21 Blackjack

Blackjack, also called 21 has become one of the most popular casino games both on and offline largely because of the seemingly higher possibilities for winning. Chance, skill as well has the mastery of card counting are all factors which make this game of fast-paced decisions so widely popular. 21 blackjack players place bets against the casino dealer. They do not bet against other players. The objective is to obtain a higher card value total than that of the dealer without going over 21.

Cards 2 to 10 have a face value and Ace can be worth either 1 or 11 depending on what is more beneficial to the player. The Jack, Queen and King card are all have a value of 10. If the dealer and the blackjack player have the same hand value it’s a tie or a “push”. In the case of a push no one wins or loses.

First players place an initial minimum bet and the dealer gives each player 2 cards. The dealer also has 2 cards but one of them is face down. The face down card is known as the “hole card”. At this juncture, if any that player gets 21, also called a “natural”, wins automatically. If the dealer gets a natural too, then it’s a push and players with less then a natural, lose.

In a round where the dealer doesn’t get a natural, the players have the option of receiving additional cards or “hitting” (“hit”). If a player does not wish to receive additional cards he can “stand”. If a blackjack online player hits and still does not reach 21 but wants another card then he/she can hit again. If the player goes over 21 it’s called a “bust” and the player loses.

After the player is finished hitting the dealer will show his hole card and if the dealers face value is higher then the player without going over 21 then the dealer wins (and vise versa).

There are some variations on 21 blackjack from casino to casino but the basic rules of the game as described above remain the same.