Blackjack Rules & Tips
Blackjack is by far the most popular casino card game. It is fairly easy to learn and gives the player a great chance of winning.

The Rules
Played with anything from 1 to 8 full decks of cards (minus jokers), the idea of blackjack is to get as close to 21 points as possible without going over. Cards 2-10 score as per their face value. Jack, Queen and King are 10 points each and ace is worth either 1 or 11 at the choice of the player. You may alter the value of your ace/aces at any time, even whilst playing the same hand.

Deciding who wins
If the player gets exactly 21 with two cards and the dealer doesn't - the player wins 1.5 x stake
If the player gets closer than the dealer to 21 without going over (going bust), the the player wins 1 x stake.
If the player busts (goes over 21) or the dealer goes closer to 21, the the player loses.
If the player and dealer gets the same score, then the game is pushed (stakes are refunded).

How the game is played
The player is initially dealt 2 cards, and the dealer 1. The player now has a number of choices.
HIT - The player takes another card. There are many scenarios when this should happen. For example, a player should always hit if they have less than 9 points. After hitting, the player then gets the choice of HITTING again or STANDING. If by taking the extra card the player goes over 21, then they are deemed to have BUSTED, and automatically lost their hand.
STAND - The player receives no more cards and accepts his hand as it is. This should always be done when the player has 19 or more points
SPLIT - If the player has two cards of the same denomination, the player may split. The player can split their cards into two hands and play each hand separately. Their original bet will be duplicated for the new hand. Each hand will be played out as usual except when splitting aces, where only one additional card per hand is dealt. A pointing finger will appear over each hand indicating which hand is active. The split option can only be used once per hand -- the player cannot split part of a split hand. Any winning 21 obtained after splitting a pair is paid at 1 x stake and not 1.5 x stake.
DOUBLE DOWN - The player can double their stake and receive exactly one extra card.
INSURANCE - Whenever the dealer's up-card is an ace, the player has an option of taking insurance. If the player believes that the dealer's down-card is a 10 ranking card, then the player is permitted to place a side bet of half the original wager as insurance. If the dealer does have a 10 ranking card, the player is immediately paid 2-to-1 on the insurance bet, but the original wager is lost unless the player too has a blackjack and pushes with the dealer. Here the player is simply betting that the dealer's unseen card is a 10 valued card. This is not advisable at any time as the casino has a large advantage on this bet.
After the player has played his hand and has not gone bust, then it is the turn of the dealer. Simply the dealer will take cards until they are either bust or have scored 17 or more.

When is it best to STAND, HIT, DOUBLE DOWN or SPLIT?
Although there are no set rules, if you follow the rules below, you will give yourself the best chance of winning. Simply look up your hand down the left hand side and across for the dealers card. The instructions are thought to give the player the best chance of winning (According to mathematicians)

H=HIT S=STAND D=DOUBLE DOWN P=SPLIT
If other hands that add up to less than 8, player should HIT.
If other hands of more than 17, player should STAND.


Where can I practice my Blackjack for free/practice?
Most casinos have a free play mode.


Where can I play Blackjack online for real money?
Click the blackjack casinos tab on the left hand side.