Blackjack

Blackjack, the most popular of all casino games has its history rooted in France. Resulting from the French games of “French Ferme” and “chemin de fer", Blackjack has positioned itself as a top game. Played in the 1700’s in French casinos what was then called "vingt-et-un”, Blackjack made its way to the United States by the 1800’s. Blackjack has remained a game played in casinos both online and not.  

Objective:
Accumulate cards that will total 21 points. One tries to get as close to 21 as possible without going over. Whoever has the number closest to 21 without going over is the winner. One gets “Blackjack” if they get an ace and a 10 as the first two cards. The point values of the cards are defined as follows:

Ace=1 or 11 (based on what the player needs in order to get to 21)

Face cards (Jacks, Queens, Kings) =10 points

Other cards: determined by the number written on the card

How to play:
Black jack is usually played with approximately 6 people and 6-8 decks of cards which are shuffled together.

The players place a wager and the dealer referred to as “the house” deals each player 2 open face cards. The dealer then deals himself 2 cards one is face down and one is face up. The players have to make a decision whether they want a third card (or even fourth, fifth etc.) or if they want to stay with what they have. The closer one is to 21, the less likely one is willing to take a next card as they do not want to go over 21.  As a general rule, the house stays if they have 17 or higher and takes another card if they are with 16 points or less.

Winning:
If a player has a number closer to 21 then the house, the house must give him the money that he bet doubled. If the house wins then the player loses the money he bet. If the player and the house are tied, it is a “push” and nobody wins. If a player gets “Blackjack” (as explained above) he gets a 1 to 1.5 payback on his bet.

Other Factors:
Double down: The players can double their bet on the first two cards they receive. However, the player is only allowed to receive one card after doubling down. One does this when they are confident that their cards will get close to 21.

Split hand:
If a player’s two initial cards are of the same value, they can split the cards up and play these two cards separately. They will have to a second bet.

Insurance:
A side bet a player can make when a dealer is showing an Ace. If the dealer receives a Blackjack, then the player’s odds are 2 to 1. If the dealer does not get a blackjack, then the player loses.