Premise of the game
Blackjack is a card game in which you play against the dealer. In order to win you need get more points than the dealer does without exceeding 21.
In European single-deck blackjack, the deck has 52 cards from twos to aces in each suit. The deck is shuffled every time before dealing.
Card Values
- Twos through tens count as their face values.
- Jacks, Queens, and Kings count 10.
- Aces count either 1 or 11. The player with an ace has a right to choose 11 or 1 depending on the score. A combination with an ace counted as 11 is called 'soft'. For example, 'Soft 17' is an ace plus a six. A combination with an ace counted as 1 is called 'hard'. For instance, 'Hard 17' is an ace, a six and a ten.
Bets
In order to start a game, the player has to make a bet in one or more boxes. The player can buy up to three boxes with bets from 1 to 200.
In order to make a bet you need to click a corresponding chip and a box or you can drag the chip onto the box. In order to clear a bet, you need to click on the bet with 'Ctrl' pressed. You can clear all bets by pressing 'Cancel'. You can rebet by pressing 'Rebet'
How to Start a Game
In order to start a game the player has to make bets and press 'Deal'. The dealer draws two cards for each bought box and only a card for himself (ENHC). All cards are dealt face-up. A two-card combination that totals 21 is called Blackjack. Blackjack is possible only when cards are dealt for the first time.
Insurance and the Dealer’s Blackjack
After cards are dealt, the dealer checks his hand. If it is an Ace, then the player can insure his bets against the dealer’s blackjack.
Insurance is a bet that the dealer will have a blackjack. Each bought box can be insured. Insurance costs half the bet in the box. After the player has decided to insure each of his boxes,the game moves to the player's first box.
If the dealer's first card counts 10 the dealer still has the opportunity to get Blackjack, but the player cannot take out insurance in this case.
The Player’s Blackjack
If the dealer's first card is neither 10-valued card nor Ace, the dealer is sure not to have Blackjack. In this case the boxes that count 21 are paid in the first turn. The bet is paid at 3:2.
If the dealer's first card is either 10-valued card or Ace, there is a possibility for the dealer to have Blackjack. That's why the player's blackjacks will be paid at the end of a game when dealer's each card is known. In the course of a game the hands the blackjack of which is not yet paid will be automatically skipped (the situation cannot be improved).
After all the player’s blackjacks are paid (if possible), the game moves to the first box and the player decides what to do next.
"Surrender"
The player can surrender if his combination seems to be disadvantageous. The box loses but the player gets back half the bet in the box.
The player can surrender only if he has not taken any other actions with this box. The player cannot surrender if the dealer's first card is an Ace (LS10).
"Double"
The player can double his bet if his combination seems advantageous. The player’s account is charged with an additional amount and he will get an extra (only one) card. Then the game moves to the next box.
The player can double only if he has two cards counting 11(DO11) in the current hand. The player cannot double the bet after splitting (NDAS).
"Split"
The player can split a pair of the same-value cards (two fives or a Queen and a Jack). The new hand gets an additional bet that equals the initial bet in the box. The split hands play and pay as regular boxes with certain restrictions.
- You cannot either surrender or double the bet or split again on split hands.
- If the player splits Aces, he gets only one additional card per hand.
- A two-card combination counting 21 is non-Blackjack on a split hand.
When split, either hand has only one card. Another card is dealt automatically after moving to a split hand. If the hand has 21, the move goes to the next hand. If the hand counts under 21, then the player can draw another card by pressing 'Deal', or stand by pressing 'Stand'
"Stand"
If the player is satisfied with his current combination or he is afraid to go bust, he can stop and refrain from drawing more cards for this hand. The combination is set for the following comparison with the dealer’s and the game moves to the player's next hand.
"Deal"
If the player thinks that he needs more points to win, he can draw another card by pressing 'Deal'. The dealer will give him one more card to the current hand. The player can repeat this action as long as the hand is under 21 points, but one should always remember about going bust.
Bust
When the player draws another card and the hand counts over 21, then the hand loses, and the bet goes to the casino. The game moves to the next hand.
When all cards for the player’s boxes are dealt, it is the dealer’s turn to play.
The Dealer’s Rules
The dealer’s rules are simple and they do not depend on the player’s combinations. The dealer has to draw another card if he has fewer than 17 points. He has to stand as soon as he has 17 or more. Exception is made when there are no more player’s bets on the table (they are either lost or paid). Then the dealer puts the cards in the discard pile and starts a new game by shuffling it.
Comparison of Combinations
After the dealer draws his cards, both player’s and dealer’s hands are compared.
It is checked in the first turn whether the dealer has Blackjack:
- If the dealer has a Blackjack, all insurances are paid at 2:1. The bets on boxes where the player has a Blackjack are returned to the player. The rest of the bets lose.
- If the dealer does not have a Blackjack, all insurances lose. The bets on boxes where the player has a Blackjack are paid at 3:2. The rest of the hands undergoes the comparison of both dealer's and player's cards.
- If the dealer goes bust, all remaining bets win and are paid at 1 : 1.
- If the player’s current hand counts more than the dealer’s, then the current bet wins and is paid at 1 : 1.
- If the dealer's hand and the player’s hand count the same, then there is Push and the player gets back his bets.
- If the player’s current hand counts less than the dealer’s then the current bet is lost and goes to the casino.
Once all bets are paid, the dealer shuffles the cards and the player can start another game.
Payoff Table
|
Pays: |
| Winning Hand |
1 : 1 |
| Insurance |
2 : 1 |
| Blackjack |
3 : 2 |
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