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...gamblingman - how to play blackjack
Gambling Man says;
Blackjack is the most popular casino table game. The objective
of blackjack is to beat the dealer. This can be done by
the player having a hand which is 21 or less that is higher
than the dealer's hand or it can be achieved by the dealer
busting, which means going over 21.
All cards have their face value. All picture cards are
worth ten. All aces are worth either one or 11, depending
on how they are used. Hands where the ace can be used as
either a one or 11 are called soft hands. All other hands
are called hard hands. Thus A:2, A:3, and A:4 are respectively
a soft 13, 14, and 15, while 10:3, 10:4, 10:5 are respectively
a hard 13, 14, and 15. Soft hands become hard hands when
the ace must be valued as one or eleven, not both. If a
player has an A:6 and receives another card which is a ten,
the player now has a hard hand of 17.
The dealer gives each player two cards and himself two
cards. One of the dealer's cards is face up and the other
is face down. Once every player has his or her two cards,
they are faced with several strategy choices and options.
Blackjack Terminology
HIT
The taking of an additional card.
STAY
Take no additional cards
SPLIT
The Player will match the original wager and split the first
two cards into two separate hands. The two cards must be
of the same point value (i.e. a pair of 8´s, King
and Queen, etc.) In splitted hands an Ace and ten equal
to "21" and not blackjack.
DOUBLE DOWN
The player will match the original (or double down for less)
on the first two cards dealt and receive only one additional
card. Double down wagering is not permitted on a Blackjack.
INSURANCE
When the dealer´s up card is an Ace, a Player may
buy insurance, an additional amount equal to half of that
Player´s original wager. A Player may purchase insurance
when he/she believes that the dealer´s down card is
a ten value card. If the Dealer has Blackjack, the insurance
wager pays 2 to 1. If the dealer does not have Blackjack,
the insurance wager loses and the game continues as usual.
A Blackjack will beat a point total of "21".
MULTIPLE-ACTION BLACKJACK
You get the opportunity to play three separate hands against
the dealer's face-up card -- each with its own bet. The
player must play all his hands first. If he busts any one
hand, he loses all three hands. If the player hasn't busted,
the dealer now gives himself a different hole card for each
player hand.
OVER-UNDER 13
This is a side bet that the total of your first two cards
will either be over 13 or under 13. If the total is 13,
you lose. Thus, a player betting the over 13 option, wins
when his first two cards total 14 or more, and loses if
his total is 13 or less. The player betting the under 13
option, wins if his hand is 12 or less and loses if it is
13 or more.
RED or BLACK
This is a side bet that the dealer's upcard will be either
red or black. If you win, you are paid even money. If the
upcard is a two, it is a push
BONUS HANDS
Some casinos will offer bonuses for certain hands. Sometimes
these bonuses are only available if you put up a side bet.
Five Card 21: If your hand totals 21 with five cards you
receive a bonus.
Six Card Winner: If your hand totals 21 or less with six
cards, you are an automatic winner.
6-7-8 Bonus: If your hand totals 21 composed of 6-7-8 of
the same suit, you are paid a bonus, often two to one.
7-7-7 Bonus: If your hand totals 21 composed of 7-7-7 of
the same suit, you are paid a bonus, often three to two.
Suited Blackjack: Some casinos offer a bonus if your blackjack
is composed of an ace and jack of the same suit. Usually,
a specific suit is designated - say, the ace and jack of
spades.
THE NUMBER OF DECKS
You will find single, double, four, six and eight deck games
on the Internet.
SOFT 17
All casinos have the dealer hit and stand according to a
set of rules. The dealer will hit anything that is 16 or
less and stand on anything that is 17 or more. The one exception
is the hand of soft 17 (A:6). Some casinos have their dealers
hit soft 17 and some casinos have their dealers stand on
soft 17
ROYAL MATCH 21
This blackjack option can be found at some internet casinos
and usually has a house edge of between 3.8 percent and
6.67 percent depending on the payoff scale and the number
of decks in use. The objective of Royal Match 21 is to guess
whether the first two cards that you are dealt will be of
the same suit. If you receive any two suited cards you are
paid off at 3 to 1 (or 5 to 2 in some casinos) and if you
receive a King-Queen of the same suit, you are paid off
at 10 to 1 (or 25 to 1 in casinos offering the 5 to 2 variation).
Before the dealer deals out the cards, the player must place
a regular blackjack bet and a Royal Match side bet. The
dealer will then deal to the players. The Royal Match side
bet is paid off or collected before the players play their
individual hands. Once this is done, the players then play
out their blackjack hands. |