How to play blackjack

     If you have ever wanted to learn to play blackjack, then you are in luck. I can and will teach you how to play blackjack like a pro. My name is Jim Alan. I am a professional gambler and card counter. I have read most of the books on blackjack probability and developed a new Blackjack system; One that acually works. I’m going to be your personal blackjack trainer.

    On this page you will learn about the blackjack table and some basics of the game. The game of blackjack is lots of fun and very easy to learn, so let‘s get started.

   The blackjack table itself is half circle shaped. It is covered with felt and the dealer stands on the flat side of the half circle. The players sit around the curved part. There are usually six or seven seats with a small betting circle in front of each seat. As you face the table, the seat on the far right is known as first base and the seat on the far left is known as to third base.

   Being brand new to blackjack you may not realize that you are not playing against the other players at the table. You only have to beat the dealer. You do this by getting a higher card total then the dealer does, without going over 21. If you end up with a hand that is higher than the dealer's hand, you win. What's more, if the dealer "goes over" 21, any player at the table that has 21, or less, also wins?

    The value of your hand is found by adding the value of all the cards in your hand. Tens and face cards all have a value of ten. The small cards are worth their face value, (i.e. a six = six, a two = 2). Aces are worth one or eleven; what ever you decide to make it.

   The best hand you can have in "Blackjack" is two cards totaling 21, (a face card or ten and an ace). This is known as "Blackjack". Once, only one of the  “black” jacks in the deck and an ace were considered a "blackjack but it paid 10 to one. This is how blackjack got its name

    One thing most people don't realize about the game of black Jack is that from casino to casino the rules can vary slightly, according to the "house rules". For this lesson I'm going to show you how the majority of the casinos play.

   Once you sit down at the table and convert your cash into chips you can begin to play. You began by placing a bet in the circle on the table in front of you. You are betting that you can get a higher card total then the dealer does. The dealer will give each player two cards, (usually) one face up and one face down. The dealer also receives two cards, (usually) one face up and one face down.

   If the dealers face up card is an ace, they will ask if anyone would like "Insurance". Basically, they are just asking if you think that they have a "blackjack" and are willing to bet on it. If the dealer's face up card is a ten they (usually) will not offer "Insurance", but instead will look at their "hole" card to see if they have "Blackjack". Some casinos immediately turn over their cards if they do, some do not. Don't ever play at a table where the dealer does not immediately show a "blackjack". This is a subtle way to con players out of more money and I consider it cheating. If the dealer does have"Blackjack", everyone at the table loses except the people that also have "Blackjack". They do not win, but they do not lose It's called a “Push”

    Now that the hand has been dealt out let's play. First base goes first. They will look at their face down card, add its value  to their face up card on the table, and determine how they want to play. When they are all done, they will lay the card in their hand, face down with their other card(s) on the table, and the dealer will move to the next player. The game continues like this, (each player in turn), until all the players have had a chance to play.

   Now, it's the dealers turn. They will turn their "hole" card face up and draw cards until they have a total of 17, or more. The dealer can only hit, (draw another card), or stand, and have to continue to draw cards until they have 17 or more. The dealer has to follow these rules with one exception. Most casinos will hit a "Soft Seventeen", some will not. A "Soft Seventeen" is a hand with an ace, and if the ace is counted as 11, the hand totals 17. For example an ace and a 6, or an ace and two 3’s

   There are three things you must do if you are ever going to be any good at blackjack, Practice, Practice, Practice. To make money at this game you have to understand the rules and play automatically. You can’t be stumbling on what to do next. It will interfere with your ability to concentrate. For most of us practicing is not a problem. Blackjack is a fast game and a lot of fun.

    On the next page you will learn about the blackjack rules. The page after that we will discuss basic strategy and the blackjack strategy chart. You can use this to make yourself a blackjack cheat sheet that will come in very handy during live play. Further on you will learn card counting. Once you learn how to count cards, Blackjack can be even more fun and very rewarding experience.

    If At any time you would like to try out your new skills with some blackjack practice, go to the Free Blackjack Game on this site and have some fun.

    To continue, see: blackjack rules .