At first there are two cards that are dealt to each player as well as the dealer. The dealers hand is the only hand that the players play against. If you are able to get a hand value closer to 21, with out exceeding 21, than the dealer you win the bet. Therefore giving the objection of reaching a hand value as close to 21 as possible without exceeding 21. However for our expert players this is not true! For him the objective is to simply beat the dealer!
As you have probably realized by now the most powerful hand value to have is 21 with your first two cards. This is when you have an ace and a ten valued card and is known as "blackjack". The dealer will pay you out three chips for every two that you have bet, when you get blackjack, unless the dealer also has a blackjack!
Game Rules: For the dealers there are fixed rules that he has that govern his play, he has to hit until he has 17 or more. As the player you are able to determine when to "hit" (take another card) and when to "stand" (stop taking cards). For each player whose hand value is less than or equal to 21 and greater than that of the dealers hand, wins an amount equal to his wager. And should the dealer gets a hand value less than or equal to 21 and greater than the player's hand value, the player loses his bet. Should it happen that the dealer and the player have the same hand value, it is known as a "push" and this is neither a win nor a loss. Should you value exceed 21 this is a "bust" and you lose your bet! This is when the dealer has his greatest advantage over the players. Keep in mind though that the player has the advantage of flexible play. You basically have four options, you can decide when to hit, when to stand, when to split (To play two separate hands) and when to double down (To double your wager in favorable situations). If the first two cards that you are dealt are of equal value, you can "split" the pair combination. Keep in mind that all face cards and tens are of equal value. When ones split's their cards they effectively play two individual hands. First your right hand plays out and then your left hand. Any ace that is drawn to a split ten is however not a blackjack. Nevertheless, the dealer will have to have a blackjack in order to beat any hand value of 21. With a hand that consists of two cards you can "double down" and as this move implies, you double you original wager. You are only dealt one extra card to your hand when you double down.
There are those casinos that when it comes to the double down options they restrict the players by not allowing doubling down on split hands and/or permitting double down when your two card hand totals ten or eleven. Doubling your wager whenever a favorable situation arises can appreciably add to your advantage. So the best thing to do is seek out the casinos that have the least restrictive rules when it comes to Doubling Down.
Insurance: This offer to the players is just another form of wager when the dealer has an ace showing. When you take the insurance wager you are basically betting that the dealer does in fact have blackjack. The cost of the insurance bet is one-half your original wager and should the dealer have blackjack the payoff is two-to-one. A two-to-one payoff on a wager that is one-half your original wager is an amount equal to your original wager. So when you win the insurance bet, the dealer will pay you by simply leaving your original wager on the table. |
