The goal of the game
Blackjack is played against the dealer, not against the other players. Each player tries to finish with a hand that is worth more than the dealer’s without going over 21. If a hand goes over 21 it “busts” and loses immediately, whatever the dealer later does. Nothing in these rules guarantees any particular result: blackjack has a built-in house edge, and individual rounds are uncertain.
The sections below follow a single round in the order it happens. Most of these blackjack table rules are the same everywhere, but several details differ from table to table, so always read what is posted on the felt.
Card values
Cards two to ten count at face value. Jacks, queens and kings each count as 10. An ace counts as either 1 or 11, whichever is better for the hand. A hand with an ace that can count as 11 without busting is called soft, and a hand without one is called hard. Suits make no difference to the value of a hand.
Step 1: Placing the bet
Before any cards are dealt, each player places a bet in the betting area in front of their seat. The bet must fall between the table minimum and maximum, which are normally shown on a sign. Once the cards are out, the bet generally cannot be changed or touched, apart from adding chips when doubling or splitting.
Step 2: The deal
The dealer gives each player two cards and takes two cards. One dealer card is face up (the upcard) and the other is face down (the hole card). In many games the player cards are dealt face up and nobody but the dealer touches the cards; in some hand-held games the player cards are dealt face down. Some tables use a version without a hole card, which changes when the dealer’s second card is taken, but the standard description above is the most common.
Step 3: Naturals and the peek
A two-card total of 21 (an ace plus a ten-value card) is called a natural, or blackjack. When the dealer’s upcard is an ace or a ten-value card, the dealer often checks the hole card for a natural before play continues. If the dealer has one, the round ends at once: players without a natural lose their bet, and players who also have a natural push, meaning the bet is returned.
When the upcard is an ace, players may be offered the insurance bet, a separate wager that the dealer has a natural. It is generally explained as a side wager with its own cost, not as a way to protect a hand, and it is covered separately in more detail elsewhere on this site.
Step 4: The player’s options
If the dealer does not have a natural, each player in turn chooses how to play their own hand.
- Hit: take another card. A player may hit repeatedly until they stand or bust.
- Stand: take no more cards and keep the current total.
- Double down: double the original bet, receive exactly one more card, and then stand. Tables differ on which totals may be doubled and whether doubling is allowed after a split.
- Split: if the first two cards have the same value, the player may place a second bet equal to the first and play the cards as two separate hands. Rules about re-splitting, splitting aces and doubling after a split vary. The decisions behind doubling and splitting are a strategy topic in their own right.
- Surrender: some tables allow a player to give up the hand and lose half the bet instead of playing on. Not every table offers this.
Players also signal these choices with simple gestures, because the dealer and the cameras rely on clear hand signals rather than spoken instructions.
Step 5: The dealer’s turn
After all players have finished, the dealer turns over the hole card and plays by fixed rules, with no choices. The dealer must hit on 16 or less and stand on 17 or more. These dealer drawing rules are the same for every hand, and they are one reason the game can be analysed mathematically. The one common variation is the soft 17 rule: at some tables the dealer hits a soft 17, and at others the dealer stands on it. The posted rules should say which applies.
If every player has already busted, the dealer usually does not need to draw at all.
Step 6: Settling the bets
Each remaining player hand is compared with the dealer’s final total:
- If the dealer busts, every player hand still in play wins.
- If the player total is higher than the dealer total, the player wins.
- If the totals are equal, the hand is a push and the bet is returned.
- If the dealer total is higher, the player loses.
A winning ordinary hand is paid even money, so a bet of 10 units wins 10 units. A natural is paid at a better rate, most commonly 3 to 2, so a 10-unit bet wins 15 units. Some tables pay only 6 to 5, which would pay 12 units on the same bet. That gap is small on a single hand but it matters over many hands, and it is why many players check natural payouts before sitting down. The difference between 3 to 2 and 6 to 5 is a worthwhile topic of its own.
Why the rules vary
The same basic game can have a noticeably different house edge depending on a handful of rules: the natural payout, the soft 17 rule, the number of decks, doubling and splitting limits, and whether surrender is allowed. Looking at the full set of rule variations together is more informative than any single rule, and the table limits and printed notices tell you which ones apply where you are sitting.
A note on risk
Even with the best possible choices on every hand, the casino keeps an edge over time, and short sessions can swing either way. Past hands do not change what the next hand will be. Play only with money you can afford to lose, set limits before you start, and never chase losses. If gambling is causing you or someone you know difficulty, contact a local support service.