Blackjack Card Game Rules For Beginners: Step-by-step Guide To Play Blackjack

When you hear about casino games, mostly a blackjack card game is the first thing that comes to mind. And when you decide to try your hand at this game, it’s important to understand the rules and find out the tips that can help to become a confident player.

All right, how to play a blackjack card game and what things should be considered?

The Object of Blackjack Card Game

In short, your goal in this game is to beat the dealer. And there are several ways to do that. As well as there are cases when you lose to the croupier. So learn about both of these cases to be prepared then.

When You Win

According to the blackjack card game rules, as soon as you beat the dealer, you are the winner. And here are the examples.

Hand value	It’s a classic case when at the end of the game your hand value is higher than the dealer’s one. For instance, you have 7♥, 6♣ and 4♣ (17), while the dealer has J♥, 4♠ and 2♣ (16).
Over 21	The value over 21 can be lucky for you, when it’s the dealer’s hand, of course. So when the dealer has, for example, 8♠, 9♥ and 6♣ (23 is over 21), you win.
First two cards	This combination can make you a winner at once. It’s when you get the first two cards that make up a 21 value hand. It consists of A♥ (the suit doesn’t matter) and K♥, Q♥, J♥, or 10♥. So the A♥ card brings you 11 points, while K♥, Q♥, J♥, or 10♥ brings 10 more.

Pay attention: you have to learn the hand value to count whether you win and, what is more important, to understand whether to hit or to stand during the game.

When You Lose

Unfortunately, you can also face unlucky combinations. Here are the cases when you lose to the dealer:

hand value over 21 - this time it’s about your combination, for example when you have 9♥, 6♣ and J♥ (25);
the dealer’s hand value is higher than yours at the end of the game - for instance, your opponent has Q♥, 8♠ and 2♣ (20), while your cards are 6♣, J♥ and 3♥ (19).

Learn the Hand’s Total Value

It’s extremely important, so blackjack card values are the things that regulate the game, provide the meaning of your combinations.

Counting the value is a straightforward case, so it’s mostly what it says on the label: when you have 3♥, it brings you 3 points, 8♠ - 8 points. And this rule is the same for 2-10, while J♥, Q♥ and K♥ have the same value - 10 points. So when you get the first two cards, you can count the value you have already got and decide whether you’ll stand (won’t take the card) or hit (go on taking cards).

And what about the A♥? Well, according to blackjack card rules, it’s an interesting card, so it can be counted both as 1 and as 11, depends on the combination the player has (it’s always the value that helps the hand the most).

Important to know: the suit doesn’t matter, only the value of each card.

How to Play Blackjack: Step by Step Guide

When you are familiar with the background and the rules, let’s find out: how to play blackjack cards? And here comes a detailed step-by-step guide on how to do that.

If it’s an online casino, you select a Live game with a dealer and place a bet. And when it’s a land-based establishment, you have to buy chips and also place a wager.

Important: at real-life casinos, you can’t hand your money to the dealer, so according to the security measures, croupiers can’t take anything from players.
The croupier starts dealing cards, so your task is to assess the situation. By the way, your cards will be face up, while the dealer’s cards will be one face up and one face down.

Now you decide how to play your hand and here are several options.

Hit - if you need more cards to get a profitable combination, the dealer will give you more cards, one at a time, until you «bust» (get over 21) or decide to stand.
Stand - your first blackjack card combination of 2 cards is OK and you want to go on playing just with them.
Split - when you are an owner of a pair, you can split these 2 cards to make two independent hands and play for both of them.
Double Down - when your first two cards combination seems to be profitable, you can double your bet and you will be able to take an additional card (only one) to make up your hand then.

These rules are basic. And when you want to improve your skills and learn the secrets of this game, read about the blackjack tips that can come in handy.

Payouts

When the game is over, there are several kinds of outcomes. And the payouts depend right on them.

When you get the winning 21 combination right with the first 2 cards, you are paid at 3 to 2. By the way, this combination is called «Blackjack». So when your stake is 100 EUR, you get 250 EUR then.
When the dealer «busts» (gets over 21), you get paid at 1:1, so if your bet is 100 EUR, your winning will be 200 EUR.
In fact, you don’t have to hit 21 to win. When the game is over, the hands of each participant are compared. So when your hand value is higher than the dealer’s one, you are paid at 1:1 again.

If it’s an online casino interface, you can click on «Rebet» to start a new game with the same wager or «Clear» to change it.

This way, you know all the key facts about this entertainment and won’t ask someone «How do you play blackjack, the card game that is so striking?».

Interesting to know: when having equal hands with the dealer (that is called «a tie» or «a push»), no one wins. And no one loses as well. That’s why the stakes are simply returned to each player.

Similar Games You Can Meet

Perhaps, you could hear about different variations of the game. In fact, they are just separate games that take some details from the classic game. For example, Black Jack rules with 7 cards are not so similar to the game rules you used to hear before. So here are several facts you should know about the other game that has such a common name.

The game of this kind is called 7 card Black Jack or Switch.
Players are usually dealt 7 cards at once.
The game includes Black Jack power cards that are also called «trick» cards - 2, Q, 8, 10, Red/Black Jack, A.
This British game is a variant of Crazy Eights.

Besides, the other popular variation is 21 (Twenty-One), so you can learn more about this game as well.

FAQ: Questions You Can Face

Perhaps, you need to learn more about the game or just find some issues unclear and look for an explanation. That’s why you can get acquainted with the FAQ, and here it comes.

What are the rules of a blackjack card game?

Playing this game is a simple matter: you are dealt 2 cards and you have to count their value (so it can be 1-10 for the cards that have the same number, 10 for J, Q, K and 1 or 11 for A). Then you decide whether to hit or to stand. While your main goal is to beat the dealer.

How can I start playing better?

When you learn the rules and they are clear, it’s time to learn the tips that can essentially improve your skills.

What is blackjack for 5 cards?

In fact, it’s not a kind of game or something of that sort. It’s an old rule that isn’t accepted at the casinos and is sometimes met when someone plays blackjack at home. It’s called a «5 Card Charlie» and it means that when a player has already got 5 cards but still doesn’t hit 21, he (or she) becomes a winner. So at blackjack rules, 5 cards don’t mean anything now.

What about blackjack card game rules with 7 cards?

Well, it’s not completely about this game, so when players get 7 cards, it’s Switch or Black Jack. The rules of this game are quite different.

How to play blackjack with UNO cards?

The thing is that these cards won’t be used at the casino and are OK for the indoor games only. So when you don’t have another deck of cards, then you can play with these ones - just look at the numbers and try to gather the cards with the highest value.

What are blackjack max cards?

The highest one is A that is valued both as 1 and as 11 (always the most profitable for the player value). While 10, J, Q and K bring players 10 points. As for the highest combination, an Ace and any 10-point card make up the «blackjack».