Classic Blackjack Game Rules
The Game
In Classic Blackjack, the object of the game is to beat the dealer by achieving a hand value of either 21, or of less than 21 but more than the value of the dealer’s hand.
Each suit has 13 cards. Each card has a numeric value, as shown below:
| Card | Ace | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | J | Q | K |
| Value | Ace can be used as 1 or 11. A hand that includes an Ace has two values, a hard value and a soft value, and can be played as either. Eg if the hand contains an Ace and a 7, the hand can be played as either a hard 8 or a soft 18. | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Definitions
| Blackjack | A two card hand, dealt during the first deal, whose value is 21. |
| Bust | A hand that exceeds 21 and therefore loses. When a player hand Busts, the hand immediately loses regardless of the dealer’s hand result. |
| Double Down | (Player hands only). If you Double Down, you are betting that your hand can be won with one more card. Double Downs cannot be used on a Blackjack hand. You can only Double Down on the first two cards in your hand. When you Double Down, the original bet is doubled (a second chip appears) and you receive one more card. |
| Hit | Take another card (on hands where you do not have Blackjack). You can Hit as often as desired until you Stand or Bust. |
| Push/TD> | A tie, where both the player’s hand and the dealer’s hand have the same value. |
| Split | (Player hands only). If you are dealt two cards of the same value (eg two 6’s, or a King and Queen), the hand can be Split into two separate hands. |
| Stand | Refuse any more cards (on hands where you do not have Blackjack). |
How to Play
Select the value of your chips. The currency will reflect the currency of your account. To select a chip value, click on the chip of the value you require. The following chip values are available: 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5, 25, 100 and 250. By default the 5 chip is selected.
There are 5 betting spots available on the table and you can bet on as many of these as you wish. Place your chips on a betting spot by clicking on it. Each click will place a chip of the selected value on the spot. Different chip values may be used by changing your chip selection.
If you play multiple hands, each betting spot will be treated as an individual bet, and each of your hands will be played against the dealer’s hand individually. An arrow will appear above the active player hand.
Once you are happy with your selection, click on the Deal button and your bet(s) will be placed.
Two cards are dealt, face up, to each of the betting spots you selected. Two cards are also dealt to the dealer, the first face down, the second face up. If any of your hands have a total value of 21, e.g a 10 and an Ace, it is deemed a ‘natural Blackjack’, the highest hand. Your hand will be immediately marked as a Blackjack and will not be included in further play as it cannot be beaten.
There are then 3 sections of play:
1. Dealer Checks
If the dealer’s displayed card is a 10, he will check for Blackjack. If the dealer does not have Blackjack, the hand continues. If the dealer has Blackjack and you do not, your hand loses. In cases where both you and the dealer have Blackjack, a Push is declared.
If the dealer’s displayed card is an Ace and you do not have Blackjack, you are offered insurance. Taking insurance means you make a second bet (the value of which is half the original bet) that the dealer has Blackjack. If the dealer has Blackjack, you lose your initial bet but are paid 2 to 1 on the insurance bet. If the dealer does not have Blackjack, the insurance bet loses and the hand is played as normal.
If the dealer’s displayed card is an Ace and you have a Blackjack, you are offered ‘even money’. Taking even money means you believe that the dealer has Blackjack. When taking even money, you are instantly paid 1:1 by doubling your chip amount, and play on the hand ends. When taking even money, you sacrifice the normal 3:2 payoff, whether the dealer has Blackjack or not.
2. Player Hand Play
For each of your hands that continues after the dealer checks, you may (as applicable):
- Hit and Stand
- Double Down
- Split
When a hand is Split, each card forms a new hand and is then played separately. The original bet amount is applied to the second hand automatically by doubling the chip amount. A hand can only be Split once, eg if the third card was the same as the first two, it could not be used to create a third hand.
Note: If you split two Aces, only one more card will be dealt to each hand.
A two card 21 total on a Split is not a natural Blackjack (see ‘Payouts’).
You can Double Down after splitting a pair.
If your hand busts, it will be marked accordingly and will no longer participate in the game.
3. Dealer Hand Play
Once you have finished playing your hands, the dealer’s unseen card is turned over.
If all your hands have either Bust or have Blackjack, the game ends.
Otherwise:
- If the total value of the dealer’s hand is 16 or less, the dealer must continue to Hit until the hand value is 17 or more.
- The dealer must Stand on 17.
Once the dealer’s hand has been played, the result of each of your hands is determined and any winnings are shown on the table.
Winning Bets
| Dealer’s Hand Value | Player’s Hand Value | Result |
| More than 16, less than 22 | Less than the dealer’s hand | Dealer hand wins |
| More than 16, less than 22 | More than dealer’s hand, less than 22 | Player hand wins |
| More than 21 | Less than 21 | Player hand wins |
| More than 21 | More than 21 | Dealer hand wins |
| Less than 21 | More than 21 | Dealer hand wins |
| Equal to player’s hand value | Equal to dealer’s hand value | Push (tie). Player’s bet returned |
Payouts
| Bet | Odds Payout |
| Winning Hand | 1-1 |
| Blackjack | 3-2 |
| Insurance | 2-1 |
| Even Money | 1-1 |
A two card 21 total on a Split is not a natural Blackjack. If the hand does not Push, it pays even money.