How do you play blackjack?

Blackjack is the easiest casino card game to learn and one of the hardest to master. The core loop takes about a minute to understand: you build a hand of cards, try to land close to 21, and try to finish with a better total than the dealer without going bust.

Quick answer: You place a bet and get two cards, then add up their values to get as close to 21 as you can without going over. Number cards count their face value, face cards count 10, and an Ace is 1 or 11. You choose to hit for more cards or stand, then the dealer plays a fixed way. The hand closest to 21, without busting, wins.

Card values and the deal

Every hand starts with a bet. You then get two cards face up, and the dealer gets one card up and one down. Number cards are worth their printed value, the Jack, Queen and King are each worth 10, and an Ace can be 1 or 11 - whichever helps you more. If you want the setup with pictures, the rules hub walks through it step by step.

Your turn to act

Once you see your two cards you decide how to play. You can hit to take another card, stand to keep what you have, double down to double your bet for one final card, or split a pair into two separate hands. Go over 21 and you bust, losing the hand right away no matter what the dealer does.

The dealer plays and you settle

After you stand, the dealer flips the hidden card and draws by a strict rule, usually hitting until reaching at least 17. If the dealer busts, you win. Otherwise the higher total wins, and equal totals push (a tie). Try it free on Classic Blackjack with play chips - no real money anywhere.

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Related questions

What is the goal of blackjack?

The real goal is to beat the dealer, not to get exactly 21. You win when your total is higher than the dealer's without going over 21, or when the dealer busts and you did not. Because you always play your hand before the dealer, avoiding a bust yourself is often more important than chasing a big number.

What does the dealer have to do in blackjack?

The dealer follows fixed rules with no choices at all. They must keep hitting until the hand reaches at least 17, then must stand. Depending on the table, the dealer either stands on all 17s or hits a 'soft 17' (a 17 that includes an Ace counted as 11). The dealer cannot double, split, or surrender.

What's the best blackjack game for beginners?

Beginners should start with Classic Blackjack or Vegas Strip, which use straightforward, player-friendly rules and pay the full 3 to 2 on blackjack. Learn the core moves and basic strategy there first. Save the special variants like Spanish 21 or Blackjack Switch for later, since their bonus rules need adjusted strategy.