Blackjack is one of the few casino games where your decisions genuinely affect the outcome. The goal is simple: beat the dealer's hand without going over 21.
Card values
Number cards are worth their face value, face cards are worth ten, and an ace counts as one or eleven — whichever helps your hand. A ten-value card plus an ace on your first two cards is a "blackjack" and usually pays 3:2.
Your options each hand
- Hit — take another card.
- Stand — keep your current total.
- Double — double your bet for exactly one more card.
- Split — turn a matching pair into two separate hands.
The dealer's fixed rules
The dealer has no choices: they draw until reaching at least 17 and then stop. This is why the running dealer up-card matters so much when you decide whether to hit or stand.
Keeping the edge low
Following basic strategy — the mathematically correct play for every hand — can push the house edge below 1%. Avoid insurance as a rule, never chase losses, and remember that even perfect play does not guarantee a winning session.