Blackjack Rules

The goal of blackjack is not simply to get close to 21, but to beat the dealer without busting. Rules, table rules, and hand flow are the foundation before strategy and counting.

Point Value

• Cards 2-10 count as their face value.
• J, Q, and K all count as 10.
• Ace can count as 1 or 11, whichever is better for the hand.
• Blackjack is an ace plus a 10-value card. A 3:2 payout wins 1.5x the bet, while 6:5 wins only 1.2x, so 3:2 is much better for the player.

Hand Flow

• Place a bet.
• Deal the initial cards.
• Player acts.
• Dealer acts.
• Settle the hand.

Player Actions

• Hit: take another card. If the total goes over 21, the hand busts.
• Stand: stop taking cards and wait for the dealer to finish.
• Double: double the bet and take exactly one more card.
• Split: when allowed, split a pair into two hands.

Insurance / Surrender

• When the dealer upcard is an ace, Insurance is offered. It is a side bet on whether the dealer hole card is a 10-value card, meaning the dealer has blackjack.
• Insurance pays 2:1, but it is usually a bad bet. It becomes reasonable only when the deck is rich enough in 10-value cards.
• Surrender lets the player give up the hand and recover half the bet.
• Late surrender is available only after the dealer checks for blackjack. Early surrender is available before that check and is better for the player, but less common.

Shoe / Cut Card / Penetration

• A shoe usually contains multiple decks, such as 6 or 8 decks.
• When the cut card is reached, the shoe ends and the cards are shuffled again.
• Deeper penetration usually makes counting more valuable.

H17 / S17

• H17 means the dealer hits soft 17.
• S17 means the dealer stands on soft 17.
• H17 is usually worse for the player because the dealer gets another chance to improve the hand.