Blackjack, also known as 21, is one of the most popular casino card games. It’s easy to learn and requires a little bit of strategy. The objective is to reach a higher score than the dealer, without going over 21. The highest score wins, with a blackjack (an ace and a card of value 10 or better) beating all other hands. In most variants of the game, the player may split pairs of cards of equal rank and play them independently.
The cards in the deck have a numerical value between 2 and 10, with aces counting as either 1 or 11, depending on the players desire. Face cards (Jack, Queen and King) count as 10. If a player holds an ace and a card valued at 10, the hand is known as a “blackjack.” The game of blackjack is played with 1 to 9 decks of 52 cards.
When the game of blackjack was first introduced to the public, it caused a sensation in casinos. Smart, disciplined players were able to beat the house, and this was a huge boon for casino managers. This initial panic mellowed to wariness as casinos realized that not all players were so smart and disciplined.
During the early years of the game, many players made very large bets on a small number of hands. This resulted in very large swings in bankrolls. In response, some casinos instituted minimum bets to limit the amount of money a player could place on a hand. This was intended to reduce the high swings and limit the bankroll losses.
A simple understanding of probability can help you improve your game of blackjack. A computer analysis of blackjack reveals that for every possible combination of the dealer’s up-card and the player’s hand, there is a single play (hit, stand, split, etc) that results in the highest probability of winning. The key is to know which plays are best and when to make them.
Another good strategy is to always split against the dealer’s up-card of 2 to 6 and never split against a 7. It’s also important to hit a soft 17 against a dealer’s 10. Many players stand on a 16 when the dealer shows a 7, but this is a losing play. A dealer will bust about 80 percent of the time on a 7 and will make a better hand than a player’s 16 nearly 90 percent of the time when they stand.
A common side bet in blackjack is insurance, which pays 2-1 if the dealer has a blackjack. This is often a good bet, but the rules vary by casino, so check with your dealer before making this bet. Some casinos only allow you to take this bet if the dealer has an ace up, and not against any other hand. This makes the game more risky, but can be profitable if you are a disciplined player. Generally, you should not take insurance bets on soft hands.