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Blackjack is a game that’s very simple to understand at its core. You only need to look at its older name of 21 to get the basic idea.
Beyond just understanding the idea of the game, it’s also important to get to grips with the various elements of Blackjack and how it plays out. So, for anyone looking to play some online Blackjack, here is our straightforward guide to this classic casino game.
The very basics of Blackjack
To start off, let’s run through the absolute basics of Blackjack.
In a game of Blackjack, the player is aiming to get a hand value that’s closer to 21 than the dealer’s. If their hand goes above 21 in value then they go bust, forfeiting their wager.
There’s no comparison against the hands of any other players here, since the game is only really played against the dealer.
Each card in the deck is worth a set number from one to ten apart from Aces, which can be worth either one or 11. This allows for a degree of flexibility within the game, as an Ace doesn’t always have to significantly raise the value of a hand.
How a game of online Blackjack plays out
Blackjack games have distinct phases of play – the deal, player turns and the dealer’s turn. So, let’s look at how each of these works:
The deal
This is where a game of Blackjack starts, with the dealer dealing out two cards to each player. They also deal two cards to themselves – except in some variants where the second card is only drawn after all players have finished their turns.
One of the dealer’s cards is dealt face-up and one is kept face-down. This means that players can only see part of the value of the dealer’s hand during their turn.
The player’s turn
Once the deal is concluded, play will proceed to the player, with several different actions to choose from (assuming the player wasn’t dealt a 21 in the deal). These are:
- To hit – taking an additional card to increase the value of their hand
- To stand – keeping their hand at its current value
- To double down – doubling their initial wager for just one more card
- To split – dividing their hand into two separate hands to be played separately (but only when the two initial cards were the same value)
The dealer’s turn
When all players have finished their turns – either by standing or going bust – play moves over to the dealer. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an online or land-based Blackjack game, the dealer must always follow a strict set of rules on their turn.
If their initial hand value is less than 17, they must hit until they reach at least that number. And once their hand reaches 17, they must stand, assuming they didn’t go bust!
Once the dealer’s turn finishes, it’s time to compare the value of their hand against the player’s – determining the outcome of the game.
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There’s a lot to think about during a game of Blackjack, but understanding the basics of how it plays out gives players a solid base to work from.
