Blackjack…
Blackjack is also known as 21!
The rules are quite simple, the play is thrilling, and there is an opportunity for strategic play.
An expert player who can mathematically count cards, the odds are sometimes in that player’s favour to win.
But even for the casual participant who plays a good game, the casino odds are less, making blackjack one of the most attractive casino games for the player.
Blackjack become popular in World War 1, but it started back in the 1760s in France which was called Vingt-et-Un which is 21 in French.
Today, Blackjack (also known as Pontoon) is the one game that can be found in every American gambling casino.
Blackjack is also played at home and many different house rules will apply e.g. burning 14. In casino play, the dealer is the house.
The dealer is in charge of running all aspects of the game, from shuffling and dealing the cards to handling all the bets and chips. In a blackjack home game, the dealer will be rotated around.
Blackjack – The Deck…
A standard 52 card deck is used, but at Scotty fun casino we use 8 decks of cards.
This is to stop the card counters and also speeds the game up so a shuffle is not required for 15 – 20 mins of play.
A black plastic card is placed towards the end of the 416 cards; this will show the dealer to shuffle the deck of cards after the round of dealing. All the cards are dealt from a shoe, face down to each player.
Blackjack – The object of the Game…
Each player attempts to beat the dealer by getting a count as close to 21 as possible, without going over 21.
Blackjack – Card Values & Scoring…
Ace is worth 1 or 11. Face cards are worth 10 and any other card is the value on the car.
Blackjack- Betting…
Before the deal begins, each player places a bet (minimum bet is $50), in chips, in front of him in the designated box.
Blackjack – The Shuffle & Cut…
The dealer will thoroughly shuffle portions of the pack until all the cards have been mixed and combined back together.
He designates one of the players to cut, and the plastic insert card is placed so that the last 40-50 cards will not be used.
Blackjack – The Deal…
When all the players have placed their bets, the dealer gives one card face up to each player in rotation clockwise, and then one of the card face up to himself.
Another round of cards is then dealt face up to each player, but the dealer takes his second card face down.
Thus, each player except the dealer receives two cards face up, and the dealer receives one card face up and one card face down.
Blackjack – Naturals…
If players first two cards are an ace and a ten card, giving the player a count of 21 in two cards, this is a natural Blackjack.
If any player has a natural and the dealer does not, the dealer immediately pays that player one a half times the amount of his bet.
If the dealer has a natural, he immediately collects the bets of all the players who do not have naturals.
If the player and the dealer both have naturals, the bet of that player is a stand or a tie, and the player will take back his chips to his stack.
Blackjack – The Play…
The player to the left goes first and must decide to stand which is stick or hit which is ask for another card in an attempt to get closer to a count of 21 or even hit 21 exactly. .
A player may stand on the two cards originally dealt to them, or he may ask the dealer for additional cards, one at a time until he or she either decides to stand on the total (if under 21) or goes bust (which is over 21).
In the latter case, the player loses his stake and the dealer will collect the chips bet. The dealer then turns to the next player to his left and serves them in the same manner.
The combination of an ace with a card other than a ten-card is known as a soft hand because the player can count the ace as a 1 or 11, and either draw cards or not.
For example with a soft 17 an ace and a 6, the total is 7 or 17.
While a count of 17 is a good hand, the player may wish to draw for a higher total.
If the draw creates a bust hand by counting the ace as an 11, the player simply counts the ace as a 1 and continues playing by standing or hitting.
Blackjack – The Dealers Play…
When the dealer has dealt every player on the tables, his face down card is turned up.
If the total is 17 or more he must stand. If the total is 16 or under he must take a card.
The dealer must continue taking cards until the total is 17 or more, at which point the dealer must stand.
If the dealer has an ace and counting it as 11 would bring his total to 17 or more, he must count the ace as 11 and stand.
The dealer’s decisions are automatic on all plays, whereas the player always has the option of taking one or more cards.
Blackjack – Players Signals…
When it’s a players turn, he can say hit or can signal for a card by scratching the table with a finger or two in a motion towards them self,
Or the person can wave there hand in the same motion that would say to someone “Come here”.
When the player decides to stand, he can say “Stand” or No more or can signal this intention by moving his hand sideways, palm down just above the table.
Blackjack – Splitting Pairs…
If players first two cards are the same denomination, such as two queens or two seven’s, they can choose to treat them as two separate hands when his turn comes around.
The amount of his original bet then goes on one of the cards, and an equal amount must be placed as a bet on the other hand.
The player first plays the hand to his left by standing or hitting one or more times, only then is the hand to the right played.
The two hands are thus treated separately, and the dealer settles with each on its own merits.
With a pair of aces, the player is given one card for each ace and may not draw again.
Also if a Ten-card is dealt to one of these aces, the play-off is equal to the bet (not one and one-half to one, as with a blackjack at any other time).
Blackjack – Insurance…
When the dealer’s face up card is an ace, any of the players may make a side bet of up to half the original bet that the dealer’s face-down card is a ten-card, and thus a blackjack for the house.
Once all the side bets have been placed, the dealer looks at his hole card.
If it is a Ten-card, it is turned up, and those players who made the insurance bet win and are paid double the amount of their bet 2 to 1 odds.
When Blackjack occurs for the dealer, of course, the hand is over and then all the players’ main bets are collected – unless a player also has blackjack, which will result in a push.
Blackjack – Pay-outs…
A bet once paid and collected is never returned. The main advantage to the dealer is that the player goes first.
If the player goes bust, he has already lost his bet, even if the dealer goes bust as well.
If the dealer goes over 21 and busts, each player who stood will win the amount of that’s players bet which is even money 1-1.
If the dealer stands at 21 or less, he pays the bet of any player having a higher total and collects the bet of any player having a lower total.
If there is a tie this is called a push and the player will return their chips to their stack.
Blackjack – Shuffling…
When each player’s bet is settled, the dealer gathers in that player’s cards and places them face up at the side against a clear plastic L shaped shield.
The dealer continues to deal from the show until he comes to the black plastic insert card, which indicates that it is time to reshuffle.
Once that round of play is over, the dealer shuffles all the cards, prepares them for the cut, places the cards in the shoe and the game continues.
