How to play Blackjack

How to play blackjack

In a land based casino, select a vacant seat at a blackjack table infront of a dealer and place your chips or cash on the table infront of you. In most casinos, the dealer will call out to the pit boss and them under supervision, convert your cash to chips (tokens).

For information on how to play blackjack in an online casino checkout our how to play blackjack online page

As a novice blackjack player, select the seat closest to the dealer's left. This will give you a little more time to observe the play of the game without upsetting other players if you play slowly.

At the commencement of play, the dealer shuffles the cards and requests one of the players to cut the cards. The dealer then removes the first card and may place it face up under the deck or in a box where all discarded cards will be placed. In games using up to six or more decks, the first card will be placed lower down in the shoe (box) from which the cards will be dealt. Discarded cards are placed in a separate box.

The dealer will not deal you any cards unless you have placed a bet.

The dealer commences dealing by dealing one card to each player commencing with the first player on his or her left continuing around the table until all players including the dealer have two cards. For games dealt out of a shoe, cards are usually dealt face up but only one of the dealer's cards are dealt face up. In one and two pack games, player's cards are often dealt face down .

All casinos have strict rules governing the dealer' s mode of play. Dealers cannot deviate from those rules.

In some U.S.A. casinos eg. Nevada, the dealer must check the value of the face down card when the up card is a ten. When the down card is an ace, the house wins and all player bets are lost!

In order to show you how to play blackjack, I must use the common blackjack terminology so if you are not familiar with it please click the link to open our blackjack game rules page in a second window so that you can refer to it at will.

Assuming that the dealer did not have a blackjack, he or she will now seek the first base player's decision. That player may push (if holding a blackjack), stand, hit, double down, split a pair or in a casino where it is permitted, surrender and loose only half the original wager.

Each player may choose to draw cards (hit) until the decision is made to stand or the player busts. Your wager has to be increased by an amount at least equal to the original bet each time you draw cards.

When you bust or get a blackjack you must immediately turn your cards up (if they are not dealt face up).

The options you have and the decisions you should make during the course of play are covered in our winning blackjack strategy.

Avoid the traps mentioned in our winning at blackjack page.

Now that you know how to play blackjack, practice until you are a good and credible blackjack player.

For tips on how to play blackjack in an online casino, checkout how to play online blackjack

Learn well!