Blackjack is one of those games where most of the time the advantage is to the player and you don’t need to play 20,000 hands in order to see a return. Unlike poker, you aren’t playing against all of the players at the table; you’re actually only playing against the dealer who has to follow strict rules while you can play almost anyway you like.
In Blackjack, you are allowed to increase your bet as the odds improve, and decrease it if the odds get bad insures that you don’t lose a lot. If you’re good Blackjack player, you can turn the odds against the casino to win more. There isn’t another casino game that allows you as many options to positively affect your situation after the initial play has begun.
Blackjack is about getting as close to the number 21 as you can without going over. While the suits of the cards mean nothing, their rank is very important. Two to 10 are counted by their number value, and the face cards, which include the Kings, Queens, Jacks and Tens are all counted as 10, and the Aces can be one or 11 depending on the player preference and the hand.
Each player is in competition with the dealer to create a hand that is higher or closer to 21 without going over that amount. Everyone is dealt two cards in the beginning, and if it’s a combination of a 10 and an Ace, it’s an automatic 21 called a Blackjack or a natural. If the dealer doesn’t have a natural then the player automatically wins, and a Blackjack is usually dealt around 1 in 20 hands.
If the cards dealt total less than 21, the player can ask for more cards in an attempt to get closer to the 21 goal without going over that amount. This is called a taking a hit. If the player decides that he has enough cards, he can stop which is called a stand. And, if the player goes over 21, they automatically lose which is called a bust or a break.