Blackjack, also called 21, is one of the easiest casino games to learn and one of the few where your decisions genuinely affect the odds. This guide covers everything a first-time player needs: card values, how a hand plays out from deal to payout, and the options you will be offered along the way.
The goal of the game
Despite being played at a table with several other players, blackjack is not a competition against them. Each player plays their own hand against the dealer only. Your goal is simple: get a hand total closer to 21 than the dealer's, without going over.
Going over 21 is called a bust, and it means an automatic loss regardless of what the dealer ends up with. Beat the dealer's total without busting, and you win. Tie the dealer's total, and it is a push - your bet is returned, no win or loss.
Card values
Worth their face value. A 7 is worth 7, and a 10 is worth 10.
Jack, Queen and King are each worth 10.
Worth 1 or 11, whichever benefits your hand more.
There is no Ace counted as 11, or the Ace can only count as 1 without busting. An Ace, 6 and 9 is a hard 16 because counting the Ace as 11 would put the hand over 21.
An Ace is being counted as 11. Ace-6 is a soft 17 because the Ace can fall back to 1 if another card would otherwise cause a bust. Soft hands are safer to hit because they cannot bust on the next card.
How a blackjack hand plays out
You bet before any cards are dealt, choosing an amount within the table's minimum and maximum.
You and every other player at the table receive two cards, usually dealt face up. The dealer takes two cards as well - one face up, the "up card," and one face down, the "hole card."
If your first two cards are an Ace plus a 10-value card, you have a natural blackjack - 21 in two cards. This typically pays 3:2. A $10 wager would win $15. If the dealer also has blackjack, the result is a push.
Some tables pay only 6:5 on a natural blackjack. That payout increases the house edge, so check the table's rules or felt before you sit down. If you are comparing tables, see our blackjack casino guide.
If you do not have a natural blackjack, choose from the player options below one at a time until you stand, bust or reach 21.
Once every player has finished, the dealer reveals the hole card and plays according to fixed house rules. The dealer does not make choices the way players do.
Any player who beats the dealer's total without busting wins, typically paid at 1:1. A $10 winning wager normally wins $10. Anyone who busted already lost, regardless of what the dealer does next.
Your options on each hand
These are the actions you will see throughout blackjack strategy articles. Learn what each one means before trying to memorize when to use it.
Hit
Take another card. You can hit as many times as you want, as long as you have not busted.
Stand
Take no more cards and end your turn with your current total.
Double down
Double your original bet in exchange for exactly one more card, after which your turn ends automatically. Most tables allow this on any first two cards; some restrict it to totals of 9, 10 or 11.
Split
If your first two cards are a matching pair, you can split them into two separate hands, each with its own bet equal to your original wager. You then play each hand independently. Many tables allow re-splitting and doubling after a split.
Surrender
Where offered, you can forfeit half your bet and end the hand immediately before playing it out. It is useful on only a small number of clearly weak hands and is not available at every table.
Learn more about surrender →Insurance
If the dealer's up card is an Ace, you may be offered a side bet of up to half your original wager. It pays 2:1 if the dealer has a natural blackjack. It is generally not a good bet for the average player.
Read the insurance guide →The dealer's rules
Unlike players, the dealer does not choose how to play. House rules dictate every move:
- The dealer must hit any total of 16 or lower.
- The dealer must stand on any hard total of 17 or higher.
- On a soft 17 such as Ace-6, the table rules determine whether the dealer hits or stands.
The felt may say "Dealer must stand on all 17s." S17 is slightly more favorable to players.
The dealer takes another card on a soft 17. This rule is slightly more favorable to the house and changes a few basic-strategy decisions.
Because the dealer's moves are fixed, none of your strategy decisions involve trying to read or influence the dealer. They involve weighing your hand against the dealer's visible up card, which is exactly what the strategy chart is built to help with.
Insurance, explained
When the dealer shows an Ace, insurance can normally be wagered for up to half your original bet.
If the dealer's hole card completes a natural blackjack, the insurance wager pays 2:1.
For the average player, insurance loses money over time. It only becomes mathematically attractive in specific deck-composition situations that card counters track.
It can sound like a way to protect a strong hand, but insurance is really a separate wager on whether the dealer's hole card is a 10-value card. For a deeper explanation, read Insurance in Blackjack.
Blackjack table etiquette and hand signals
At physical and live-dealer tables, decisions are often communicated with hand signals rather than words, since audio can be misheard. Online blackjack replaces these with on-screen buttons.
Tap the table with a finger or, in face-up games, wave a hand toward yourself.
Wave a hand flat over your cards, palm down.
Place an equal second bet next to the original and point with one finger.
Place an equal second bet and make a two-finger sign or point between the cards.
Common variants you might encounter
Most of this guide describes standard blackjack, but you will encounter rule variations depending on where you play - different deck counts, European tables where the dealer does not take a hole card until after players act, and specialty variants such as Spanish 21 or Blackjack Switch that change the rules more substantially.
If you are just starting out, standard blackjack at an S17 table with a 3:2 blackjack payout is a strong place to build the fundamentals described on this page.