Blackjack Guide For Beginners

When you are just starting out in the world of casinos and you’re not sure which games are going to suit you best and which you’re going to enjoy the most it can seem rather overwhelming. You might dabble on the slot games, but what you really want to move onto is the games played at the tables, the ones that can offer huge excitement and big rewards (although it needs to be said that big losses can happen too). So which one should you try your hand at first?

Blackjack is a game that everyone can play, and it’s exciting too. Although the rules are simple, you will soon come up with your own way of playing that makes it even more enjoyable. Here is a quick guide for beginners so that they can try blackjack hands and see what it’s all about. 

What Is Blackjack?

Blackjack, simply put, is a card game. You’ll find it in most casinos and you can play it online too. What’s interesting about blackjack is that, no matter how many other people are around the table, your chances of winning do not change; you are playing solely against the dealer. 

Blackjack is played using a traditional deck of cards (and sometimes multiple decks) which means you don’t have to learn different symbols and what they might mean. You’ll be playing with the standard four suits (hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs) and the numbers two to 10 and the Ace, Jack, Queen, and King. In blackjack, the Ace stands for either the number one or 11. The dealer will tell you if Aces are high (11) before the game starts. The face cards all equal 10. This is important to know in order to play the game. 

Most of the time the suit itself makes no difference. There are different variations of blackjack that you will need to take the suit into account for, but the standard game which is best for beginners simply needs you to look at the numbers. 

The Score

Calculating the score of your hand in blackjack is as simple as adding the numbers of the cards together. There is no special trick. The hand that has the higher total is the winning hand. However, if your score is over 21 you have a ‘dead hand’ or are ‘bust’ and lose automatically. 

The House Edge

Every game in a casino has a house edge. This is the percentage of times the house will have the advantage in any game. The number represents the amount of bets that the casino expects to win. In a game like keno the house edge is high at around 40 percent, but in blackjack it is very low, usually around 0.5 percent. Games with a high house edge pay out less often than a game with a low house edge, so it’s a good way to determine how successful you may or may not be when playing. 

The Basics Of Blackjack

When you play blackjack there is a special blackjack table to sit at. Often there is enough room for seven players around the edge, facing the dealer. As mentioned earlier, if only one player is at the table the game can still continue. 

The dealer will pass out two cards to each player and two for themselves. Turn your cards over and add up the score. If you have 21 then you automatically win – this is called having a blackjack. 

When it comes to the dealer, there are certain rules that he or she must follow. For example, a dealer must always stick when they have 17 or higher, and must always hit when they have 16 or lower. He or she will also deal their cards differently. Whereas the player’s cards will be either both face up or both face down (depending on the casino or the dealer’s preferences), the dealer’s cards will be face down at the bottom and face up at the top. 

This is useful. This information can help the player to decide what they are going to do. Some will ignore it and stay with their own rules, but some will use it to decide how best to beat the dealer. Remember, they need to get a higher total score to win. When you start with two cards, the highest total you can have is 21 (an Ace and a face card or 10) so you cannot be out immediately. 

The player can choose when to stick or hit, and there are no rules as to when they must do one or the other. However, it is wise to come up with your own way of playing once you have tried the game a few times. Set your own rules so that you are confident of what to do in any given situation. Maybe you will do as the dealer does and stick on 17. Maybe you’ll make that 18 or more, or perhaps 15, or any other number you’re comfortable with. The choice is entirely yours. 

How The Game Ends

The game of blackjack ends when everyone, including the dealer, has made their final decisions regarding their hand – in other words, when everyone decides to stick, or stand as it might also be known.

When all the players have made this decision and no more cards are being dealt, the dealer will turn over their second card. They will then decide whether to stick or hit. Of course, their choice is a little easier than the other players’ had been since they know what scores they have to beat. When the dealer is either bust or sticks with their hand, the game is over. The winners are those with a higher score than the dealer’s final score (and if the dealer is bust then everyone who hasn’t already bust will win). 

If the dealer has blackjack then only other players who have blackjack will win. 

Blackjack is not a complicated game and is not one that requires in-depth knowledge of betting. You just need to be able to do simple maths and make a calculated decision as to what your next move will be. There is, of course, always an element of risk associated with any casino game, so start with small bets and don’t feel you need to risk a lot of money just to have fun.