Blackjack
Blackjack is a very common worldwide casino game; you can find it in just about any casino in the world. This is a card game with a simple objective. The aim of the game is to get 21 or as close as possible without going over it. To win a hand, you must get more than the dealer you are playing. The standard 52 pack of cards is used, but on more occasions, the dealer will use multiple packs. The most popular/used are six packs, but some dealers use up to eight. When the dealer uses four or more packs, they will use something called a shoe. This is something that hands the cards out one by one, face down, which means they do not need to hold them.
Card Values
When you receive an ace, you can choose whether you want it to be a 1 or an 11, depending on the other cards you have. If you get a card with a face (Queen, King, Jack), that counts as 10.
Objective
The objective of the game is to get 21 or as close as possible without going over it.
Betting
Before the dealer hands out the cards, each player will put their bet into the middle of the table. There will be specific minimum and maximum bets you can place, but it will usually be a minimum of £2 and a maximum of £500, but that could change depending on where you play.
The 'shuffle' and the 'cut.’
The dealer will firstly shuffle the cards until they are all mixed and will then ask one player to cut the pack. Once it is split, the dealer will place a blank plastic card closer to the bottom. Once he hit that, the cards will all be reshuffled once again. When using multi decks and in casinos this usually does not take place.
Dealing
When all the players have all placed their bets, the dealer will begin his deal. He will give each player one card face upwards, before giving one to himself. Then everyone will get a second card, also faced upwards. However, the dealer will have his second faced down. If a player receives an Ace (which you can have as either 1 or 11) and a face card (counts as 10), then you have made 21 from two cards and is known as 'backjack'. If someone has this and the dealer doesn’t, the person that has it is paid at one and half times the amount of the original bet. If the dealer has a blackjack and none of the other players do, all of the chips will be taken away. If the dealer and another player both has one, it is known as a standoff. This means the player will take back his stake.
How to play
The player on the left-hand side of the dealer will go first and will have to decide whether to 'stand', which means you are happy with how close you are to 21, or 'hit, which means you would like another card to try and get closer to 21. However, you must remember you cannot go over 21.