How to play Blackjack
Beat the dealer's total without going over 21, with splits and doubles available.
- Seats
- Up to 6
- Bets
- $10–$250 play chips
- Dealer
- Stands on all 17s
- Natural
- Pays 3:2
Values and objective
Number cards use face value, tens and faces count 10, and an ace counts 11 unless using 1 prevents a bust. Finish closer to 21 than the dealer without exceeding 21. The dealer's second card stays hidden until settlement.
Betting and the deal
Seated players wager $10–$250 in play chips. The host deals when at least one wager is placed; seats without wagers sit out. The dealer hits below 17 and stands on every 17, including soft 17.
Your actions
- Hit draws a card; 21 stands automatically and over 21 busts.
- Stand ends the current hand.
- Double adds an equal wager to a two-card hand, draws exactly one card, then stands.
- Split is available once when the original cards have equal blackjack value; the added hand requires an equal wager. Split aces play normally, but a split-hand 21 is not a natural.
Settlement
A regular win returns twice the wager and a regular tie returns the wager. An original two-card 21 is a natural and, when the dealer lacks blackjack, returns the stake plus a 3:2 win, rounded down to whole chips. If the dealer has blackjack, player hands receive no return. There is no insurance or surrender.
Beginner strategy
- Use the dealer's upcard: 2–6 is vulnerable, while 7–ace is strong.
- Usually stand on hard 17 or more.
- Consider doubling strong two-card totals such as 10 or 11 against a weak dealer card.
- Splitting aces and eights is usually useful; avoid splitting tens or fives.
- Keep enough chips available for the extra wager before splitting or doubling.