Objective
To beat the dealer's hand by getting your hand as close to 21 as possible without going over.
Game Cost
There is a 20 chip minimum bet.
Game Play
The game starts when you make your bet. The dealer deals two cards to you, and two to himself. Your goal is to have the cards in your hand add up as close to 21 as possible, without going over. If your hand beats the dealer's hand, you win twice your bet. If your hand ties the dealer's hand, you lose - the dealer always wins on a tie. If you go over 21, you automatically lose. The same goes for the dealer.
Card Values
Each face card is worth 10, and numbered cards are worth their face values (2's are worth 2, etc...). Aces are the special case. An ace can be worth either 11 or 1. This game decides the best possible hand for you, so the computer will determine whether you should make your ace worth 11 or 1.
Blackjack
Getting blackjack means you are dealt an ace and a face card or a 10 (the ace will be worth 11 and the other card 10 for a total of 21). You win automatically if you are dealt this, UNLESS THE DEALER ALSO HAS BLACKJACK, in which case you will lose. If you get the sum of 21 anytime else, it is not a blackjack, and it pays out normally. The winning odds for blackjack are higher than if you just beat the dealer.
Going Bust
You "go bust" when the sum of your cards adds up to more than 21. When this happens, the game is over and the dealer automatically wins. If you have split hands, you can go over on all but one to still stay in the game. So, if you have four split hands, and you go bust on the first three, you're still in the game as long as you don't go bust on that last hand.
Game Actions
1. Hit - When you hit, you get an additional card, and the sum of your cards goes up. For example, if you are dealt a king and a two, and you hit and receive a four, your new sum is 16.
2. Stay - When you stay, you're telling the dealer that you believe this is the closest you can get to 21 without going over. It's usually a good idea to hit on 16 or lower, and stay on 17. If you hit on 17 or higher, the odds are greatly against you that you'll go over 21. You should never stay on 11 or lower, since there's no possible chance that you'll go over by taking another card.
3. Split - If the two cards you are dealt are the same (i.e. two jacks), you have the option to "split hands" When you split, you get to play each of the jacks as a separate hand. This gives you two chances to beat the dealer. If you split, your bet doesn't increase, but your reward does. If you have a two-hand split, and you beat the dealer with both hands, you win as if you bet twice your original bet! You can only split at the beginning of a hand. Once you have more than two cards in a hand, even if you get a matching card, splitting is no longer an option.
4. Multiple Splits - When you split, you play each hand separately. If on the first hit of a split hand you get another matching card, you have the option of splitting again. For example, let's say that you are dealt two jacks. You decide to split. You hit on the first hand, and receive another jack. You now have the option to split that hand yet again into a third hand (which you'll play at the end). This means that you can split up to four times per game, if you're lucky.
5. Insurance - Insurance is a little confusing. If the dealer is dealt an ace face-up, you have the option of getting insurance. When you get insurance, you take half your original bet and place it aside, and the dealer will look at his other card. IF THE DEALER HAS BLACKJACK, the dealer will pay twice the insurance back to you (i.e. you'll break even, or get "even money"). IF THE DEALER DOES NOT HAVE BLACKJACK, you will LOSE your insurance (half your bet), AND you will still have to play out the remaining bet. So, if you get insurance and the dealer doesn't have blackjack, and you wind up winning the game, you will get twice your bet back (i.e. you'll break even here too). You cannot make a profit by getting insurance, but you have the chance to not lose your bet altogether.
6. Double Down - When you "double down", you double your bet, and you take only one additional hit. It is a good idea to double down on 11, because there's a good chance that you'll draw a card worth 10.
The Dealer's Game
After you are done hitting, the dealer will try to match your highest hand. Remember, the dealer wins on a tie, so if you have 21, the dealer will keep hitting until he gets 21 or goes bust.
Paying Out
If you beat the dealer with blackjack, you will win two and a half times your original bet (i.e. a bet of 100 chips will payout 250 chips). If you beat the dealer any other way (including getting 21 after the initial deal), you will win twice your bet (i.e. a bet of 100 chips will payout 200 chips). If you have splits, you will win twice your bet for EACH WINNING HAND. So, if you have three split hands, and you beat the dealer on each one, you will win 2 x 3 x your bet = six times your bet. |
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