Blackjack Rules: How to Play

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Objective

The goal of Blackjack is to beat the dealer's hand without going over 21.

  • Face cards (Kings, Queens, Jacks) are worth 10.
  • Aces are worth 1 or 11, whichever makes a better hand.
  • Each player starts with two cards, one of the dealer's cards is hidden until the end.
  • To 'Hit' is to ask for another card. To 'Stand' is to hold your total and end your turn.
  • If you go over 21 you bust, and the dealer wins regardless of the dealer's hand.

Player Actions

  • Hit

    Take another card from the dealer.

  • Stand

    Take no more cards.

  • Double Down

    Double your bet, take exactly one more card, and finish your turn. Allowed on any first two cards, also after a split.

  • Split

    If your first two cards have the same value (two 8s, or a king and a queen), you can split them into two hands, each with its own bet equal to your original one. Each hand then gets a second card and plays on its own. You can split once per hand. Split aces get one card each, and a 21 made after a split pays 1 to 1, not 3 to 2.

  • Insurance

    When the dealer's face-up card is an ace, you are offered insurance before anyone plays: a side bet of half your bet that the dealer has blackjack. It pays 2 to 1. You have 8 seconds to decide. Over time it loses about 7.6% of what you put on it.

  • Surrender

    Not offered.

Dealer Rules

  • Hit to 16, stand on all 17s

    The dealer must hit on 16 or less and stand on any 17 or more, soft or hard. That includes a soft 17 (Ace + 6): the dealer stands.

  • Checking for blackjack

    When the dealer shows an ace or a 10, the dealer checks the hidden card first. If it is blackjack, the round ends and you lose only your original bet (or push with your own blackjack).

  • Bust

    If the dealer goes over 21, all remaining players win.

The Shoe

Every table deals from a shoe of 6 standard decks (312 cards), shuffled once before it is dealt. When fewer than 52 cards remain before a round, a fresh shoe is shuffled. Each turn and each bet has a 15-second timer; if your turn timer runs out, your hand stands.

Payouts & Chips

3:2

Blackjack

1:1

Winning Hand

Push

Tie (Bet Returned)

Note: All betting is done with Virtual Chips. This is a social casino for amusement only. No real money can be won or lost.

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