Alec Martinez
Facts VerifiedVerified by Head of Content: Alec Martinez
Updated: 24.01.2025In this article, our experts offer valuable tips on how to play blackjack, covering everything from basic card values to common game scenarios. There’s everything you need to kick-start your journey as a beginner. If you already have some experience, you can build on it with the helpful strategies and tips we shared. Plus, Rather Dashing Games experts guide you to the best places to play blackjack, regardless of your current level.
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If you’ve ever happened to ask yourself the question, “How do you play blackjack?” here is where you start – the rules. In this section, we will cover the basic rules of how the game is played. Learning them will allow you to get in on the action and start gaining experience with playing blackjack in a casino.
Let’s start with the value of the cards, as this is crucial to understanding the game. Face cards are worth 10 points, and aces can be either 1 or 11, depending on the situation. All number cards hold their face value. The goal is to get a hand with a value as close to 21 as possible without exceeding it.
All players sit on one side of the table – with the dealer positioned centrally – facing them. The table is designed with specific areas for placing betting chips and cards. If side bets are offered, a designated square on the table will be provided for placing those additional bets, allowing players to wager on more than just their main hand.
Whether you play live blackjack or an RNG variant, the game follows a certain course of action you need to be familiar with. Here, we provide a detailed walkthrough of the gameplay’s flow.
Before the game begins, you must buy in by purchasing chips equal to or above the table’s minimum requirement. After that, you place a qualifying wager to indicate your participation in the upcoming hand. If you play blackjack online in Canada, there will be a clock that will prompt you to place your bet, so you will know when the time for that comes.
After the betting round is finished, the dealer deals cards to each player clockwise. Players receive two cards face up, while the dealer has only one of their two cards revealed, and the other one is face down.
When your turn comes, you have to make a decision based on your hand and the dealer’s face-up card. You can either “stand” (keep your cards), “hit” (request another card), “double down” (double the bet and receive one more card), “split” (if you have two cards of the same value), or “surrender” if the rules allow it.
After all players have finished their turns, the dealer reveals their face-down card and plays their hand according to fixed rules. The dealer hits on all hands 17 or higher with special rules for soft 17s. If they bust, all remaining players win their bets.
In the best-case scenario, the dealer busts, and all participants win. Otherwise, the dealer’s hand value is compared to the players’ hands to determine who wins.
To know how to play blackjack means you understand every situation that can occur at the game – like the ones we explain here. There are rounds that result in a tie, also known as a “push”, where you get your bet back. If you take insurance and the dealer ends up having a blackjack, your insurance bet will pay out according to the specified odds, typically 2:1. Those situations don’t occur as often but are an important part of the game.
If you’ve played blackjack in a land-based casino, you’re well-prepared to start with live online blackjack. Since playing 21 (blackjack) online also requires a sound strategy and know-how, we’ve listed some handy rules to help you out:
If you want to have the best chances at winning, your moves must take into account both your hand and the dealer’s up card. As an extra tip, Rather Dashing Games experts have calculated that it’s better for players who are still learning how to play blackjack not to take insurance. The reason is very simple – the payout odds of insurance aren’t favourable for the player.
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