How to Play Blackjack

The common blackjack table has a curved shape. From one to seven players sit at the curved part of the table while the dealer stands in front of them. Everyone puts the bet on the intended area in front of every player. The game starts from the player that is on the dealer’s left. The first player position is called “first base”, and the last one is “third base”. The majority of skilled players try to avoid the third base, since they believe this position brings disadvantage. There is a chip tray in front of the dealer and to his left there is the card deck or so called shoe.

Tip: There are some casinos are offering special VIP program to theirs blackjack players.

The Blackjack rules vary from place to place, but the basics is always the same. Every player tries to get a higher hand than the one of the dealer, without drawing more than 21. The payout that gives a winning hand is equal to the bet. When your hand consists of two cards with a total of 21 (an Ace and a 10-value card) is called a “blackjack”, and your payout is 3:2.

A player plays only with the dealer, therefore he must beat only his hand, and the other players do not matter. In the land casinos up to 8 decks of cards are usually used. The dealer shuffles cards and then one of the players cuts the deck. Before starting dealing, each player places the bet. Then the dealer burns the upper card, shows it to the players and deals from the left. Cards are given one by one till everybody has a two-card hand.

The cards can be dealt face up or face down that is dependent of the rules of the casino. Players must hold cards above the table.

In the shoe game, the dealer deals cards face up and a player must not touch them. There are some differences in the way the dealer deals to himself. Some casinos require both of dealer’s cards are dealt face up. One more type of the dealing is the No Hole Card rule, it requires the first of the dealer’s card to be dealt face up while the second one is face down. The dealer reveals the second card only when the players have finished their hands. If the dealer face up card is a 10-value or an Ace, then he can look at his other card. If he sees a blackjack, the card will be revealed and all the players will lose. If a player has also a blackjack, it is a tie and that player keeps his bet.