When it comes to gambling, cards are one of the most potent agents of luck. One of the most popular gambling card game is blackjack. If you want to test your luck but would like to avoid the fuss of playing with other people- play blackjack against the dealer. If you want to get lucky on blackjack, know the blackjack rules first.
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Blackjack rules for beginners
Blackjack is a very popular card game in casinos- and almost every casino hosts a blackjack table. You can also download blackjack games or find them online. In any case, you have to know how the game is played.
Blackjack belongs to a family of card games to play that are popularly called “21” or Twenty One. Minimum two people can play it- one being the dealer and the other the player. The aim here is to compete against the dealer and not against each other to get a maximum score of 21 on your hand.
The first of the blackjack rules of thumb is that you have to beat the dealer by getting closer to a total value of 21, and the second one is that the total value of your hand cannot exceed 21.
Blackjack card rules – what are the rules of blackjack
Blackjack is played with a standard deck of cards of 52 cards. However, in a online casino in Singapore and Malaysia, the dealer shuffles together several decks of cards for blackjack. In a game of blackjack, each player gets two cards. In a Online Singapore casino – the cards can be face up or down- depending on the house rules.
Usually, the dealer deals a face up card to the players and keeps the face up card for each player on his side. In the next round, he deals another face up card to the player, but deals himself a face-down card. Nowadays, however, almost everywhere, the dealer deals both cards face up and the players cannot touch them.
In American casinos, the dealer also draws two cards- usually one face-up and the other face-down. In other countries, usually the dealer draws only one face-up card.
Each card has a value. The cards numbered 2 to 10 have their pip value- i.e, their value is the same as the number on them. The face cards or picture cards, which are the kings, queens, jacks and aces are all worth 10 points.
The total value of a hand is equal to the sum of the points of all the cards. For example, if you have an eight and a five card in your hand, your hand is worth (8+5) 13 points. On the other hand, if you have a King and a two, your hand value is (10+2) 12 points.
Blackjack ace rules
If a player’s card is an ace, it can be valued as 1 or 11- depending on the circumstances. You get a “soft hand” when the ace in your hand is worth 11 points. This means that the hand will still prevail even if it draws an additional card. This is one of the no bust blackjack rules. (source)
When you draw cards for a soft hand, and the total value exceeds 21, the ace is then counted as 1. Otherwise, it is a “hard” hand.
Blackjack dealer rules
After all the players have completed their hands, the dealer opens his hand. The dealer is not complete if all the players have achieved blackjacks or their hands have gone bust.
If the first card in a player’s hand is an Ace and the second card is a picture card- the total hand value is 21. This is called a “natural” or a blackjack. When the player hits blackjack but the dealer does not, the dealer will immediately pay the player one and half times the amount he bet in the beginning of the game.
If the dealer has a natural and some players don’t, the dealer will collect the bets from them. If both the dealer and a player have blackjacks, it results in a tie. The player then has to take back all his chips.
If the face-up card that the dealer deals himself is a picture card (a ten value card), he takes a peek at the face down card to see if it will make a natural hand for him. If the face up card is not a picture card, he cannot look at the other card until it is his turn.
After the dealer deals the cards to all the players at the table, the dealer opens his face-down card. If the total hand value is 17 or higher, it “stands”. If the total hand value does not reach 17, he will have to draw additional cards.
When the dealer has an ace, it counts as 11. However, this is an automatic rule. The players have the freedom to decide whether to count his ace as 11 or 1.
Blackjack card game rules
Here are some important rules that you need to keep in mind when playing blackjack: (source)
- Hit/stay/no more
When it is the player’s turn, he can say “hit” or signal for passing other cards to him. The player may decide to stand at some point, and signal “no more”- at which time, he does not receive any additional cards.
- Blackjack split rules
When the first two cards in a player’s hand are of the same value, he may treat them as two separate hands. This is called splitting the pair. He has to place the original bet amount on one of the cards, and the same amount has to be placed on the other. The dealer will treat them as separate hands, and settle the bets accordingly.
If the player gets two aces, he is given one card per ace, and is not allowed to draw additional cards. In this instance, if the player gets a picture card after an ace, the pay off is 1:1- not 1:1.5 like in the case of a natural.
- Blackjack double down rules
If the original cards in a player’s hand totals to 9,10 or 11- he can double his bet. When his turn comes, the player places an equal amount as the original bet and is given only one card face-down. The player turns the card up only after settling the bets.
If the player gets two fives, he can double down, split the bet or just play it in a regular manner.
- Blackjack insurance rules
If the dealer gets an ace as his face-up card, a player can make a side bet. The amount can be up to half of the original bet- and the bet is on whether the face down card is a picture card; thus completing a blackjack for the house. This is called an insurance bet.
After everyone has placed their side bets, the dealer looks at the hole card of the face-down card. If the player’s prediction pays off, the house makes the payout on a 2: 1 basis. If the dealer hits a blackjack, the hand is over. However, if any other player also has a blackjack, it is a tie.
The insurance bets usually do not favour the players. However, if the players are experienced card counters and are sure that there are a high number of picture cards still remaining in the dealing pile- they have a higher chance of winning.
Winning strategy for blackjack
The winning strategy is always playing your hand in the best way possible- and making your bets taking the dealer’s face-up cards into account. Remember, since the players go first- the dealer is at an advantage. Once the player makes and clears the bets, they cannot reclaim their bets.
If the dealer’s face-up card is a high-value card- the player should try to draw until he reaches 17 or more where he can stand. However, if the dealer’s cards are of poor pip value, the player will do better to stop drawing after reaching 12 or more.(source)
Why should he do this? Because then, there is a higher chance that the dealer will draw cards with higher value and the dealer busts with going over 21.
Now, veteran gamblers recommend that in case the player gets a total of 11, he should double down. If the total of his hand is 10 or less, he should double down if the dealer does not show an ace or a picture card.
In case of splitting, players can opt for splitting a pair of eights or aces, and avoid splitting 10-cards. Splitting a pair of fives or fours should also be avoided, as it is better to double down on them. (source)
Also, if you are veteran player and have a great memory- card counting will serve you well. You can keep a record of what cards have been played, and form a reasonable estimate of what cards remain in the dealing deck. This can help you guess the probability. (source)
Towards the end of the game, in fact, card counting really pays off. Card counting is not illegal, but you cannot use any external device for it.
Online Singapore & Malaysia casino blackjack rules
As we said earlier, you can play blackjack online too. However, instead of merely beating an algorithm for the sake of it, why not sign up for a good online Singapore casino and get a chance to make actual money on blackjack?
The rules of an online Singapore casino for blackjack are pretty much same as that of an actual casino. The only thing different is- you can play it from the comfort of your home instead of having to dress up and physically lug you cash along. Moreover, in actual casinos, there are usually unreasonable limits on the maximum or minimum amount your can bet.
At a secure online gaming platform, you can just transfer money to your account from your back and start betting. A secure algorithm is less likely to be rigged. Usually, online casinos have reasonable limits imposed on betting amounts.
Online Malaysia casinos also offer good promotional deals and specials that can give you a little help with your betting. You may get a couple of free hands, may get a discount and even get some bets covered on special occasions.
A trusted Malaysia online casino will also give you guaranteed payouts instead of cheating you out. So when you choose an online blackjack table, take care that you are trusting your money with a reputed site. This way, you can be sure that you will not be blindsided.
Conclusion
So, if you are a blackjack enthusiast, why wait? If you cannot find a good casino nearby- fire up your search engine and register for a best online betting site. By following proper strategy, you can beat the dealer’s hand and make yourself a neat profit.
All the best!
FAQs
How do you play blackjack for beginners?
If you are a rookie, you should opt for what gamblers call “basic strategy”. This means, you stand when your hand totals 12-16 while the dealer’s is 2-6. When the dealer has a 7-Ace combo, hit if you have a 12-16 hand. You should always split aces and eights, and hit or double down on an ace-6 hand. Avoid splitting the face cards and a pair of fives or fours.
When should you hit in blackjack?
If the dealer has an ace and your total hand value is 11- you should not double and hit. Other times when you can hit instead of doubling is when the dealer’s face up card is 10 and your hand is less than 10, if the dealer has a 7/8/9 combo and your total is 9. If the dealer has 7/8/9 or ace, and your hand totals 8 through 16- you should hit.
What should you not do at a blackjack table?
A casino always follows strict rules on the floor. So, when at the blackjack table, you must never touch the cards or the chips, and never instruct other players about playing their hand. You should keep a calm head and not get emotional if you have a bad bet; because the house will not hesitate to take action against a troublemaker.
What are the rules for playing blackjack?
The main point of blackjack is that the players have to beat the dealer’s hand without going over 21 in total points in his hand. The dealer deals two cards to the players each and two for himself. In Blackjack, the cards 2 through 10 are counted in their pip value, while the picture cards have 10 points on them. There are special rules about aces- they can be counted as 11 or 1.
How much should you bet in blackjack?
In Blackjack, it is wise if you bet on a flat value. Do not bet progressively higher. This is because the house is always expected to win in the long run- and if you keep betting higher amounts- you will end up losing quite a bit in just one hour. Also, remember that the faster a game progresses, the more bets it takes in. It is very easy to get hooked- but you should gamble responsibly and quit after sometime. So be firm with your budget, and make a mental note that you won’t play after a certain number of games or a certain duration of time.
