How to Play Blackjack: A Beginner's Guide
In blackjack you play against the dealer, not the other players. You win when your hand ends closer to 21 than the dealer's without going over, or when the dealer goes over. Cards 2 to 10 count their number, face cards count 10, and an ace counts 1 or 11, whichever helps you.
That is the whole game. The rest of this guide walks through one round so you can see each decision as it comes up.
One round, start to finish
1. Bet. Each table has a minimum and maximum bet. At House21 the lowest tables start at 5 chips. You have 15 seconds to place your bet before the deal.
2. The deal. You get two cards face up. The dealer gets one card face up and one face down.
Example: you hold 7 and 4 (11). The dealer shows a 6.
3. Check for blackjack. An ace plus any 10-value card on your first two cards is a blackjack and pays 3 to 2: a 10-chip bet wins 15. If the dealer's face-up card is an ace or a 10, the dealer checks the hidden card first. If the dealer has blackjack, the round ends right away and you lose only your original bet.
4. Your turn. You choose one move at a time:
| Move | What it does | When it's offered |
|---|---|---|
| Hit | Take one more card. Repeat as often as you like. | Any time your total is under 21 |
| Stand | Keep your hand and end your turn. | Any time |
| Double down | Double your bet, take exactly one card, and stop. | Only on your first two cards |
| Split | Two cards of the same value become two hands, each with its own bet. | Once per round, on a pair |
| Insurance | A side bet that the dealer has blackjack. | Only when the dealer shows an ace |
Example: 11 against a 6 is one of the best hands to double. You double your 10-chip bet to 20 and draw a queen: 21.
At House21 each turn has a 15-second timer. If it runs out, your hand stands automatically, so the table never waits on one player.
5. The dealer plays. The dealer turns over the hidden card and follows a fixed rule: hit on 16 or less, stand on any 17 or more. The dealer never doubles, splits or decides anything.
Example: the dealer flips a 10 (16), must hit, draws an 8 and busts with 24. Your doubled 20-chip bet wins 20.
6. Payouts.
| Result | You get back |
|---|---|
| Blackjack (ace + 10 on your first two cards) | Your bet + 1.5 times your bet |
| Win | Your bet + the same amount |
| Push (same total as the dealer) | Your bet |
| Bust (over 21) or lower total than the dealer | Nothing |
A bust loses immediately, even if the dealer busts later. That one rule is the whole house edge.
Hard hands and soft hands
A hand with an ace that can count as 11 without busting is a soft hand. A,6 is soft 17: you can hit it safely, because if you draw a 10 the ace drops to 1 and you have 17 again. A hand without that flexible ace is hard. 10,7 is hard 17, and hitting it busts on any card over 4.
Soft hands are where beginners leave the most value behind. What is a soft 17? explains them in detail.
Three habits worth building from your first hand
- Look at the dealer's card before you decide. A dealer showing 4, 5 or 6 busts about 40% of the time. A dealer showing 7 or higher usually makes 17 or better. The same hand can be a stand against one and a hit against the other.
- Treat 12 to 16 as "stiff" hands. Stand on them against a 2 to 6 (except 12 against a 2 or 3, which you hit). Hit them against a 7 or higher.
- Always split aces and 8s. Never split 10s or 5s. The split guide covers the rest.
When you're ready for every hand, the basic strategy chart gives the best move for all of them.
Playing at a table with other people
At a multiplayer table everyone plays against the same dealer, one seat at a time, left to right. A few things are different from playing alone:
- Other players don't change your odds. A player who hits a 16 you'd have stood on might "take the dealer's bust card", but just as often they take a card that would have hurt the dealer. Over time it evens out completely.
- Act within your timer. Fifteen seconds is plenty once you know the chart; until then, keep it open in another tab.
- Chat is part of it. Cheering a dealer bust together is half the fun. Coaching someone who didn't ask usually isn't.
Common questions
Is 21 the same as blackjack? No. Blackjack is 21 on your first two cards and pays 3 to 2. Reaching 21 with three or more cards is a normal 21 and pays 1 to 1. A 21 made after a split is also a normal 21.
Can I lose more than my bet? Only if you choose to double or split, which adds a second bet. Insurance is a separate side bet.
What does "push" mean? A tie. You and the dealer have the same total, and you get your bet back.
The full rule reference is on the Blackjack Rules page. To try a round, join a beginner table in the lobby: new players start with 10,000 free chips.