The Goal of the Game:

In this game the dealer is your only opponent. Your goal is to reach a card value that is closer to 21 than the dealer's card value, without going over 21.

The Value of the Cards:

*Numbered cards are worth their face value.
* Jacks, Queens and Kings are worth 10.
* Aces are worth 1 or 11, whichever is best for you!

Playing the Game:
You place a bet. The dealer deals the cards: two to you and one to himself (or herself). These cards are normally dealt face up and open to view. The dealer deals himself a second card, face down, called the hole . This is the mysterious card that makes the game a challenge.

Now you have to decide whether to "hit" or "stand" (also called "stay"). If you hit, the dealer deals you another card, and asks you again whether you want to hit or stand. You will usually want to hit until you are close to that cherished 21 total (unless you bust by hitting once too many times) When you reach a satisfactory card value you "stand", passing your turn to the dealer. The rule for the dealer is to keep taking cards until he has 17 or more.

Remember that there is a "soft 17" and a "hard 17". The dealer stands on a soft 17 (in other words if he holds an Ace and a 6).

Also keep in mind that the colors (suits) of the cards are not important in this great game.

Blackjack

Imagine drawing an Ace and a ten-count card. You have what's often called a "natural", or Blackjack. And you win automatically, unless the dealer also has blackjack, which makes it a tie (push).

Blackjack pays 3 to 2, which means that you win 3 dollars for every 2 that you bet. This is higher than an ordinary win, which pays even money.

Doubling Down

This is an exciting way to increase your win. After you draw two cards, you can double your bet, but only draw one more additional card. So you may win much more, but you are limiting the number of hits to just one more. Most casinos only allow you to double down if the value of the two cards that you hold is 9, 10 or 11.

Splitting Pairs

Let's say you get two eights. You are allowed to split this "pair" into two separate hands and play them as two games, by placing another bet equal to your original bet. Some casinos even allow you to "resplit" if you get another card of the same value.

Splitting Aces is a special case. You can only draw one more card on each hand, and if you reach 21, it is NOT considered Blackjack. So you will not collect on the 3:2 odds, but rather as a normal win.