How to play blackjack
Blackjack is the simplest casino card game to learn and one of the hardest to play perfectly. You are not trying to reach 21 — you are trying to beat the dealer's hand without going over it.
The goal
Finish with a hand total closer to 21 than the dealer's. Go over 21 and you bust and lose the bet immediately, no matter what the dealer does afterwards.
Card values
Number cards are worth their face value. Jacks, queens and kings are worth ten. An ace counts as eleven unless that would bust the hand, in which case it drops to one — a hand still holding an eleven-value ace is called soft.
How a round plays
You place a bet, then receive two face-up cards while the dealer takes one face-up card and one face-down hole card. You act first and can draw as many cards as you like. When you finish, the dealer reveals the hole card and plays out a fixed rule.
How the dealer plays
The dealer has no choices. They draw until reaching 17 or more and then stand — including on a soft 17 at this table. If the dealer busts, every hand still standing wins.
Your options
- Hit — take another card. You may keep hitting until you stand or bust.
- Stand — keep your total and pass the turn to the dealer.
- Double down — double your bet, take exactly one more card, and your turn ends. Best on totals of 9, 10 and 11.
- Split — with two cards of equal value, pay a second bet and play them as two separate hands. Split aces receive one card each.
- Surrender — give up the hand before drawing and get half your bet back. Only worth it on the worst hands, such as 16 against a ten.
Payouts
- Blackjack (an ace with a ten-value card) pays 3:2.
- Any other winning hand pays 1:1.
- A tie is a push — your bet comes back untouched.
- Insurance is a side bet of half your stake, offered when the dealer shows an ace. It pays 2:1 if the dealer has blackjack.
This table's rules
Six decks, dealer stands on soft 17, blackjack pays 3:2, double on any two cards, double after split allowed, split up to four hands, late surrender allowed. Played perfectly, that combination leaves a house edge of about 0.3%.
Common questions
- Is this real-money gambling?
- No. Every chip on this site is virtual, there is nothing to deposit and nothing to win. It is a practice table and a way to pass ten minutes.
- Should I ever take insurance?
- Not unless you are counting cards. Insurance loses money over time for every basic strategy player, even when you are holding a blackjack.
- Does the dealer peek for blackjack?
- Yes. When the upcard is an ace or a ten-value card, the dealer checks the hole card before you act, so you never double or split into a dealer blackjack.
- Do I need an account?
- No. Your balance and statistics are stored in your own browser and never leave your device.
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