Blackjack: Rules, Tips & Tricks for Victory

What is playing blackjack about?

Blackjack is about each player playing against the bank and trying to win with their cards To reach 21 points or to get as close to this value as possible without losing it exceed. You win if you have a higher number of points than the bank.

Blackjack is played with one or more sets of cards, each consisting of 52 cards without jokers. A deck of cards consists of the four suits hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs as well as the numbers 2 to 10, jack, queen, king and ace.

Aces are worth eleven points or one point, jacks, queens, kings are worth ten points and all other cards have their printed numerical value.

What are the rules of the game?

Before the game begins, the bank, also known as the “dealer,” shuffles the cards. Casinos now use several mixed sets of cards to, among other things, make card counting more difficult. “Card counting” means that you can gain an advantage over the bank by counting the cards still in the game.

In casinos, blackjack is played at a specific table. The dealer stands in the middle and up to eight players can sit in a semicircle around him. Each player at the table has an assigned playing zone in front of them, where cards are placed and bets are placed.

The stakes

Each player must place a bet before the game begins. The minimum and maximum bets are stated at the gaming table. In order to play blackjack, you need so-called “chips” as a bet. These are purchased from the dealer. The most common denominations for chips are 1, 5, 25 and 100 euros.

The card issue

After the bets are placed, the dealer deals two playing cards per player and two cards to the bank in a clockwise direction. Usually only the players receive their two cards face up, while the bank receives one card face up and one card face down.

Goal of the game

The aim of the game is for the player to achieve blackjack. A blackjack is an ace with a picture or a ten.

If the player does not achieve Blackjack, he tries to get as close as possible to the point value of 21 with additional cards.

With "card" he requests as many cards as he wants from the dealer, with "no" he indicates that he doesn't want any more cards.

The win

If the player's point value is closer to 21 than the dealer, the player wins the amount of his bet. If the point value is lower than the dealer's, the player loses his bet.

If the player and dealer both have blackjack, the game ends in a draw.

If the player exceeds 21 during the game, he loses immediately. If the dealer exceeds 21, all bets still in play win. This means that every player gets the stake back in the same amount.

How can you increase your chances of winning at blackjack?

The basic rules of blackjack have been described above. In addition, there are a large number of side rules that allow various strategies to increase your chances of winning or the amount of winnings.

These subrules can only be said immediately after the cards are dealt, before picking up more cards. For example, you can't pick up a card and then decide to use a sub-rule. The announcement must be made before the first additional card is picked up.

You can use the following most common side rules to increase your chances of winning. Improve the amount of your profit:

Don't insure!

This is the simplest blackjack trick. You bet whether the dealer has blackjack or not. To place this insurance bet, you must double your stake. If you win this bet, the player receives twice the original stake, i.e. his own stake back and the same amount from the dealer. However, this secondary rule is not recommended.

Double

In many casinos the stake can be doubled. This possibility allows the player to achieve a larger win. The starting point for this trick should always be a good first hand and bad cards from the dealer.

Split a pair of aces

Each ace increases the chance of winning blackjack. If you split a pair of aces, you double your chance of landing exactly on 21.

If you use this secondary rule, each ace is automatically supplemented with another card. However, you are then not allowed to pick up any more cards for these two card hands. So you have two hands of cards in play.

If the dealer also has an ace, you should avoid this option.

Capitulate

If you feel like you are at a disadvantage compared to the bank, you have the option of giving up your hand. You get half of your stake back. The other half is lost or receives the bank.

These simple tips and tricks should help every blackjack player increase their chances of winning. They are simple and easy to implement to ensure a successful game.

But if you want to expand your skills and knowledge beyond that, you should do one thing above all else: practice, practice and practice again. This is the only way to gain experience and routine, which helps you keep a steady hand and a cool head at the table.