Blackjack Vegas

Before any cards are dealt, the player must make a bet. He does this by placing the amount of his bet within the designated space within his table position. The dealer then deals two cards to each of the players, and two to himself (sometimes only one in online casinos, giving you better odds).
If the dealer receives two cards, one card is facing up and the other is facing down. If he only deals one card, it is the card that is facing up. The other card is then dealt after you've decided on your hand. When playing the game, face cards count as 10, an ace counts as 1 or 11 (players choice) and all other playing cards count as their face value.
Blackjack is achieved if the players first two cards are an ace and a 10 or a face card. The player automatically wins, unless the dealer also has natural blackjack, and then it would be a push. Therefore, the player would receive his initial bet, and a new hand would begin. A winning blackjack pays the player 3 to 2, and you can also win if you have 21 and the dealer does not.
Hit means to draw another card, and Stand means that the player doesn't require any additional cards. If the player hits and busts (goes over 21), he immediately turns his cards over and his wager is lost. The player is allowed to double the bet (double down) on his first two cards and draw one additional card only to improve his hand. When a player doubles down, he also doubles his initial bet, therefore risking a higher win or loss on the hand.
If the first two cards that are dealt to a player are a pair, he may split them into two separate hands, bet the same amount on each of the hands and play them separately. Aces will receive only one additional card per hand.
If the dealers first card is an ace, then the player has the option of taking insurance, which is a bet that does not exceed one-half of the players bet.
If the dealer has natural blackjack, the player wins 2 to 1 on the insurance, therefore getting his money back. Any other card means a win for the dealer.

More Rules

A dealer acts for the house and stands behind the table to deal the cards.
The following will teach you the how the game is played, including table etiquette and the basic rules of the game.
The blackjack table in a casino is generally set up with seven seats or betting stations, although some games have as few as five.
Each blackjack table will have a sign that tells the table limits.
Find out what the rules are and what the limits are whether you're gambling online or in a landbased casino. By limits I mean how little or how much you can bet per hand. Start low while you're learning. Online gambling goes much faster so remember that a lot of money can be bet in a short amount of time. Pace yourself and take many breaks. I recommend single player games with no distractions if online gambling. In a landbased casino you can buy your chips right from the dealer. Try to find a table with few people or better yet, find a dealer who is standing and waiting for someone to sit down. If you can go one on one with the dealer. That is the best.
After you receive your chips place your bet in the circle in front of your seat. The blackjack dealer shuffles the cards, and if he's dealing more than two decks, he'll place the shuffled cards in a box known as a "shoe." After he shuffles, he'll ask a player to "cut" the deck, by using a colored card, known as the cut card. The player simply slides the colored card into the deck at any point. The dealer divides the deck at the cut point, and takes the cut card and places it about two-thirds the way into the deck. This deck "penetration" varies from casino to casino, and sometimes even from table to table. When the dealers changed as they frequently do, the next dealer put the cut card about a third of the way up the shoe.
The dealer then places the cards into the shoe, or arranges them in his hand (for two or less decks). The dealer will then discard-"burn"-the first card, and check to make sure that all players have their bets in the right place and in the right amount. Make sure you see the burn card. If the dealer doesn't show it to you ask to see it. After all, the count starts with the burn card. The dealer begins distributing the cards to the players from the front of the shoe or the top of the deck. He'll begin with the player farthest to his left-known as "first base"-and then proceed to give one card to each player, including the dealer's "upcard." He'll repeat the motion until every player has two cards. He completes the deal by sliding his "hole card" under his upcard.
In some casinos, the players are allowed to handle the cards. In this situation, the players receive their cards face down, and pick them up with their hands. If you're playing this type of game, do not use two hands to pick the cards up. Pick them up with one hand and hold them over the table. Never remove them from the table or shield them in any manner from the dealer's view. The dealer is responsible for the security of the cards, and must prevent them from being replaced by other cards or otherwise tampered with.
In other casinos, the players' cards are dealt face up, and the players are prohibited from touching them. The dealer handles all the cards and chips.
The object of blackjack is to beat the dealer. The winner is whoever has closest to a total of 21. You reach 21 by adding up the values of the cards. Tens and face cards are worth ten points, the other cards count as their numerical values, and Aces are worth one or 11, at the discretion of the player.
For example, a six of spades and a eight of hearts is 14. A Queen of spades and a Jack of diamonds counts as 20. An Ace of spades and a six of hearts can count as 17 or seven.
You decide whether an ace is worth one or eleven depending on what you need it to be worth to make the best hand. In the last example, for instance, say you draw an Eight to the Ace and six. That would "bust" your hand if the Ace was counted as 11, so you drop it to a one. In that situation, you count it as one, and you've got a 15.
A "soft hand" is a hand that contains an Ace which is counted as 11. A "hard hand" is a one that does not contain an Ace or a hand where the Ace can only be counted as one point.
After the dealer gives each player two cards, he'll return to first-base and start acting on each hand individually. He will point to your cards when it is your turn.
If you want another card-a "hit"-you indicate by scratching the table with your hand. The dealer will not accept a verbal command because the hand signal must be given so that the security cameras can see exactly what you want to do with that hand. If you want to "stand"-take no cards-you indicate by waving your hand, palm down. You use that motion when you've decided to stop taking additional cards, as well.
In the hand-held game, you scrape the table with the edge of your cards to indicate you want to hit. When you're satisfied with your hand, you slide your cards under your chips in the betting circle.
If you take a hit and that card puts your total over 21, you lose automatically. The dealer removes your cards and your chips.In the hand-held game, turn your cards over immediately if you've exceeded 21, so the dealer can finish your hand.
At the end of the hand, if the totals of your cards are closer to 21, you win! If the dealer's hand is closer to 21, you lose. And if you tie the dealer-called a "push"-no one wins or loses. If the dealer hasn't busted, he will pay the winners and take the loser's chips. If you have pushed, the dealer will rap the table with his knuckles and leave the chips where they stand. You are then allowed to increase, decrease or remove the bet.
The rules the dealer must play by are very simple. If the dealer's hand is 16 or less, he/she must take a card. If the dealer's hand is 17 or more, he/she must stand. Note that some casinos allow the dealer to hit on soft 17 which gives the house a very small additional advantage. The dealer's strategy is fixed and what you and the other players have is immaterial to him/her as far as hitting and standing is concerned.
There is one way to win automatically, and that is to receive a total of 21 in the first two cards. That requires a ten-value card and an Ace. This is called a "natural" or a "blackjack."
When a player receives a blackjack, he wins a bonus. Normally, all bets are paid off at even money when playing blackjack,but when you get a blackjack, you receive a three-to-two payoff. If you've bet $10, you'll get paid $15, for example.
If you're playing the hand-held game, you should turn your cards over immediately to get paid.
The only time a player can receive a blackjack and not get paid immediately is if the dealer also has an blackjack. In this case, it's a push, and no one gets paid. You can protect yourself by taking "insurance." If the dealer has an Ace showing he will ask all players if they would like insurance. The insurance bet is a side bet in which you can wager half of your original bet. To place an insurance bet place chips in the amount of half your original wager on the table in front of your original bet. If the dealer does have blackjack your insurance bet will be payed at 2-1 and you will lose your original bet. If the dealer doesn't have blackjack you will lose your insurance bet but continue play with your original bet. In general, the insurance bet is not a good bet unless you are counting cards and you have determined that there is a high probability of the dealer having blackjack. There's an old saying, "scared money never wins". Knowing that insurance doesn't pay in the long run and yet feeling like you really need it is a good example of this scared money saying. If you are playing and take insurance despite knowing you shouldn't, maybe you're playing over your head or are just tired and need to quit.
The bad news is that you can't decrease your bets once you've made them. The good news is that you can actually increase your bets in the middle of a hand.
One of the times when you may increase your bet iswhen you doube down. This means the casino will allow you to make a second bet equal in size to your first bet. In return for this right, you agree to accept only one more card for your hand. You can double down only after looking at your first two cards. You cannot take a hit and double down.
Many casinos allow you to double down for less than the amount of your original bet. This should be avoided because if the situation is worth doubling down, it is worth betting as much as you can, which is the amount of your original bet.
To tell the dealer you want to double down, you slide a second wager next to your original wager in the betting circle. Do not place the additional bet on top of the original wager, because the dealer may think you are trying to cheat by increasing your bet illegally. No hand signal is necessary. The dealer will see your double-down bet and give you one card, generally placed horizontally across the first two cards. In the hand-held game, the dealer will place the card under your chips in the betting circle. You may pick up the card to see what you've been given, but you'll get more respect if you wait until the dealer settles all bets to expose your hand.
If you win your bet, you'll be paid even money for the two bets, and receive double your original wager. If you lose, of course, both bets are taken away. In the event of a push, you keep both bets, but are not paid.
Another way of increasing your bet mid-hand is splitting. If the two original cards dealt to you are a pair, such as a seven of clubs and a seven of hearts, you can then split your hand if you wish, thus giving you 2 separate hands to play. To do this a wager equal to your original bet must be placed along side your initial wager.
If you have a pair that you want to split and your cards are dealt face down, turn them over and place them a few inches apart. If your cards were dealt face up, point to your cards and say "split" when the dealer prompts you for a card. The original bet will go with one card and you will have to place an equal amount of chips in the betting box near the other card. You are now playing two hands, each as though they were regular hands with the exception being that if you have just split two aces. In that case, you only get one card which will hopefully be a 10. If it is a ten, that hand's total is now 21 but the hand isn't considered a BlackJack. That is, you are paid 1:1 and not 1:1.5 as for a natural (BlackJack). After splitting your cards the dealer will deal cards to your 1st hand until you decide to stand. He will then deal cards to your next hand. Keep in mind that stand, hit, split, and double-down rules apply to each new hand being dealt. Casino blackjack rules vary on how many times a player can split his cards. For example, if you draw a pair of eights, split them, and are dealt another eight, most casinos will allow to you split again and start a third hand. Ask the dealer what the split rules are if you do not know them. Or better yet, before you start playing find customer service and ask them. Sometimes they even have a pamphlet or card printed up for each game in the casino.

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		Before any cards are dealt, the player must make a bet. He does this by placing the amount of his bet within the designated space within his table position. The dealer then deals two cards to each of the players, and two to himself (sometimes only one in online casinos, giving you better odds). If the dealer receives two cards, one card is facing up and the other is facing down. If he only deals one card, it is the card that is facing up. The other card is then dealt after you've decided on your hand. When playing the game, face cards count as 10, an ace counts as 1 or 11 (players choice) and all other playing cards count as their face value. Blackjack is achieved if the players first two cards are an ace and a 10 or a face card. The player automatically wins, unless the dealer also has natural blackjack, and then it would be a push. Therefore, the player would receive his initial bet, and a new hand would begin. A winning blackjack pays the player 3 to 2, and you can also win if you have 21 and the dealer does not. Hit means to draw another card, and Stand means that the player doesn't require any additional cards. If the player hits and busts (goes over 21), he immediately turns his cards over and his wager is lost. The player is allowed to double the bet (double down) on his first two cards and draw one additional card only to improve his hand. When a player doubles down, he also doubles his initial bet, therefore risking a higher win or loss on the hand. If the first two cards that are dealt to a player are a pair, he may split them into two separate hands, bet the same amount on each of the hands and play them separately. Aces will receive only one additional card per hand. If the dealers first card is an ace, then the player has the option of taking insurance, which is a bet that does not exceed one-half of the players bet. If the dealer has natural blackjack, the player wins 2 to 1 on the insurance, therefore getting his money back. Any other card means a win for the dealer. More Rules A dealer acts for the house and stands behind the table to deal the cards. The following will teach you the how the game is played, including table etiquette and the basic rules of the game. The blackjack table in a casino is generally set up with seven seats or betting stations, although some games have as few as five. Each blackjack table will have a sign that tells the table limits. Find out what the rules are and what the limits are whether you're gambling online or in a landbased casino. By limits I mean how little or how much you can bet per hand. Start low while you're learning. Online gambling goes much faster so remember that a lot of money can be bet in a short amount of time. Pace yourself and take many breaks. I recommend single player games with no distractions if online gambling. In a landbased casino you can buy your chips right from the dealer. Try to find a table with few people or better yet, find a dealer who is standing and waiting for someone to sit down. If you can go one on one with the dealer. That is the best. After you receive your chips place your bet in the circle in front of your seat. The blackjack dealer shuffles the cards, and if he's dealing more than two decks, he'll place the shuffled cards in a box known as a "shoe." After he shuffles, he'll ask a player to "cut" the deck, by using a colored card, known as the cut card. The player simply slides the colored card into the deck at any point. The dealer divides the deck at the cut point, and takes the cut card and places it about two-thirds the way into the deck. This deck "penetration" varies from casino to casino, and sometimes even from table to table. When the dealers changed as they frequently do, the next dealer put the cut card about a third of the way up the shoe. The dealer then places the cards into the shoe, or arranges them in his hand (for two or less decks). The dealer will then discard-"burn"-the first card, and check to make sure that all players have their bets in the right place and in the right amount. Make sure you see the burn card. If the dealer doesn't show it to you ask to see it. After all, the count starts with the burn card. The dealer begins distributing the cards to the players from the front of the shoe or the top of the deck. He'll begin with the player farthest to his left-known as "first base"-and then proceed to give one card to each player, including the dealer's "upcard." He'll repeat the motion until every player has two cards. He completes the deal by sliding his "hole card" under his upcard. In some casinos, the players are allowed to handle the cards. In this situation, the players receive their cards face down, and pick them up with their hands. If you're playing this type of game, do not use two hands to pick the cards up. Pick them up with one hand and hold them over the table. Never remove them from the table or shield them in any manner from the dealer's view. The dealer is responsible for the security of the cards, and must prevent them from being replaced by other cards or otherwise tampered with. In other casinos, the players' cards are dealt face up, and the players are prohibited from touching them. The dealer handles all the cards and chips. The object of blackjack is to beat the dealer. The winner is whoever has closest to a total of 21. You reach 21 by adding up the values of the cards. Tens and face cards are worth ten points, the other cards count as their numerical values, and Aces are worth one or 11, at the discretion of the player. For example, a six of spades and a eight of hearts is 14. A Queen of spades and a Jack of diamonds counts as 20. An Ace of spades and a six of hearts can count as 17 or seven. You decide whether an ace is worth one or eleven depending on what you need it to be worth to make the best hand. In the last example, for instance, say you draw an Eight to the Ace and six. That would "bust" your hand if the Ace was counted as 11, so you drop it to a one. In that situation, you count it as one, and you've got a 15. A "soft hand" is a hand that contains an Ace which is counted as 11. A "hard hand" is a one that does not contain an Ace or a hand where the Ace can only be counted as one point. After the dealer gives each player two cards, he'll return to first-base and start acting on each hand individually. He will point to your cards when it is your turn. If you want another card-a "hit"-you indicate by scratching the table with your hand. The dealer will not accept a verbal command because the hand signal must be given so that the security cameras can see exactly what you want to do with that hand. If you want to "stand"-take no cards-you indicate by waving your hand, palm down. You use that motion when you've decided to stop taking additional cards, as well. In the hand-held game, you scrape the table with the edge of your cards to indicate you want to hit. When you're satisfied with your hand, you slide your cards under your chips in the betting circle. If you take a hit and that card puts your total over 21, you lose automatically. The dealer removes your cards and your chips.In the hand-held game, turn your cards over immediately if you've exceeded 21, so the dealer can finish your hand. At the end of the hand, if the totals of your cards are closer to 21, you win! If the dealer's hand is closer to 21, you lose. And if you tie the dealer-called a "push"-no one wins or loses. If the dealer hasn't busted, he will pay the winners and take the loser's chips. If you have pushed, the dealer will rap the table with his knuckles and leave the chips where they stand. You are then allowed to increase, decrease or remove the bet. The rules the dealer must play by are very simple. If the dealer's hand is 16 or less, he/she must take a card. If the dealer's hand is 17 or more, he/she must stand. Note that some casinos allow the dealer to hit on soft 17 which gives the house a very small additional advantage. The dealer's strategy is fixed and what you and the other players have is immaterial to him/her as far as hitting and standing is concerned. There is one way to win automatically, and that is to receive a total of 21 in the first two cards. That requires a ten-value card and an Ace. This is called a "natural" or a "blackjack." When a player receives a blackjack, he wins a bonus. Normally, all bets are paid off at even money when playing blackjack,but when you get a blackjack, you receive a three-to-two payoff. If you've bet $10, you'll get paid $15, for example. If you're playing the hand-held game, you should turn your cards over immediately to get paid. The only time a player can receive a blackjack and not get paid immediately is if the dealer also has an blackjack. In this case, it's a push, and no one gets paid. You can protect yourself by taking "insurance." If the dealer has an Ace showing he will ask all players if they would like insurance. The insurance bet is a side bet in which you can wager half of your original bet. To place an insurance bet place chips in the amount of half your original wager on the table in front of your original bet. If the dealer does have blackjack your insurance bet will be payed at 2-1 and you will lose your original bet. If the dealer doesn't have blackjack you will lose your insurance bet but continue play with your original bet. In general, the insurance bet is not a good bet unless you are counting cards and you have determined that there is a high probability of the dealer having blackjack. There's an old saying, "scared money never wins". Knowing that insurance doesn't pay in the long run and yet feeling like you really need it is a good example of this scared money saying. If you are playing and take insurance despite knowing you shouldn't, maybe you're playing over your head or are just tired and need to quit. The bad news is that you can't decrease your bets once you've made them. The good news is that you can actually increase your bets in the middle of a hand. One of the times when you may increase your bet iswhen you doube down. This means the casino will allow you to make a second bet equal in size to your first bet. In return for this right, you agree to accept only one more card for your hand. You can double down only after looking at your first two cards. You cannot take a hit and double down. Many casinos allow you to double down for less than the amount of your original bet. This should be avoided because if the situation is worth doubling down, it is worth betting as much as you can, which is the amount of your original bet. To tell the dealer you want to double down, you slide a second wager next to your original wager in the betting circle. Do not place the additional bet on top of the original wager, because the dealer may think you are trying to cheat by increasing your bet illegally. No hand signal is necessary. The dealer will see your double-down bet and give you one card, generally placed horizontally across the first two cards. In the hand-held game, the dealer will place the card under your chips in the betting circle. You may pick up the card to see what you've been given, but you'll get more respect if you wait until the dealer settles all bets to expose your hand. If you win your bet, you'll be paid even money for the two bets, and receive double your original wager. If you lose, of course, both bets are taken away. In the event of a push, you keep both bets, but are not paid. Another way of increasing your bet mid-hand is splitting. If the two original cards dealt to you are a pair, such as a seven of clubs and a seven of hearts, you can then split your hand if you wish, thus giving you 2 separate hands to play. To do this a wager equal to your original bet must be placed along side your initial wager. If you have a pair that you want to split and your cards are dealt face down, turn them over and place them a few inches apart. If your cards were dealt face up, point to your cards and say "split" when the dealer prompts you for a card. The original bet will go with one card and you will have to place an equal amount of chips in the betting box near the other card. You are now playing two hands, each as though they were regular hands with the exception being that if you have just split two aces. In that case, you only get one card which will hopefully be a 10. If it is a ten, that hand's total is now 21 but the hand isn't considered a BlackJack. That is, you are paid 1:1 and not 1:1.5 as for a natural (BlackJack). After splitting your cards the dealer will deal cards to your 1st hand until you decide to stand. He will then deal cards to your next hand. Keep in mind that stand, hit, split, and double-down rules apply to each new hand being dealt. Casino blackjack rules vary on how many times a player can split his cards. For example, if you draw a pair of eights, split them, and are dealt another eight, most casinos will allow to you split again and start a third hand. Ask the dealer what the split rules are if you do not know them. Or better yet, before you start playing find customer service and ask them. Sometimes they even have a pamphlet or card printed up for each game in the casino.