iPoker and Blackjack:
Blackjack - Rules
The object of this game is very simple and consists on getting a hand value equal or closer to 21, without going over 21 which is called “busting” or “breaking”.
In blackjack, cards are dealt from a box usually containing six decks called a “shoe” but different variations exist, depending on the particular blackjack rules in a given casino.
Cards are valued as follow:
- The cards from 2 through 9 are valued at their face value
- The 10, Jack, Queen and King are all valued at 10
- An Ace can be either 1 or 11 at the player’s choice. Now, it’s necessary to make a distinction. A hand that contains an Ace is called a “soft” total if the Ace can be counted as either 1 or 11 without the total going over 21. For instance, if a player is dealt an Ace and a 6, the total is 17 (or 7) and so he can always draw another card to a soft total with no danger of “busting” by going over 21.
A 21 made from the combination of a Ace and a face card or a 10 is a blackjack.
Once all the bets are made, the dealer will deal the cards to the players. The players cards will be dealt face up. He’ll make two passes around the table starting at his left so that the players and the dealer have two cards each.
Once the cards are dealt play proceeds around the table, starting at the first seat to the dealer's left. Players moves can be:
- Hit – to “hit” means that you wish to receive another card from the shoe to improve your score
- Stand – to “stand” means that you’re satisfied with the cards you have and you don’t want to receive another card
- Surrender – In most real and online casinos you have the opportunity to drop out. To surrender means you immediately forfeit (fold a hand) ½ of your initial bet, instead of risking losing the full amount
- Double-down – doubling down lets the player double his initial bet and receive only one additional card. However, it needs to underline that in this case you can receive no more cards while in the “hit” you have the possibility to ask for further cards.
- Spilt – to divide. If you get two cards of the same denomination you can spilt your hand into two separate hands, and play each hand individually. You must to remember in some casinos if you happen to pair a split hand you can usually split it again. Mostly resplitting is allowed up to 4 splits.
Two Aces can be split as well but in that case there is a limitation. In fact, you can’t ask for further cards and if you get blackjack, it will be considered as a normal 21.
After each player has finished his hand, the dealer turns up his card. If he gets a score lower than 16, he must dealt another card until his hand will be 17 or greater in total at least, but if his score is 17 or greater in total then he must stand.
If the dealer busts, then all remaining players win. If the dealer doesn’t bust, only players holding a higher hand total than the dealer win while the others lose. If a players ties with the dealer, the hand is a “push” hand.
The payoff on most bets is 1:1, meaning that the player wins the same amount as he bets. The payoff for a blackjack player is usually 3:2 (but it could change depending on each casino’s rules). When both a player and the dealer have blackjack, it’s a push, but if the dealer make a total of 21 with more than two cards, in that case blackjack player wins. If the dealer has blackjack, players lose only their original bets.
- Insurance – is an extra bet offered to a player when the dealer shows an Ace. This bet usually costs half the original bet and protects players in case the dealer could have a blackjack. So if the dealer has a blackjack, insurance pays at 2-1 odds (players would then lose their original bet but win the insurance bet). Otherwise, in case the dealer doesn’t have a blackjack, the insurance bet is lost and players keep on playing their hands. For instance, if a player bets 1000 euros and the dealer shows an Ace, then he can insurance himself paying 500 euros (half of his original bet). In case the dealer has a blackjack, the player gets 1500 euros from the insurance losing his original 1000-euros-bet while if the dealer doesn’t have a blackjack, the player loses the 500 euros of the insurance bet and he keeps on playing with his original 1000-euros-bet. But remember, an insurance can be offered only if the dealer up card is an Ace.
Players usually have all this possibilities when they play at blackjack while the dealer can’t double down or split his cards. The dealer usually has no say in the moves they make. He plays based on the rules set by the casino. For instance, the rules commonly say that the dealer has to take cards until he reaches 17. That’s the only variation in his play because when he has a soft 17 (I’ve already explained the meaning of the world “soft” in the previous pages), let us suppose it’s a 17 combined with ace-6, then he has no choice: he either must or must not hit.
Finally, if both a player and the dealer bust, that is not a push.
