How a Blackjack Hand Is Played
Blackjack is a comparison game between each player and the house. The objective is to obtain a better hand than the dealer without exceeding 21.
The player wins by making a natural Blackjack when the dealer does not, by obtaining a higher total than the dealer, or when the dealer exceeds 21 while the player’s hand is still active.
Cards from 2 to 9 are worth their face value; 10, Jack, Queen and King are worth 10. An Ace is worth 11 when that does not cause a bust, otherwise it is worth 1.
A hand in which at least one Ace can still count as 11 is soft; a hand without an Ace usable as 11 is hard. A total of 21 made with three or more cards is not a natural Blackjack.
The number of decks and the table rules change the house edge and, in some cases, the correct strategy.
Hole Card, ENHC and OBO
Hole card and American procedure
The dealer receives one upcard and one hole card. When showing an Ace or a ten-value card, the dealer may immediately check for Blackjack. In this case the player normally loses only the original wager.
European No Hole Card
Under ENHC procedure, the dealer initially receives only one card and completes the hand after the players’ decisions. In the classic version, if the dealer makes Blackjack, additional double and split wagers are also lost.
OBO
In Original Bets Only variants, the house keeps only the original wager. This difference changes some basic-strategy decisions.
Available Actions
- Hit: receive an additional card.
- Stand: end your action and keep the total obtained.
- Double Down: normally add a wager equal to the original and receive one card only.
- Split: separate two eligible cards into two hands and add a second wager.
- Surrender: give up the hand and lose half the wager when the rules allow it.
Dealer Rules
- must hit with a total of 16 or lower;
- must stand on every hard 17 or higher;
- on soft 17 the dealer may be required to stand — S17 — or hit — H17.
H17 is less favorable to the player and increases the house edge by about 0.22 percentage points on average compared with S17.
Standard Payouts
| Outcome | Payout |
|---|---|
| Standard win | 1:1 |
| Natural Blackjack | 3:2 |
| Push | wager returned |
| Winning insurance | 2:1 |
| Surrender | loss of half the wager |
A €10 Blackjack produces €15 profit at 3:2, but only €12 at 6:5. The 6:5 payout increases the house edge by about 1.39 percentage points; a 1:1 payout is even worse.
Doubling (Double Down)
- Players may double the initial wager after receiving their first two cards and then receive only one additional card.
- In some casinos, doubling is allowed only with totals of 9, 10 or 11.
Splitting (Split)
- Some tables allow cards of the same value to be split, such as a 10 and a King; others require the same rank.
- The maximum number of hands, resplitting, DAS, RSA and rules for split Aces must be checked.
- An Ace plus a ten-value card after a split normally totals 21, but it is not a natural Blackjack.
Insurance and Even Money
- Insurance may normally be up to half the initial wager and pays 2:1 if the dealer completes Blackjack.
- At a probability of exactly one third, insurance breaks even; it becomes positive only when the dealer’s probability of Blackjack exceeds one third.
- Even money is economically equivalent to taking insurance when the player has Blackjack.
- Without information about the composition of the remaining cards, insurance and even money are not part of basic strategy.
Surrender (Surrender)
Late surrender: is available only after the dealer has ruled out Blackjack.
Early surrender: is taken before the check and is much more favorable to the player.
ENHC procedure does not automatically imply early surrender: the table may offer no surrender at all or may apply specific conditions.
Side Bets
Perfect Pairs, 21+3 and other side bets are separate games from the main Blackjack game and have their own paytables and house edges.
Before Sitting at the Table
- Blackjack payout: 3:2, 6:5 or 1:1;
- number of decks;
- S17 or H17;
- hole card, peek, ENHC, OBO or another procedure;
- double, DAS, split and RSA rules;
- early, late or no surrender;
- rules for split Aces;
- side-bet paytables.
Two tables both called Blackjack may have different house edges and strategies.
The rules determine which chart is correct. The next step is to apply the Blackjack basic strategy designed for those conditions.
Check the effect of the rules
Compare rule sets with the Blackjack Basic Strategy Generator and verify a specific hand with the Blackjack EV Calculator.