Last updated: May 2026 · Table game guide
The goal
Beat the dealer's hand without going over 21. You and the dealer each get cards. Whoever is closer to 21 without busting (going over 21) wins.
Card values
- 2 through 10 — face value.
- Jack, Queen, King — all worth 10.
- Ace — worth 1 or 11, whichever helps your hand more. If you have an Ace counted as 11, your hand is "soft" (e.g. soft 17 = Ace + 6). If using it as 11 would bust you, it counts as 1 (hard 17 = 10 + 7 with no Ace, or A + 6 + 10).
How a hand plays out
- You place a bet.
- Dealer gives you two cards face up, and themselves one face up + one face down.
- You decide what to do (see actions below).
- If you don't bust, the dealer reveals their hole card and plays their hand to a fixed rule (usually stand on 17 or higher, hit on 16 or below).
- Whoever is closer to 21 without busting wins.
Your actions
★ Hit
Take another card. You can keep hitting until you stand or bust.
★ Stand
Keep your current total. Your turn ends.
★ Double Down
Double your bet, take exactly one more card, then stand. Best when you have 9, 10, or 11 against a weak dealer card.
★ Split
If your two cards are the same value, split them into two hands. Each gets a new second card; you bet the same amount on the second hand. Always split Aces and 8s, never split 10s.
★ Surrender (some tables)
Forfeit half your bet and give up the hand. Use against very weak hands vs strong dealer cards.
Payouts
- Win — 1:1 (you double your bet).
- Blackjack (Ace + 10-value card) — 3:2 (or 6:5 at worse tables; always choose 3:2).
- Push (tie) — you get your bet back, no win or loss.
- Insurance — a side bet offered when dealer shows an Ace. Pays 2:1 if dealer has blackjack. Never take it unless you are card counting — the math always favours the house.
Basic strategy — the cheat sheet you should learn
Decades of computer simulation have produced a "basic strategy" that tells you the mathematically best action for every combination of your hand and the dealer's up card. Memorize the highlights:
- Always stand on hard 17+. Hitting is too risky.
- Always hit on hard 11 or less. You cannot bust.
- Stand on hard 12–16 if dealer shows 2–6. Dealer is likely to bust.
- Hit on hard 12–16 if dealer shows 7–Ace. Dealer is likely to make a strong hand.
- Always split Aces and 8s. Best two-hand outcome.
- Never split 10s, 5s, or 4s. Strong starting hands.
- Double down on 11. Almost always profitable.
- Double on 10 unless dealer shows 10 or Ace.
- Double on soft 13–18 vs dealer 4–6. Free upside.
Following perfect basic strategy reduces the house edge to around 0.5% — the lowest of any casino game. That is why blackjack is the "smartest" gamble in the casino.
Practice in our free Blackjack 21
Real money is the worst place to learn basic strategy — mistakes cost real money. Our Blackjack 21 uses the same rules and odds as a real-money game so you can drill basic strategy with zero financial risk.