Blackjack Guide
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LACKJACK
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General Rules
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Blackjack, or 21, is the most popular casino game. One
of the biggest reasons for its popularity is it’s a simple
Dealer's Visible Card
contest between you and the dealer. You need not con-
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cern yourself about the play of others at the table.
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The object of 21 is to beat the dealer by drawing cards
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that add up to 21, or as close to 21 as possible without
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exceeding that number. The Jack, Queen and King count
as 10 and the ace counts as 1 or 11, whichever you pre-
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fer. All other cards count at their face value.
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If you draw cards exceeding 21, you go bust and lose,
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even if the dealer also goes bust. If your count is closer
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to 21 than the dealer s count, you win. If your count is the
same as the dealer s, it s a tie or push - nobody wins.
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If your first two cards total 21 exactly, you have Black-
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jack (and 10 or face card with an Ace) and win one -
and-a-half times the money you bet. However, if the dealer
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also Blackjacks on his first two cards, it s a tie - nobody
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wins.
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When to Play
If you never played Blackjack before you should visit some
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of the major Casios early in the afternoon as most offer
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classes with low minimum bets.
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The best time to play with low minimum tables is early in
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the morning when most casinos lower their minimum bids
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to attract customers during quiet times. It s difficult to find
$5 tables in the evening.
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How to Win
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Learn the chart on the left and the basic guidlines below,
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as it suggest how you should play each hand for the best
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odds. Also it s worth purchasing a Casino computer game
with Las Vegas odds, you can learn how to play without
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risking any of your money.
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While your playing at the table you should never drink
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any alcohol or play when your tired. Casinos give free
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alcoholic drinks out in the attempt to impair your think-
ing. Don t play after midnight unless you slept all day.
Hit
Stand
Double Down
Split
Remember Blackjack is a thinking person s game and
playing to the chart on the left will help you increase your
chances of winning.
Understanding Splits
If your first two cards are a pair, you can play two hands by matching the amount of your original bet on each hand. You can draw as many cards
as you like for each hand. However if you re spliting Aces, you can draw only one card for each hand. However, be sure to check the dealer
hands before deciding to split, reffer to the above chart
on when to split.
B
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ASIC
UIDLINES
Understanding Double Downs
If your first two cards total a combination that you feel
Hit and Stand:
will only take a single card to draw to beat the dealer,
Hard : Always Hit except:
Soft : Always Hit except:
you may double your bet. Remember, you can only draw
• Stand on 12 against dealer 4-6
• Stand on 18 against dealer 2,7, 8
one additional card.
• Stand on 19 or more
• Stand on 13-16 against dealer 2-6
• Stand on 17 or more
Understanding Insurance
Double-Down:
This is a protection bet for the player and pays 2 to 1.
When a dealer has an Ace showing, the player has the
Hard :
Soft :
optionto take Insurance by placing up to half of his bet
• Double 9 against dealer 3-6
• Double 13, 14 against dealer 5, 6
in the Insurance square. If the dealer has 21, you win
• Double 10 against dealer 2-9
• Double 15, 16 against dealer 4-6
the insurance bet and lose if he doesn t. Basically, plac-
• Double 11 against dealer 2-10
• Double 17, 18 against dealer 3-6
ing an insurance bet is betting the that the dealer has a
blackjack.. Even if you win the insurance bet, you will
Hand Splitting:
still loose your original bet. Most experts will tell you to
• NEVER split 10s or 5s (treat 5s as a Hard 10)
stay away from Insurance.
• ALWAYS split Aces and 8s
• Split 2s, 3s, and 7s against dealer 2-7; otherwise Hit
Blackjack Odds
• Split 4s against dealer 5, 6; otherwise Hit
A single deck game with Las Vegas Strip rules and
• Split 6s against dealer 2-6; otherwise Hit
double after splitting allowed actually gives the player
• Split 9s against dealer 2-6, 8, 9; otherwise Stand
a +0.1% advantage
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