The game of blackjack is very easy to learn. What many people do not realize about playing blackjack is 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 is more, if the dealer "goes over" 21, any player at the table that has 21, or less, wins?

   The value of your hand is found by adding the total of all the cards that you have. Tens and face cards are all worth ten points. 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 a face card and an ace. This is known as "Blackjack" and hence the name of the game.

   The blackjack table itself is half circle shaped. It is covered with felt and the dealer stands on the flat side of the 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.

   Another thing that most people don't realize about the game of black Jack is that from casino to casinothe the rules can vary slightly  acording to the "house rules". 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 in front of you on the table. You are betting that you can get a higher card total then the dealer does.

   Now 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 look at their "hole" card to see if they have "Blackjack". Some casinos immediately turn over their cards if they do, some do not. 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 either.

   Now that the table is all set let's play. First base goes first. They will look at their cards and determine how they want to play. Once all the players are done "Hitting" "Standing", "Doubling Down" and "Splitting", it's the dealers turn to play. They will turn over their "hole" card and draw cards until they have a total of 17, or more. The dealer has to follow these rules. A dealer cannot "Double Down", "Split" or "Surrender" and has to continue to draw cards until they have 17 or more. Some 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.

   To continue, see: blackjack rules