Object of the game:
To come closest to a card count
of 21. A player has "busted" if the card
count exceeds 21 and must forfeit the bet.
Cards:
Aces count as either 1 or 11 (player's
discretion). Kings, Queens and Jacks count as 10.
All other cards count at face value.
Play:
Players are dealt two cards face
up. The dealer gets one face up, one face down. Players
either stay or take more cards. Any player who does
not bust waits for the dealer's turn. The dealer turns
up the down card. By rule, on counts of 17 or higher
the dealer must stay; a count of 16 or less means
the dealer must draw again.
Winning and losing:
Remaining players with a higher
count than the dealer win an amount equal to their
bet. Players with a natural 21 (for example a queen
and an ace) are paid off at 3 to 2. Players with a
lower count than the dealer forfeit the bet.
Table setup:
Six to eight 52-card decks are
shuffled together and placed in a card-dealing shoe.
A table is staffed by a dealer and a pit boss, who
monitors play for mistakes and rules on all disagreements.
Betting:
Limits change with the time of
day. Minimums at Casino Windsor are $15. A per-hand
maximum can go as high as $5,000.
House advantage:
Casinos make anywhere from 0.25
percent to 2.5 percent of all bets placed. Odds are
that a novice, betting $5, will lose $32 in four hours.
You'll play 60-100 games per hour.
Rules at the Seven Palms Casino:
Double down:
You can increase your bet, up to
double the amount, on any hand except blackjack (ace
and picture card or ten). But then you only draw one
card.
Split:
If your first two cards match,
you can split the cards and play two hands " doubling
your bet. You can split up to four times and double
down after splitting.
Soft 17:
Dealer must stand on a "soft
17" -- any combination of cards with an ace adding
up to 17.
Up card and hole card:
Both dealer and player will receive
one card up and one card down.
Cards:
Eight decks per "shoe,"
which holds the cards being dealt.
Blackjack tips
Playing strategy:
This table tells you how to play
each hand. Using this guide gives you an advantage
over typical players. Always hit when your hand is
below 9, if you don't have an ace.
Where to sit:
For seasoned players, the best
seat is "third base" -- to the immediate
right of the dealer. This seat plays last, just before
the dealer, and can observe other cards dealt. Inexperienced
players should avoid this seat because it has a direct
bearing on the dealer's hand.
Betting strategy:
When a new shoe of cards is being
dealt, start out with single-unit bets -- one chip
of whatever denomination you're playing. Alter your
bets upward steadily. If all the high cards are dealt
in early rounds, find another table.
Basic strategy for blackjack
D=double; H=hit; S=stand; SP=split
pairs
Top line is what card the Dealer shows, left column
is total player holds.
| |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
A |
| 9 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 10 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
| 11 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
| 12 |
H |
H |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 13 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 14 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 15 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 16 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 17+ |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
When to split pairs
D=double; H=hit; S=stand; SP=split
pairs
Top line is what card the Dealer shows, left column
is total player holds.
| |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
A |
| A-A |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
| 2-2 |
H |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 3-3 |
H |
H |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 4-4 |
H |
H |
H |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 5-5 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
| 6-6 |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 7-7 |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 8-8 |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
| 9-9 |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
S |
SP |
SP |
S |
S |
Soft totals (hand in which
you have an ace):
D=double; H=hit; S=stand; SP=split
pairs
Top line is what card the Dealer shows, left column
is total player holds.
| |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
A |
| A2-A5 |
H |
H |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A6 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A7 |
S |
D |
D |
D |
D |
S |
S |
H |
H |
S |
| A8,
A9 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
Insurance (bet offered by dealer
showing an ace):
Never take insurance
