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A Beginner's Guide to Blackjack

In essence, blackjack is the simplest of card games. The idea is to score 21 or less from two or more cards. Is that it? I hear you ask. Well, in theory, yes. However, you will not be surprised to hear that while simple in concept, it is anything but when played as a gambling game. Like all the best video games , blackjack needs to be understood and mastered. Truth be told, blackjack (or 21 as it is also known) is not a game that is much fun to play without an element of betting (even if you are only wagering matchsticks or pennies). It is an incredibly fast-moving game, and players need to have their wits about them, not to be outwitted by fellow players or the dealer! However, it is essential to understand the gameplay before playing for real money. Or quantum entanglement? Blackjack is a casino staple and has become increasingly popular in video simulation and live dealer versions at online casinos. Despite its apparent simplicity, it has been the subject of many academic papers. A recent MIT study quoted 'quantum entanglement' as giving a slight edge in playing against the house. However, don't worry, I am not going to start even trying to explain what quantum entanglement is (because I couldn't), but MIT has a famous association with blackjack after a group of its students optimized card counting in the game and beat casinos around the world. Their experience inspired the book 'Bringing Down the House', which was the basis for the movie 21. Playing by the rules So, whether you intend to become a mistress gambler or just want to set up a game to play with friends, you need to understand the basics, so that is what I am going to set out below. If you want to know more about the basics of blackjack and what double deck blackjack is , then this should explain everything you need to know. So, to start with, you need to decide whether you want to play single or double-deck blackjack. The difference is the number of cards (52 or 1040) – while card counting and strategies vary between the games, the principles are the same. The dealer shuffles to ensure the cards are thoroughly mixed and randomly distributed. Then, each player is dealt two cards, with the dealer starting from their left and dealing in a clockwise direction. The players' cards are dealt face up, but the dealer gets one of their cards face down. No bet, no play Bets are placed before play commences. Bets are usually placed by laying chips on the table -or the blackjack baize. Once play commences, no bets can be placed. The dealer does not place a bet. Playing strictly by the rules , only the dealer can touch the cards, players are not even allowed to adjust theirs, and no one is allowed to look at the dealer's face-down card. Players then have to decide whether they want another card, stick with the cards they have, or split. The aim of the game is to score more than the dealer but not go above 21. Hands are compared – if the dealer has the higher score, the player loses, and vice versa. If the hands are tied, the player gets their bet returned – known as a push. Ace high or low? The dealer then asks the players what they want to do next. This will depend on how strong players feel their hand is. You can only judge how strong your hand is if you know the value of the cards, and it is not so simple because of those pesky aces! Cards are at face value, except for the King, Queen, and Jack, which are 10. An Ace counts as 11 unless that would give a player or the dealer a score in excess of 21, in which case, it has a value of 1. Stand, Double Down, Split, or Surrender? The choice will be to stand, hit, double down, split, or surrender. Stand – If a player 'stands', it simply means that they do not get any more cards and think they have the best possible chance with the cards they have. If they choose to 'hit,' they are dealt another card and as many more until they decide to stand. They lose to the dealer if they go bust by going over 21. Double Down – If a player 'doubles down,' they have to make an additional bet equal to their original bet and are dealt only one more card. Split – Splitting does exactly what the name implies. The player creates two hands from the cards dealt and has to make an additional wager matching their original bet. The split hands are then played out individually. The dealer deals out the entire first half of the split until the player stands or declares bust before moving to the second hand. The hand cannot be split again. Surrender – Surrendering is an option if players are unhappy with their cards. The player essentially pulls out of that round of play. However, this is not a no-cost option; the dealer gets to keep half of the bet amount, and they get half back. The dealers turn Once everyone has finished playing, it is the turn of the dealer to decide what to do. Up until this point, no one knows the value of the dealer's hand because one card is still face down. The dealer can only stand when their two-card total is between 17 and 21; otherwise, they must have another card. If the total is 16 or under, then they have to take another card. Win or lose? And now for the moment of truth – time for players to rate their hand against that of the dealer. Payouts (or lack of them) work as follows: Player beats dealer – they get paid the equivalent of their bet Player matches dealer (also known as a push) – they get the original stake returned Dealer beats player – the dealer cleans up! A 'blackjack' receives a predetermined payout, which varies from casino to casino but is often 3:2 Next, the dealer collects the cards, shuffles, and the next round of play begins. YELLOWJACKETS Lets Women Be Angry