How to play Blackjack

Our team of casino experts will take you through everything you need to know about how to play blackjack, which includes card values, blackjack rules, blackjack tips, and much more!

How does Blackjack work?

The goal of blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possible. You and the dealer will be dealt two cards to start with, and if you feel as though the dealer will beat you, or your hand isn’t close enough to 21, then you can opt to hit, which will mean that you’ll be dealt another card.

However, you’ll run the risk of going over 21, and if you do that, then you’ll lose your bet (and stake) regardless of the value of the cards that the dealer has. You’re always looking to beat the dealer, and so make your hit or stand decision wisely!

Blackjack Card Values

If you’re not too familiar with card values, then it’s certainly worth brushing up your knowledge before sitting down to play blackjack either online or in person at a casino in your local area. Below, you’ll find the card values of each card involved in blackjack.

• Numbered cards: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 all have the value on their cards. Relatively straightforward with that one!
• Face cards: Having a jack, queen or king is worth ten to your hand. Regardless of which face card you’re dealt, they all hold the same value, which is ten.
• Ace: An ace in blackjack is a card that could tilt the hand in your favour if you’ve got one. It holds the value of 1 and 11, so you’ll be able to chance your luck potentially by hitting your hand. An example of an ace being in play would be if you had an ace and a six on the table as your hand. This would mean the value of your hand was 7 and 17. You could therefore stand on the hand if you thought 17 was good enough to beat the dealer. Alternatively, you could hit the hand to try and get a bit closer to 21. If you drew a ten from your next card, the value of your hand would still be 17, as it was previously 7 or 17.

Basic Blackjack Rules

Now that you’re aware of how blackjack works, and the value of each card that features in this card game, you’ll just need to know the basic rules! We’ve saved you the trouble of working out the blackjack rules yourself, as below, you’ll find all the basic rules you need to remember.

Regular wins pay at 1:1

If you beat the dealer in the hand you’re playing, then you’ll be paid out at 1:1, which is also known as double money.

Blackjack wins pay at 3:2

If you’re lucky enough to hit a blackjack from the two cards you’ve been dealt, you’ll be paid out at odds of 3:2, which is more than the regular payout for winning the hand of 1:1.

Hit or Stand

You can choose to hit or stand on the hand you’ve been dealt by the dealer. Of course, you should look to make your decision whether to hit or stand based on not only the cards that you have, but also which card the dealer is showing. You’re looking to get as close to 21 as possible, but you could also back the dealer to bust their hand by going over 21, or below the value of your own hand, so make your decision wisely!

Split

The split option in blackjack can be slightly confusing to new players, but it’s worth remembering, as it could see you earn a bit of extra profit from this popular card game. If you’re dealt two cards that have the same value (e.g. 8 and 8, or 10, and 10), then you’ll have the opportunity to split the hands into two separate hands.

It’s worth remembering that when you split your hands, then you’ll be doubling the overall stake you originally had on the table for that hand. You can then decide whether you want to hit or stand each hand, and if you beat the dealer, then you’ll be paid out at the standard 1:1 payout.

Double Down

If you choose to double down in blackjack, then you’ll be doubling your original stake. When you double

A good example of using a double down effectively would be to double down when you have a 3 and an 8, which gives you a hand value of 11. If the dealer is showing a 6, then you’ll certainly be confident of winning the hand, not only if they bust the hand, but you could also get much close to 21 than them potentially.

If we double downed on the 11 we had originally, and were dealt a face card (value of 10), then we’d have a hand value of 21 with double the original stake that we placed on our hand. If the dealer then busts their hand by going over 21, or not beating your own hand of 21, then you’ll be paid out at double the odds of what you originally would win on a standard bet on blackjack.

Our team of blackjack experts tend to double down on 10 and 11, but some online casinos do limit you from being able to double down on lower values, as they look to limit their potential loss to the player.

Dealers must hit on 16 or below

This rule within blackjack is relatively self explanatory! If a dealer has a hand of 16 or lower, then they must hit that hand. Obviously the higher number that they have on the value of their current hand, the more likely they are to bust the hand by drawing a card to take them over 21.

Therefore, one blackjack strategy that some casino bettors like to implement is to stand on anything from 12 or below if the dealer has a hand value of 16, as the bettor will often back the dealer to bust their hand. Each bettor will have their own blackjack strategy of course, so be sure to stick to the plan you have in place whilst at the blackjack table.

How to play Blackjack for Beginners

As we’ve previously mentioned, you’ll want to get to 21 ideally, but there is always an element of risk, as you could potentially bust your hand by going over 21, which would ultimately see you lose your stake.

If you’re still relatively new to blackjack, we’ll take you through a step-by-step guide on how to play blackjack, which we hope will be useful to learning more about this popular card game.

• Sign into your account with your chosen casino site. For this example, we’ll choose Sky Casino.
• Select the table you want to join. We’ll join one of Sky Casino’s live blackjack tables.

• You can then decide to hit or stand. You can do this by working out the value of the hand you’ve first been dealt. It’s worth remembering that you can use instinct to decide whether to hit or stand, or you can use your own blackjack strategy.

• If you choose to hit, you’ll be looking to get as close to 21 as possible, and if you don’t go over 21, then you’ve got a chance of winning the hand. You can hit as many times as you want, but if you bust the hand, then you’ll lose your stake.
• If you opt to stand on your current value of the hand, then the dealer won’t deal you any additional cards. This decision is normally because you think you’ve got a good enough hand to beat the dealer, or you think the dealer will bust their hand.
• The dealer will then reveal their cards once you’ve made your decision.
• Whoever is closer to 21 will win the hand. If you tie, then you’ll have your stake refunded as cash.

Additional Blackjack Betting Options

Blackjack can be a difficult card game to get your head around as a beginner, but as you begin to familiarise yourself with the rules, you’ll start to get the hang of it relatively quickly. It’s worth remembering that there are some additional blackjack betting options, which our team at BonusCodeBets will take you through.

• Insurance: If the dealer pulls an ace as their face up card, then that gives them the chance of pulling a blackjack, which would mean that you’re likely to potentially lose the hand to them. If an ace is pulled by the dealer, then they’ll give players the chance to ‘insure’ their bet, which means that they’ll receive their stake back if the dealer does go on to pull a card with the value of ten, which would result in a blackjack. If you don’t insure your bet and the dealer pulls a card with the value of ten to accompany their ace, then you’ll lose that hand, and the money you staked originally.
• Soft 17: A soft hand is when there is an ace on the table. With an ace holding the value of either 1 or 11, it’s called a soft hand, as with the two cards you have, you’ll have a different total. If for example you’ve got an ace and an eight as your cards, you’ll have a total of 9 or 19. Depending on what card the dealer is showing, you can opt to stand with you having a relatively high value of 19. Or alternatively, you can hit if you want to chance your luck at getting a higher value than 19, as your hand is also worth 9. Some online casinos require their dealers to hit on a soft 17, which could potentially increase the chances of them busting their hand.
• Surrendering: This type of additional bet isn’t available with all in-person or online casinos, so it’s worth looking into the terms and conditions attached to blackjack before you start playing with your chosen operator. If once the cards are dealt, you don’t like the look of the hand you’ve got, and you think you might lose the hand, then you can surrender half of your stake instead of potentially losing the full stake if the dealer beat you.
• Even money: If you’re lucky enough to hit a blackjack, you’re not quite guaranteed a winning hand just yet. If the dealer is showing an ace, then you’ll have the opportunity to take an even money (double money) payout, which is a slightly smaller payout compared to the 3:2 payout you’d get if the dealer didn’t match your blackjack.

How to play Blackjack Tips

Here at BonusCodeBets, our betting experts are regular blackjack players, and so you can rest-assured that the information being provided to you on this page is reliable and accurate, whilst also being based on our first-hand experiences with online blackjack casino sites.

We’ll take you through some key how to play blackjack tips, which we hope will help you potentially win some money in the long-term on blackjack!

Have a strategy in place

If you’re heading to blackjack without much knowledge of the game itself, then we strongly advise you to take a look at the basic blackjack rules, which we hope will help you earn a potential profit on this popular card game.

Each blackjack player will have their own preference in terms of what numbers they hit on, and which numbers they stand or double down on, and as long as you stick to that strategy, you’re much less likely to have regrets. There’s nothing more frustrating in blackjack betting than standing on the same number you would normally hit on, and then the dealer beating your hand, so stick to the strategy you have on blackjack is something our team of blackjack experts would strongly advise.

Stick to a sensible staking plan

This point can be filed under many different bets or games that can be placed in sportsbooks or casino betting. Obviously as a bettor, you’re going to ideally want to win as much money as possible in a relatively short space of time.

However, that obviously isn’t the case all the time, as if it was, then casinos and online casinos wouldn’t be running to this day. It’s hugely important that you have a sensible staking plan in place, and that you’re not increasing your stakes to try and chase a loss.

If you do that, then it can potentially spiral out of control, which could eventually see you losing a considerable amount of money if the cards aren’t dealt in your favour. Sticking to a sensible staking plan doesn’t guarantee you profit by any stretch of the imagination, but it’ll hopefully set you on your way to an affordable staking plan which doesn’t affect your daily outgoings.

If you ever feel as though you’re gambling with funds that you can’t afford to lose, then we advise you to take a break, and take a look at the various safer gambling tools which are available with your chosen casino site.

Remain calm whilst playing Blackjack

Blackjack is a hugely entertaining game to play, both in casinos in person and online casinos, where players from across the country can sit at the same table and place various bets.

However, like any bet you’re placing, there aren’t ever any guarantees in betting, and blackjack is no different on this front! Even if you have high numbers such as 19 and 20 on your hands, you might find that the dealer has 21, and so it’s vital that you remain calm whilst playing blackjack.

If you’re not calm, then you’re much more likely to make rash decisions which will affect your potential chances of coming away with a profit. Of course, blackjack is largely down to luck in some ways, as we don’t ever know what card is going to be dealt next, but with a sensible staking plan in place, and a calm head, you’re much more likely to have an enjoyable blackjack session when you play.

How to play Blackjack FAQs