The goal
Beat the dealer by finishing closer to 21 without going over.
Setup
One 52-card deck without jokers, one dealer and one to six players, each with the same number of chips.
The deal
Everyone bets, then gets two cards face up; the dealer gets one card face up and one face down (the hole card).
A turn
- Card values: 2 to 10 face value, pictures 10, ace 1 or 11.
- Starting on the dealer’s left, hit (take a card) or stand (stop).
- Double down on your first two cards: double the bet, take exactly one card, stand.
- Split a pair (most casinos count any two 10-value cards as a pair) into two hands, with a second equal bet.
- Over 21 is bust: you lose at once.
Special cards
- Ace plus a 10, jack, queen or king as your first two cards is blackjack: pays 3 to 2.
- The dealer hits on 16 or less and stands on 17 or more. Agree beforehand whether the dealer hits a soft 17 (ace counted as 11, plus 6).
- Insurance, when the dealer shows an ace: an optional side bet of up to half your bet, paying 2 to 1 if the dealer has blackjack.
Scoring
- Higher than the dealer, or the dealer busts: win as much as you bet (1 to 1).
- Same total: push, keep your bet.
- Lower, or bust: lose your bet.
Winning
Play as many hands as you like; the player with the most chips at the end wins.
House rules
- Dealer hits soft 17. The dealer also takes a card on a soft 17, such as ace and 6. It is slightly better for the dealer.
- Surrender. Some tables let you give up your hand after the deal and take back half your bet.
- Pontoon. The British cousin of Blackjack, with its own words and rules: you “twist” to take a card and “stick” to stop.
