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Play Live Dealer Blackjack
Blackjack Rules
The Object of the Game
The object is to achieve a higher card count than the croupier
without exceeding a count of 21.
How to Play the Game
Bets are placed on the blackjack table in the rectangle
immediately in front of you. Each bet must be made in accordance
with the minimum and maximum table limits, which vary from table
to table. Players must place and confirm their bets before the
end of the betting period, which ends when the croupier
announces "No more bets."
The Play
Beginning on the croupier's left, a card is dealt face up to
each player in turn with the croupier being last in rotation. A
second card is then dealt in the same manner, face up to each
player; the croupier does not get a second card yet.
Once all initial cards are dealt, each player gets a turn to
improve their counts. The order of the turns is the same as the
order the cards were dealt. During your turn, you have the
option of standing or hitting (drawing) one or more cards to
improve your count. Once you stand, your turn is over. If you
exceed a count of 21, this is called a bust, and you lose your
bet immediately; otherwise, your bet remains unresolved. If your
initial count (with two cards) is 21, this is called a
blackjack. You are not allowed to draw to (hit on) a blackjack.
If there is no possibility that the croupier also has a
blackjack (that is, the croupier's card is neither a face card,
a Ten, nor an Ace), then you win your bet immediately upon the
start of your turn, and your bet is paid off at 3 to 2. If there
is a possibility that the croupier also has a blackjack, the
resolution of your bet is delayed until the croupier's final
count is established.
After all players have had a turn, the croupier takes a second
card, then stands or draws as appropriate, according to the
house strategy. If the croupier exceeds a count of 21, she
busts, and all unresolved bets are winners. If she stands
without busting, each player's count is then compared to the
croupier's. If your count is closer to 21 than the croupier's,
you win. If the croupier's is closer, you lose. If you and the
croupier tie, the bet is a push (or standoff), which means you
neither win your bet nor lose it. Once all bets have been
resolved, the croupier announces the beginning of the next
betting period.
The Cards
Face cards (Jacks, Queens, and Kings) are worth 10, while Aces
are worth 1 or 11. After a player has stood, a hand containing
one or more Aces is considered to be at its highest possible
value without exceeding 21.
Player Options
After the first two cards are dealt, each player gets an
opportunity to improve their counts. They may also alter their
wagers in the following ways:
Splitting Pairs Pairs, two cards of equal value, may be split into two separate
hands, each with a bet equal to the original bet amount. If you
split your hand, the first subhand is dealt a second card, and
you are permitted to stand or hit one or more cards to improve
the count. Once you stand on your first subhand, your second
subhand is dealt a second card, and you are then permitted to
stand or hit on that hand.
Split Aces are an exceptional case. When you split a pair of
Aces, each subhand receives exactly one additional card with no
option to you to hit. Further, a count of 21 with the two cards
in a subhand of split Aces is not considered a Blackjack, and
will lose to a croupier's Blackjack.
Subhands may not be resplit.
Doubling Down
After the first two cards are dealt, you have the option to
double down, which means you wager an additional amount equal to
your original bet and receive exactly one more card on that
hand. You may also double down after splitting a pair, except in
the case of splitting Aces (because split Aces are only
permitted a second card).
Insurance If the croupier's up card is an Ace, you may obtain insurance,
which is a wager of a sum equal to one half of your original
bet. If the croupier draws a Blackjack, the insurance pays two
to one. If the croupier fails to draw a Blackjack, you lose your
insurance. You may obtain insurance even if you have blackjack.
The House Strategy Unlike the players, the house has no choice in whether it hits
or stands on its hand. The house must:
Hit on a count of 16 or less.
Hit on a soft 17.
Stand on a hard 17 or more.
A soft hand is a hand in which an Ace may be counted as either 1
or 11 without the count exceeding 21. A hard hand is a hand in
which all Aces may only be counted as 1 each to avoid the count
exceeding 21.
Payouts A Blackjack, a two-card 21 not arising on a split, is paid at
three to two as long as the croupier does not also have a
Blackjack. If both you and the croupier have a Blackjack, the
bet is a push. A Blackjack beats any three-or-more-card 21.
All other winning bets are paid at one to one.
A croupier/player tie is a push, and neither wins nor loses.
You bust and lose your bet with a card count exceeding 21.
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