Blackjack

Blackjack Guide

Blackjack is perhaps the most famous casino game in the world. Played by millions, whether it’s just for fun at home, or on high limit tables in Las Vegas, blackjack is loved the world over. Blackjack’s popularity is down to its relative simplicity. The aim of the game is to simply beat the house with a card hand to the value of 21, or nearest to 21; anything over and you’re bust, meaning the house wins.

In blackjack, all of the cards have specific values. To help you understand the rules and gameplay of blackjack, we’ve outlined the blackjack card values below:

• Cards numbered between 2 - 10 have exactly the same value as the number on the card. So, a 2 is worth 2, a 3 is worth 3, a 4 is worth 4 and so on.
• Jacks, Queens and Kings are all worth 10.
• Aces are worth either 1 or 11, depending on how you choose to play them.

There are multiple ways to get to 21 in blackjack, through either various card denominations (such as 5+5+7+4=21), or through natural blackjack. To clarify, natural blackjack is when you uncover an Ace and a card worth 10, such as 10, Jack, Queen or King. All casinos pay out higher amounts if you win with natural blackjack.

Unlike in baccarat, player’s can choose whether they wish for another card to be dealt (aside from when they have 21 or natural blackjack – then the casino will automatically stand their hand). However, we recommend that you follow basic blackjack strategy, which was devised by four mathematicians and was tested by running thousands of probable blackjack hands through an early super-computer.