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21 or BLACKJACK, if played correctly gives the player the best odds against the Las Vegas casino. Even strictly following the basics allows you a very good chance of turning a profit! Single deck games combined with simple card counting gives YOU the advantage over the casino. This takes some practice, but you can learn! Remember GREED is the downfall of most gamblers!
The rules of BlackJack differ slightly from casino to casino. A casino in downtown Vegas may have different rules than one of the Vegas Strip casinos. It is important to know what the rules are for the casinos you plan on playing in. NOTE: Single deck games all easier to find downtown.
The BlackJack table seats one to seven players. Dealer stands. The first seat on the dealer's left is referred to as First Base, the first seat on the dealer's right is referred to as Third Base. A betting square is printed on the felt table in front of each player seat. Immediately in front of the dealer is the chip tray. On the dealer's left is the deck or shoe and beside that should be the minimum bet sign.
On the dealer's right is the money drop slot where all currency and tips (chips) are deposited. Next to the drop slot is the discard tray. Play begins after the dealer shuffles the cards, the deck is "cut" by a player using the marker card, and the dealer "burns" a card. Before any cards are dealt, the players makes a wager by placing atleast the minimum bet (chips) into the betting box.
Once all the bets are down, two cards (one at a time) are dealt from left to right. In many Vegas casinos, players get both cards face down. Should the cards be dealt face up, don't touching them! They are dealt face up for a reason, primarily to prevent a few types of player cheating.
The dealer receives one card down and one card up. The values of the cards are: (10, J, Q, K) = 10 ; (Ace) = 1 or 11 ; (other cards) = face value (4=4). Since a casino can be very noisy, hand signals are usually the preferred method of signalling hit, stand, etc.
If the cards were dealt face down and you want a hit, lightly flick the cards across the felt two times. If the cards were dealt face up, point at the cards with a quick stabbing motion. You may also want to nod your head yes while saying "hit". The best way to indicate to the dealer that you want to stand regardless of how the cards were dealt is to move your hand from left to right in a level attitude with your palm down. Your hand should be a few inches or so above the table. Nodding your head no at the same time helps, while saying "stay" or "stand".
In the casinos that have one-deck games, the tables are usually full. Multiple deck games typically consist of an even number of decks (2, 4, 6, 8) although a few casinos use 5 or 7 decks. There are two main reasons many casinos use multiple decks: They allow the dealer to deal more hands per hour, thereby increasing the casino take, and they reduce the player advantage gained from card counting.
The rules the dealer must play by are very simple. If the dealer's hand is 16 or less, he/she must take a card. If the dealer's hand is 17 or more, he/she must stand. Note that some casinos allow the dealer to hit on soft 17 which gives the house a very small additional advantage. The dealer's strategy is fixed and what you and the other players have is immaterial to him/her as far as hitting and standing is concerned.
The player can do most anything he wants as far as hitting and standing goes. Should a player get a BlackJack (first 2 cards are an Ace and a ten) the payoff is 150% more than the original bet ie, bet $10.00 and the payoff is $15.00. Doubling down is restricted to 2-card hands, usually totalling 9, 10, or 11 although some casinos allow doubling down on any 2-card hand. If your first two cards provide you with the appropriate total and your cards were dealt face down, turn them over and put them on the dealer's side of the betting square. If your first two cards provide you with the appropriate total and your cards were dealt face up, point to them and say "double" when the dealer prompts you for a card and simultaneously put an equal amount of chips next to (not on top of) those already in the betting box. The dealer will give you one more card only, then he/she will move on to the next hand.
If you have a pair that you want to split and your cards are dealt face down, turn them over and place them a few inches apart. If your cards were dealt face up, point to your cards and say "split" when the dealer prompts you for a card. The original bet will go with one card and you will have to place an equal amount of chips in the betting box near the other card. You are now playing two hands, each as though they were regular hands with the exception being that if you have just split two aces. In that case, you only get one card which will hopefully be a 10. If it is a ten, that hand's total is now 21 but the hand isn't considered a BlackJack. That is, you are paid 1:1 and not 1:1.5 as for a natural (BlackJack). Combined example of above two plays: Say you are dealt two fives. You split them. The next card is another 5 and you re-split them. Three hands have grown out of one and you are now in for three times your original bet. But wait. Say the next card is a six. So one hand is a 5,6 which gives you eleven; another just has a 5 and the other hand has a 5. You decide to double down on the first hand. You are dealt a 7 giving 18 which you stand on. Now a ten is dealt for the second hand and you decide to stay at 15. The last hand is the lonely third 5, which is dealt a four for a total of nine. You decide to double down and get an eight giving that hand a total of 17.
Insurance comes into play when the dealer's up card is an Ace. At this point all the players have two cards. The dealer does not check his/her hole card before asking the players if they want insurance, as the dealer can't give away the value of the hole card if the dealer doesn't know what the hole card is. If a player wants insurance, half the original amount bet is placed on the semicircle labeled "insurance" which is printed on the table. If the dealer has a BlackJack the player wins the side bet (the insurance bet) but loses the original bet, thus providing no net loss or gain since insurance pays 2 to 1. If the dealer does not have a BlackJack, the side bet is lost and the hand is played normally. If you are not counting cards, don't bother with insurance. The proper Basic Strategy play is to decline. The time to take insurance is when the number of non-tens to tens drops below a 2 to 1 margin since insurance pays 2 to 1.
There are two versions, "early surrender" and "late surrender". Early surrender allows players to quit two-card hands after seeing the up card of the dealer. This option provides the player an additional 0.62 percent favorable advantage (significant). Late surrender is the same as early except that the player must wait until the dealer checks for a BlackJack. If the dealer does not have a BlackJack then the player may surrender.
By following the points listed below, the house advantage in Blackjack is lowered to under 2%.
If a players hand totals 12 through 16, and the dealer is showing a 3,4,5, or 6, the player should STAND.
If a players hand totals 12 through 16, and the dealer is showing a 7,8,9,10 or Ace, the player should TAKE a card.
ALWAYS split Aces & Eights, and NEVER split Fours, Fives and Tens.
A player should always DOUBLE DOWN if they have 10 or 11 against a dealers upcard of 2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9.
NEVER take insurance against a dealers Ace.
If a players hand totals 17 through 21, they should stand, and always take a card if they have a soft 17 (Ace & 6) regardless of what the dealers upcard is.
TERMINOLOGY
BUST CARD: When the dealer is showing a 3,4,5 or 6, this is known as a bust card. The reason for this is simple, and that being the dealer will bust (go over 21). If you have a 12-20 against a dealers bust card, you should not take a card, and let the dealer bust.
ACES : The value of an Ace can be either 1 or 11, depending on what cards the player has in their hand. For example, if a player has an Ace and a Five (5), they have either 6 or 16. Now if the dealer is showing a Ten (10), then the player must take a card. If the player pulls a Ten (10), they now have 16 because its either that or 26. That is why hands are known as "soft", and that is due to the fact that aces can be either 1 or 11, depending on the situation.
HARD DOUBLE: Whenever there is a double down opportunity with no aces involved, this is known as a hard double. The reason being that Aces can be used as a value of 1 or 11. A hard hand in Blackjack is one with no aces. Basically, what you see is what you get. For example, a 6 and a 5 totals 11, and is a great hard double down opportunity.
SOFT DOUBLE: When there is a double down situation involving aces this is known as a soft double. Again, the reason being, Aces can be used as a value of 1 or 11. For example, if the player has an Ace and a Two (2), and the dealer has a Six (6), the player should double down, as the player has a total of 3 or 13.
DOUBLING DOWN FOR LESS: Most casinos will allow a player to double down for less than your original bet. For example, if you are betting $10.00 and have a double down opportunity, your second bet can be up to $10.00 in total - you may decide to bet between $1.00 to $10.00, the choice is yours. DON'T do this, a double down opportunity is a money making feature of Blackjack. Always match your original bet when doubling down!
FIRST BASE: This is the first player position at a Blackjack table to receive cards from the dealer. This spot is located directly to the dealers left. Some say that this spot may be the easiest to play as you are in complete control of your own destiny as nobody before you can make an incorrect move, and change the cards your were to receive.
ANCHOR POSITION: This is the last player position on the blackjack table. This player has the most influence on the outcome of a round as they are the last person to receive any cards right before the dealers turn. All Blackjack players should know what to do as soon as they receive their cards, their strategy should not change just because someone on the table is telling them what to do.
DEALERS UPCARD: The only card that a dealer has showing to all players. A dealer receives two cards like all players, but only their upcard is dealt face up. This card is the basis on what your decision process will be.
If the dealer's up card is a seven (7) or higher, YOU MUST PLAY TO SEVENTEEN! If you were dealt a 10 and a 3, you have 13. You MUST hit this hand until you reach 17. Let's say your next card is a 3. You now have 16. You MUST hit this hand until you reach 17!!!
If the dealer's up card is a six (6) or lower but higher than a three (3) YOU MUST PLAY TO TWELVE AND STOP!
If the dealer has a six (6) showing and you were dealt a 10 and a 2, you have 12. You MUST stand on this hand!!!
If the dealer's up card is a two (2) or a three (3) YOU MUST PLAY UNTIL 13.
If you were dealt a 10 and a 2, you have 12. You MUST hit this hand! Let's say the next card is an Ace. You now have 13. You MUST stand on this hand!!!
This is a simple plus and minus system. This concerns two groups of cards; the 10s(all ten value cards) and the smaller cards 3,4,5,6. The 10 value are the most valuable for the player when there still in the deck. The 3-6 are the most damaging to the player. There are 16 10-value cards (single deck games) and 16 cards from 3-6. Get the balance? This makes for simple card counting. The aces are not involved in this count,but keep track of them.Stick to single or double deck games till you get this mastered.
Each 3,4,5,6 played out has a value of +1.
Each 10-value card played has a value of -1.
ALL other cards are not counted.
Remember to keep track of the aces!
Don't start counting untill cards have been played out. It's easier to balance this way.
Balance means: if a queen and a 5 show, it's neutral, they cancel each other out.
At the end of a round,say you have a -2 count. The deck is not favorable to you. There is more 3 thru 6's in the deck than 10s. Also maybe 2 aces have been played. That's even worse. Keep your bets at a minumum.
A plus count of +2 or more (single deck) means there are more 10 count cards than 3-6's, and say only one ace has shown. Increase your bets. The odds are on your side.
This doesn't mean you will win everytime, BUT with following the above "RULES" and this simple count you have a fighting chance!
PLAY FOR FREE OR REAL MONEY!
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