How To Play

You and the dealer each receive two cards. Your goal is to beat the dealer's hand without going over 21. Face cards count as 10, aces as 1 or 11. After your initial deal you can hit (take a card), stand, double down (double your bet for one more card), split pairs, or surrender at some tables. The dealer must hit until reaching 17 and then stop.

Card Values

• 2-10: face value
• J, Q, K: 10
• Ace: 1 or 11 (whichever helps)

House Edge

A 6-deck game with 3:2 blackjack payouts, dealer stands on soft 17, double after split allowed, and late surrender runs about 0.42% against perfect basic strategy. Switch to a 6:5 payout and the edge balloons to ~2.0%. Single-deck 3:2 with liberal rules can drop below 0.2%. Always avoid 6:5 tables.

Basic Strategy

• Always split aces and 8s. Never split 5s or 10s.
• Double 11 vs any dealer card except an ace. Double 10 vs 2-9.
• Stand on hard 17+. Hit hard 12-16 vs dealer 7 or higher; stand vs 2-6.
• Soft 18 (A-7): stand vs 2, 7, 8; double vs 3-6; hit vs 9, 10, A.
• Never take insurance unless counting cards.

Common Mistakes

Standing on 16 vs a dealer 10 because it "feels safe" - you must hit. Splitting 10s to chase two winners breaks a guaranteed strong hand. Taking insurance gives the house a 7%+ edge on the side bet. Mimicking the dealer (always hit until 17) gives up about 5% edge by ignoring doubles, splits, and surrender.

Example Hand

You hold 11 vs dealer 6. Double down. The dealer's bust card combined with your high doubling expectation makes this one of the most profitable plays in the game.

Bottom Line

Blackjack is the lowest-edge game in the casino when you find 3:2 tables and use a printed strategy chart. Skip 6:5, skip insurance, and treat each session as paid entertainment with a fixed budget you can afford to lose.