% | The strongest cards; you need a real hand |
The familiar rules of thumb all come from that table: always split aces and eights, never split tens or fives, stand on twelve through sixteen when the dealer shows four, five or six, and otherwise keep drawing until you reach seventeen. Basic strategy charts simply list the best answer for every combination.
Rules that catch people out
- Insurance. Offered when the dealer shows an ace, and it is a separate bet paying two to one. It loses money over time for a player who is not tracking the deck.
- Six to five blackjacks. A table paying six to five instead of three to two costs roughly one and a half per cent. Check the felt before you sit.
- Splitting aces. Nearly every house deals exactly one card to each ace and does not allow further hits.
- Busting is immediate. If you go over 21 your bet is lost even if the dealer busts afterwards. This is the entire house edge.
- Touching the cards. In a face-up shoe game, never touch your cards or your chips once the deal has begun.
Terminology
- Blackjack
- An ace with a ten-value card on the first two cards, paid at three to two.
- Bust
- To exceed 21, losing the bet immediately.
- Soft hand
- A hand with an ace counted as eleven, which cannot bust on the next card.
- Stiff hand
- A total of twelve to sixteen, which can bust on the next card.
- Push
- A tie with the dealer; the bet is returned.
- Shoe
- The box holding several shuffled decks from which cards are dealt.
- Up-card
- The dealer’s face-up card, on which all basic strategy is based.
Common questions
Does blackjack beat 21 made with three cards?
Yes. An ace and a ten-value card on the first two cards beats any other total of 21 and is paid at a higher rate.
Should I take insurance?
As a rule, no. It is a side bet on the dealer holding a ten-value card, and the odds offered are worse than the true chance of that happening.
Do other players’ decisions affect my hand?
Over many hands, no. A player who takes a card you would have taken changes this hand, but it is as likely to help as to hurt. The idea that a bad player at third base costs the table money does not survive the arithmetic.
How many decks are used?
Anything from one to eight, held in a shoe. Fewer decks slightly favour the player, which is why single-deck tables usually carry other rules that give the advantage back.