Goal
Build a hand as close to 21 as you can without going over, and beat the dealer's total. Going over 21 busts — an instant loss, no matter what the dealer ends up with. You only play against the dealer, and the dealer plays by a fixed rule with no decisions.
Card Values
- 2 – 10 = face value
- J, Q, K = 10 each
- Ace = 11 or 1 — automatically whichever helps you most
Suits mean nothing. A hand counting an Ace as 11 is soft (it can't bust on the next card); once the Ace must drop to 1, the hand is hard.
A♠ 6♥ = soft 17 — hitting can't bust you
A♠ 6♥ 10♣ = hard 17 — the Ace drops to 1
A♦ A♣ 9♥ = soft 21
The Deal
Place your bet, then you and the dealer each get two cards. Yours are face up; the dealer shows one upcard and keeps one hole card face down. If the dealer's upcard is an Ace or a 10-value card, they peek for blackjack before you act — so you can never lose a doubled or split bet to a hidden dealer blackjack.
Your Options
- Hit — take another card. Repeat as long as you're under 21.
- Stand — lock in your total.
- Double — double your bet, take exactly one more card, then stand. First two cards only (including after a split).
- Split — turn a matching-rank pair (8+8, K+K — not 10+K) into two hands, each with its own equal bet. Up to 4 hands. Split Aces get just one card each and can't be resplit.
- Surrender — (if enabled) fold your opening hand and keep half your bet. First decision only.
Dealer's Play
After your hands finish, the dealer reveals the hole card and must hit on 16 or less and stand on 17 or more — no choices, no bluffing. (With the "hits soft 17" option on, the dealer also hits a soft 17.)
Blackjack & Payouts
- Blackjack (Ace + 10-value as your first two cards) pays 3:2.
- A regular win — higher total, or the dealer busts — pays 1:1.
- A tie is a push: your bet comes back. Dealer does not win ties.
- A 21 made by hitting or after a split is just a 21, not a blackjack — it pays 1:1.
Bet 20, dealt A♠ K♥ — blackjack pays 30.
Bet 20, stand on 19 vs dealer 17 — win pays 20.
Insurance & Even Money
When the dealer shows an Ace, you may buy insurance for half your bet — a side bet that the hole card is a 10. It pays 2:1 if the dealer has blackjack, exactly cancelling your loss. Holding a blackjack yourself, you can instead take even money: a guaranteed 1:1 payout before the peek. Both are the same math — and both are long-run losers.
The Shoe
Cards are dealt from a shoe of 1–8 decks. When the red cut card comes up (about 75% through), the shoe is reshuffled before the next round. You're out of the game when you can't cover the 10-chip table minimum.
Quick Strategy
- 12–16 is the danger zone. Stand against a weak dealer upcard (2–6); hit against a strong one (7–A).
- Double hard 11 — especially against a dealer 5 or 6.
- Always split Aces and 8s. Never split 10s or 5s.
- The dealer busts most often showing a 4, 5, or 6 — let them.
- Skip insurance. It feels safe; it isn't.