Blackjack Rules Dealer Has 21
Jul 03, 2007 In regular blackjack, you get paid up front for a blackjack 3 to 2 before the dealer even takes a hit. In that same game, if you get dealt a natural blackjack (A-Q) and the dealer also has a natural blackjack then it is a push. If the player hit to 21 (7-4-10) and the dealer also hit to 21 then it is a push. The Blackjack goal is to beat the Dealer by gathering the more points possible, without exceeding 21. If your hand gains more points than the Dealer’s does or the Dealer’s hand has more than 21 points, you win. If your hand counts more than 21 points, you go bankrupt and lose your bet.
There's more to mastering any game than a fundamental understanding of how to play. You must also know the customs of the game and how to finnesse the rules.
Etiquette
When you sit down at a table, wait for the dealer to finish the hand in progress. Then you may buy chips by placing currency on the layout, pushing it toward the dealer, and saying, 'Change, please.'
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Do not leave currency in the betting box on the table. In most newer gaming jurisdictions, casinos are not allowed to accept cash bets. However, casinos in some places allow cash bets with the call 'Money plays.' Don't leave the dealer wondering if that $100 bill is a request for change or a bet on the next hand.
Once you make a bet, keep your hands off the chips in the betting box until the hand is over.
If you are betting chips of different denominations, stack them with the smallest denomination on top. If you put a larger denomination on top, the dealer will rearrange them before going on with the hand. It's one way the casino guards against someone attempting to add a large-denomination chip to their bet after the outcome is known.
In multiple-deck games, give playing decisions with hand signals. In single- or double-deck games dealt facedown, pick up the cards with one hand, scratch the table with the cards for a hit, and slide the cards under your chips to stand. Turn the cards faceup if you bust or if you wish to split pairs or double down. At the conclusion of play, let the dealer turn faceup any cards under your chips.
If you are a novice, you might want to avoid the last seat at the table, the one all the way to the players' left. This is called 'third base,' and the player here is the last to play before the dealer. Although in the long run bad plays will help other players as much as they hurt them, in the short term other players will notice if a mistake by the third baseman costs them money. For example, the dealer shows a 6, the third baseman has 12 and hits a 10 to bust. The dealer turns up a 10 for 16, then draws a 5 for 21, beating all players at the table. The third baseman is likely to take heat from other players for taking the dealer's bust card instead of standing. If you don't want the heat, sit elsewhere.
If you wish to use the rest room and return to the same seat, you may ask the dealer to mark your place. A clear plastic disk will be placed in your betting box as a sign that the seat is occupied.
The House Edge
Because the player hands are completed first, the players have the chance to bust before the dealer plays. And the house wins whenever the player busts, regardless of how the dealer's hand winds up. That is the entire source of the casino's advantage in blackjack. Because of this one edge, the casino will win more hands than the player, no matter how expert.
The casino gives back some of this advantage by paying 3-2 on blackjack, allowing players to see one of the dealer's cards, and by allowing the player to double down and split pairs. To take advantage of these options, the player must learn proper strategy.
Basic Strategy
Played well, blackjack becomes a game of skill in a casino full of games of chance. Studies of millions of computer-generated hands have yielded a strategy for when to hit, when to stand, when to double, when to split. This strategy can take the house edge down to about 0.5 percent in a six-deck game -- and lower in games with fewer decks. In a single-deck game in which the dealer stands on all 17s and the player is allowed to double down after splits, a basic strategy player can even gain an edge of 0.1 percent over the house. Needless to say, such single-deck games are not commonly dealt.
Compare those percentages with players who adopt a never-bust strategy, standing on all hands of 12 or more so that drawing a 10 will not cause them to lose before the dealer's hand is played, to players who use dealer's strategy, always hitting 16 or less and standing on 17 or more. These players face a house edge estimated at 5 percent — about 10 times the edge faced by a basic strategy player.
Basic strategy takes advantage of the player's opportunity to look at one of the dealer's cards. You're not just blindly trying to come as close to 21 as possible. By showing you one card, the dealer allows you to make an educated estimate of the eventual outcome and play your cards accordingly.
One simple way to look at it is to play as if the dealer's facedown card is a 10. Since 10-value cards (10, jack, queen, king) comprise four of the 13 denominations in the deck, that is the single most likely value of any unseen card. Therefore, if you have 16 and the dealer's up-card is a 7, you are guessing that the most likely dealer total is 17. The dealer would stand on 17 to beat your 16; therefore, you must hit the 16 to have the best chance to win.
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On the other hand, if you have 16 and the dealer's up-card is a 6, your assumption would be that his total is 16, making the dealer more likely than not to bust on the next card. Therefore, you stand on 16 versus 6.
That's an oversimplification, of course, but very close to the way the percentages work out when the effect of multiple-card draws are taken into account.
The most common decision a player must make is whether to hit or stand on a hard total -- a hand in which there is no ace being used as an 11. Basic strategy begins with the proper plays for each hard total faced by the player. You can refer to this simple chart:
Many players seem to hit the wall at 16 and stand regardless of the dealer's up-card. But that 16 is a loser unless the dealer busts, and the dealer will make 17 or better nearly 80 percent of the time with a 7 or higher showing. The risk of busting by hitting 16 is outweighed by the likelihood you'll lose if you stand.
Basic strategy for hard totals is straightforward enough, but when it comes to soft totals many players become confused. They seem lost, like the player aboard a riverboat in Joliet, Illinois, who wanted to stand on ace-5 --a soft 16-- against a dealer's 6. The dealer asked if he was sure, and another player piped in, 'You can't HURT that hand,' so the player finally signaled for a hit. He drew a 5 to total 21 and was all grins.
In a facedown game, no friendly advice is available. Once, at a downtown Las Vegas casino, the dealer busted, meaning all players who hadn't busted won. One player turned up two aces and a three. 'Winner five!' the dealer called out. Though it worked out that time, five (or 15) never wins without the dealer busting, and the player could have drawn at least one more card without busting. That's too big an edge to give away.
Nothing you could draw could hurt a soft 16, or a soft 15, or many other soft totals. Just as with hard totals, guesswork is unnecessary. A basic strategy tells you to what to do with soft hands.
The hand of ace and 6 is the most misplayed hand in blackjack. People who understand that the dealer always stands on 17 and that the player stands on hard 17 and above seem to think 17 is a good hand, but the dealer must bust for 17 to win. If the dealer does not bust, the best 17 can do is tie. By hitting soft 17, you have a chance to improve it by drawing ace, 2, 3, or 4, or leave it the same with 10-jack-queen-king. That's eight of 13 cards that either improve the hand or leave it no worse. And even if the draw is 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9, you have another chance to draw if the dealer shows 7 or better, and you're still in position to win if the dealer busts while showing 2 through 6, and all you've given up is a chance to tie a 17. You can refer to this chart for soft-hand strategies:
Standing on soft 18 will lose the player money in the long run when the dealer shows 9, 10, or ace. When the dealer shows 3 through 6, the chances of the dealer busting are strong enough to make doubling down the best play here.
The final category of hands consists of those in which the first two cards match. Then the player must decide whether or not to split the pair into two hands. You can refer to this chart for pair splitting advice:
Some Strategy Variations: Double Down After Splits Permitted
Many casinos allow the player to double down after splitting pairs. This is a good rule for players -- in fact, any rule that allows a player an option is a good one if the player knows when to take advantage of the option. If you split 8s against a 6, for example, and a 3 is dealt to your first 8, you now are playing this hand as an 11, and it is to your advantage to double down if the house allows it.
If the casino allows doubling after splits, the following strategy variations are necessary:
If you have 2, 2; 3, 3: Split against 2 through 7 instead of 4 through 7.
If you have 4, 4: Split against 5 and 6 instead of just hitting against all.
If you have 6, 6: Split against 2 through 6 instead of 3 through 6.
Single-Deck Blackjack
You can find many single-deck games in Nevada, and they pop up occasionally in other parts of the country. You will need a few variations for single-deck blackjack. Basic strategy is much the same as in the multiple-deck game, with a few twists, given below:
If you have 11: Double down against all dealer up cards.
If you have 9: The difference comes when the dealer shows a 2. In multiple-deck you hit; in single-deck, double down.
If you have 8: Double down against 5 and 6.
If you are holding ace, 8: As good as that 19 looks, it is to the player's advantage to double down against a 6. Stand against all else.
If you are holding ace, 7: Stand against an ace, unless you are playing in a casino in which the dealer hits soft 17. In that case, hit.
If you are holding ace, 6: Double against 2 through 6.
If you are holding ace, 3 or ace, 2: Double against 4, 5, and 6.
If you are holding 2, 2: Where doubling after splits is not allowed, split against 3 through 7 in a single-deck game. Otherwise, follow the same strategy as in multiple-deck games.
If you are holding 3, 3: If doubling after splits is permitted, split against 2 through 8.
If you are holding 4, 4: If doubling after splits is permitted, split against 4 through 6.
If you are holding 6, 6: If doubling after splits is permitted, split against 2 through 7; if not, split against 2 through 6.
If you are holding 7, 7: If doubling after splits is permitted, split against 2 through 8. Also, stand against a 10 in the single-deck game.
In our final section, you will learn the most advanced strategy for playing blackjack -- counting cards.
Rules & Strategy
Winning at Blackjack
Like many of our favorite casino games, the exact origins of blackjack are forever lost to history. One of the first recorded descriptions of the game places its appearance in France during the 17th century, where it thrilled gamblers under its simple, yet appropriate appellation “vingt-et-un.” Some gaming historians, however, contend that rather than originating in France, vingt-et-un was nothing more that a variation of Spain’s already popular game “One and Thirty” or perhaps even a spin-off of Italy’s Baccarat.
Regardless of its origins, so popular was the game that it quickly emigrated globally, taking on slight changes in both name and rules to suit regional appetites. In Russia, the game was called “Ochko” (roughly translated as “the hole’). In England, where players were rewarded for drawing both the jack and ace of spades as their first two cards, it became known as “Blackjack.” But whether it’s “21” “California Aces” or even “Ochko” blackjack continues to be one of gambling’s perennial favorites.
Blackjack Basics
In its most basic form, blackjack is one of the easiest casino games to learn. The objective is to attain a hand value that is greater than that of the dealer, yet does not exceed 21. It can be played using anywhere from one to eight standard decks, with cards of rank 2 through 10 scored according to their face value, while face cards—jack, queen, and king—are valued at 10 points. Aces can be worth either 1 or 11 points. The game is further governed by the following rules:
1. Players win if their hand has a greater total point value than the dealers, without going over 21.
2. The best possible hand is called a blackjack and it consists of an ace and any 10-point card. A winning blackjack pays 3:2.
3. If both the player and the dealer have a tie—including with a blackjack—the bet is a tie or “push” and money is neither lost, nor paid.
4. All other winning hands pay even money, 1:1.
5. If either the player or the dealer exceed 21 or “bust” the hand automatically loses.
6. If both the dealer and player bust, the player loses.
A round of blackjack begins with the player placing a bet in the circle or designated betting area in front of him. Every player will then be dealt two cards (both typically face up) while the dealer receives two cards, one of which is exposed and the other (known as the “hole” card) face down. If the dealer has a ten or an ace exposed he will check for blackjack, in which case all player hands lose, except another blackjack. However, should the dealer have an ace exposed, players may take “insurance,” a side-bet that pays 2-1 and hedges the initial bet against a dealer blackjack.
If the dealer does not have blackjack, play continues starting with the player seated immediately to the left of the dealer. The following options are then available:
Stand. If the player decides their hand is sufficiently strong, they may opt to take no additional action.
Hit. Players may draw additional cards until they either bust or decide the stand.
Double down. If a player’s hand warrants, they may opt to double their current bet and receive one additional card. This option is only offered on the first two cards, and in some cases on the first two cards after splitting.
Split. When a player’s first two cards are of equal point value, he may separate them into two hands with each card being the first card of a new hand. To split, the player must make another wager of equal value to the initial wager for the second hand. In cases where another identical point valued card is dealt following the split, re-splitting may be allowed. (Re-splitting aces is often an exception.) When allowed, players may also double down after splitting.
Surrender. In certain versions of blackjack, players may surrender or yield a poor hand on their first two cards, rather than play against a potentially superior hand. Surrendered hands return ½ of the wager to the player.
Once all players have acted, the dealer will then complete his hand. Unlike players, the dealer has no freedom to determine the best course of play and must abide by the house rules which govern all actions. Usually the dealer must hit until his cards reach a total value of 17 or more. In some casinos or game versions, if a dealer is dealt a soft 17 (an ace plus cards totaling six additional points) he must also hit. If the dealer busts all players active in the hand win automatically.
Basic Strategy
Despite its simplistic premise, blackjack is one of the most difficult games in the casino. But with an extremely low vigorish—sometimes reaching 0.18%–it can also be one of the most profitable. Or at least it is if you master basic strategy.
Although daunting and at times confusing, basic strategy it is really nothing more than a breakdown of the optimal way to play every possible situation based on the house’s rules, your current hand and the dealer’s exposed card. Below is a sample basic strategy table for use with multiple deck games.
Key: H=Hit
S=Stand
D=Double if allowed; If not, hit.
Key: H=Hit
S=Stand
D=Double if allowed; If not, hit.
D/S=Double if allowed; If not, stand
Blackjack House Rules
Key: SP=Split the pair.
N=Don’t split.
Remember, optimal basic strategy varies with the version of the game that you play, and there are tables such as these that outline exactly what action to take given the circumstance. And while they may be challenging to memorize, if making money as a blackjack player is you’re ultimate goal, there’s simply no other option.
Quick Tips: Strategies to avoid
A lot of new players can be taken in by seemingly sound strategies that actually have no real place at the tables. Avoid the following dangerously ineffective methods.
1. Play as the dealer plays. Some people think that because the house has an edge on the game that by playing according to the dealer’s rules (such as always hitting 16 or less, or never doubling or splitting) that same edge will apply. Wrong. Remember, it’s the player who acts first and even if both you and the dealer bust, the house wins the hand. Such strategy results in a house edge of approximately 5.5%
2. Martingale System. Some players advocate an age-old, misguided betting system design ostensibly to guarantee winning. Called the “Martingale System,” this method requires players to double their bet for every hand following a loss. The theory is that by doubling the bet you will eventually win a hand and recoup any previous losses. Although it sounds powerful, this system is flawed and ineffective, and fails to take into account high-risk bets, a moderately bad run of cards, and table limits.
3. Never draw to a hand that can bust. Rather than take a card that could break the hand, some players prefer to always stand pat on hard totals of 12 or more. Such play is harmful in the long run and results in a vigorish of approximately 4%.
Although these and many other half-baked strategies may sound good in theory, at best they’re mildly innocuous and worst devastating. Steer clear of tricks and systems and stick with basic strategy, the only proven method of minimizing the house’s edge.
The Magic Poker Robert Coover July 1 1969. View Article Pages. We strive to present a reader-friendly digital text version of each story. While errors in automatic conversion are inevitable, we are devoted to editing every article to make it error-free. The magic poker robert coover summary.
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