Blackjack is a game of chance and skill. The skill part comes from learning some basic strategy, and the chance part has to do with the cards that you are dealt. The goal of the game is to get a hand closer to 21 (without going over) than the dealer’s. The cards in your hand count as follows: aces as 1 or 11, face cards as 10, and other cards at their index value. A blackjack is a winning hand when you receive an ace and a card valued at 10.
The first thing to do in any game of blackjack is to place your bet in the betting area on the table. Once everyone has placed their bets, the dealer will deal two cards to each player and one card face up to himself. Then each player decides whether to hit, which means to receive additional cards, or to stand, which means to keep the current hand. After each player has decided, the dealer will reveal his or her card and play the hand according to predetermined rules.
If a player has a blackjack, he or she will win the round and collect the original bet. However, if the dealer has a blackjack, all players lose their original bets and the game is considered a push-in other words, you get your money back, but you don’t win anything more.
After each player has a turn, the dealer will check her hole card (using a special viewing window in the table). If she has a ten underneath, she is said to have a blackjack and wins all of the players’ original bets. The dealer will also pay off any insurance wagers at 2 to 1.
Most casinos have a minimum bet of $5 and a maximum bet of $500. This is important for dealers because it limits how much they can lose per hand. However, some casinos may allow you to increase your bet if you are confident that you will beat the dealer. Typically, this is done by double-downing.
In addition to the standard blackjack bets, there are also a number of side bets that can be made on the table. These bets can be placed at the same time as a player’s standard bet and include betting on getting a pair of matching cards, placing a bet that the dealer will make a certain poker hand with his or her face up card, or making a bet that the dealer will bust.
In the 1960s, Edward Thorp published a book entitled Beat the Dealer, which describes a simple strategy for beating the dealer in blackjack. His strategy is to never bust if the dealer has a card valued at 2 through 6, and to always hit if the dealer has a card valued between 7 and ace. Using programming and millions of simulated deals, Thorp found that these rules reduce the house edge to about 0.5%. This makes the game more profitable for players.