Your goal is to get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over. All cards are their face value, with picture cards worth ten and aces worth either one or 11.

After receiving your two cards and seeing the dealer's exposed card, you can stand if you are happy with your total or hit if you want another card. You can also double if you want to put up twice your bet to receive one additional card or split if you have two cards of the same value and want to use them as the base for two distinct hands. You may hit as often as you like, unless you break (or "bust") by going over 21.

Once you are done, the dealer turns over a second card. If he has 16 or less he must hit, 17 or higher he must stand. If the dealer has a "soft" hand (a hand with an ace, so called because you cannot break on one card, since you can change the value of the ace from 11 to one) he must follow the same rules as for a hard hand unless he has 17.

Here the rules vary, with some casinos saying the dealer must hit and others that he must stand. If the dealer ends up with a closer hand to 21 he wins. If he goes over or has a lower total, he loses. If the player has already busted the player automatically loses regardless of what happens to the dealer.

Basic Blackjack Strategy

Remember that if the dealer has a 6 or lower showing, his odds of breaking are fairly good, better the closer he is to a 6 showing. In these cases, you should try to avoid breaking at all costs and maximize your bets when you can safely do so without fear of breaking.

Blackjack

If you are dealt a ten point card and an ace, you have blackjack and automatically win 3-to-2 unless the dealer has blackjack, in which case you tie. Insurance is a 2-to-1 bet offered when the dealer has an ace showing. If you make this bet and the dealer has blackjack, you win that bet but lose your regular bet so you break even.

If you also have blackjack, you get paid even money no matter what happens. If neither you nor the dealer has blackjack, you lose the insurance bet and play the hand normally. Insurance is a poor odds bet and something you should avoid.