“For winning money at multiple-deck blackjack, bet variation is much more important than strategy variation“. – Stanford Wong
Beating the dealer’s hand is what Blackjack is all about. While doings so, the player needs to keep two things in mind: not going over 21 when the dealer does and push for the total that exceeds the dealer’s total. It may sound easier than it is. However, before you put yourself out there and aim big at the bet safe casino, you should know the basics, such as Blackjack cards value and betting rules.
Blackjack Cards Value
Blackjack is very straightforward when it comes to cards. Basically, what you see face up is what you get. Suits have no particular or unique value. As all picture cards, we value them as 10s. Regardless of the fact whether it is a king or a dame, for example, the value of that card will always be 10.
It is a bit different with aces. An ace card we count as either 1 or 11. Usually, an ace has the value of 11. The only situation when we value an ace as 1 is when we do not wish to exceed the total of 21 per hand.
A hand containing an ace that counts as 1 is called a „hard hand“. Contrary, a hand containing an ace that counts as 11 is called a „soft hand“. Interestingly, the same value of hands can be played differently. For example, a soft 13 can consist of A-2, while a hard 13 can consist of 10-3. It is important to learn the value of cards and how to differentiate the soft and hard hands because of the various strategies you can apply.
Nevertheless, as Stanford Wong pointed out at the beginning of this text, sometimes, bet variation is more important than the strategy. Therefore, let us explore some of the betting rules, for starters.
Betting Rules
The maximum number of players in Blackjack is 7. In order to be able to play, the player needs to buy a chip from the dealer. Chips have different values, showing the difference in bets. Players also need to note the minimum betting amount that is clearly stated on the table. Sometimes, casinos allow the players to play more than one hand per round. If this happens, the player should wager double the table minimum per hand.
Upon the dealing of the cards, the player needs to decide on the next move, respecting some of the standard rules.
Specific Betting Rules in Blackjack
“Hitting Rule“ refers to the situation when a player wants another card from the dealer. He or she should tap the table slightly with a finger behind his or her cards.
“Standing Rule“ implies that a player is content with the cards and shows his decision to stand with his or her cards by waving a hand over the cards, palm down. Alternatively, a player can tuck the cards under his or her chips in the betting box, to show satisfaction with the cards.
“Pair Splitting Rule“ is quite convenient when a player holds two same cards and wants to split them. That way, a player starts playing two separate hands and drawing as many cards as needed to each hand. Naturally, once you split the cards, it is a requirement to make another bet, equal to the original one. You can place the chip next to the original chip-bet on that hand. Now, the important thing to understand here with the splitting rule is that when you split aces, you can usually draw just one card to each ace.
“Doubling Down Rule“ provides the opportunity to double the initial bet in return for receiving only 1 draw card. Casinos usually allow doubling down for less than the original wager. However, it is debatable whether this is a good move.
“Surrender Rule“ is a tricky one. It allows for the player to surrender the first two card hand, right after the dealer has confirmed that he is not in a possession of a Blackjack. The surrender rule is applicable until the player has not drawn a card. When players wish to surrender they simply say: “Surrender“ or they draw an imaginary line left to right across the betting table.
What is your betting style in Blackjack?
