Black Jack rules

The object of Black Jack is to come as close to 21 as possible, without going over. This is done by adding the value of the cards you are dealt. There may be several players at a Black Jack table but you're only facing the house (the dealer).

At the start of the game each player and the dealer are handed two cards. The dealer normally has one card facing up and one card facing down (the hole card), while the player's both cards are face up. In Black Jack 2 through 10 have face value, Jacks, Queens and Kings are worth ten points and Aces either represent 1 or 11. When it comes to Aces it's up to the player to decide what suites his or her hand best. If you're dealt a ten point card and an ace at the start you hit 21 and win. This is called a Black Jack or a natural 21. The only exception is if the dealer also gets a Black Jack, then it's a push (a draw) between the two.

If no one gets 21 with the first two cards the casino game goes on. Now it's up to the players if they want to be dealt another card (hit) or not. Some casinos have maximum card restrictions but normally you can hit as many times as you want. When you're satisfied with your hand you simply turn down further cards. This is called to stand or to hold. A player that gets a total value of over 21 goes bust and loses.

When all remaining players are satisfied with their hands and stand the dealer reveals the hole card. If the dealer has a total of less than 17 he takes another card, otherwise he stands. This continues until he reaches 17 or higher. If the dealer's total is over 21 he goes bust and all the remaining players win. Otherwise the dealers hand is compared with the remaining players. Players with a higher total than the dealer win, players with a lower total lose. If a player and the dealer have the same total, it's a push. When the push is between two totals of 21 and one of them is a Black Jack, the Black Jack wins.

In addition to these basic Black Jack rules there are a great number of side rules. The most common ones are explained below:

Insurance - a side wager a player can make when the dealers face up card is an ace. The player bets on whether the dealer has a blackjack or not. This is often used to cancel out the loss of the main bet.

Surrender - a possibility for a player with a band hand to surrender and reclaim half his main bet. Generally you're only allowed to surrender after the dealer has checked for Black Jack.

Splitting - when a player gets two starting cards of the same value, he or she has the option to split the hand in two. He then places an additional bet and continues to play with two different hands.

Doubling Down - a possibility to double the original bet when you're certain your hand will beat the dealer's. In many casinos you may double down on any hand while others require openings hand of 11, 10 or 9. When you've chosen to double down the dealer will hit you only once more, you have given up the right to further cards.