Blackjack is played with up to six decks of cards with each deck consisting of four of each of the following cards: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen and King. All number cards are worth their face value, while the Jack, Queen and King are all worth ten. The Ace is worth either one or eleven.

After all players have placed a bet, each player, as well as the Dealer, is dealt two cards. The player‘s cards are both dealt face up while the dealer‘s hand has one card up and one card down. Each player is given an opportunity to improve his or her hand by taking additional cards. The object is to score higher than the dealer, without exceeding 21. Players may take as many cards as they want as long as they do not exceed 21. Each player’s hand is measured against the dealer’s hand. When the player’s hand totals more than the dealer’s hand, without exceeding 21, the player wins. When the dealer’s hand totals more than 21 and the player’s hand is 21 or less, the player wins. When the dealer’s hand totals more than the player’s hand without the dealer exceeding 21, the player loses. When the player’s hand and the dealer’s hand total the same amount, the bet is Pushed, and the player neither wins nor loses.

If a player receives an ace and a ten valued card as his/her first two cards, the player has Blackjack and will win one and one half times his/her bet, unless the dealer also has Blackjack which results in a push. If the dealer’s total is less than 17, then the dealer must hit. However, once the dealer’s hand exceeds 17, the dealer must Stand. Dealer must stand on hard 17 and hit soft 17.

Soft 17 is a hand which must contain an ace. The ace point is counted as 11 and is added to any combination of cards that totals 17. Example:

Additional Wagers
If a player’s two cards are of equal value, they may Split the cards into two separate hands and put up an additional bet that is equal to the first. Cards can be split up to four times. Player will receive only one card on split Aces.

If the player has two cards and wants to add more money to their bet, they may Double Down. When a Double Down is bet, the player may bet as much as they wish for the second bet, as long as it does not exceed the amount of the original bet. The player’s hand will only receive one card and  may not be hit again. Players may Double Down after they Split, but not on Blackjack.

When the dealer’s hand has an ace as an up card, the dealer will offer an Insurance bet. Players electing to take the Insurance bet may wager up to one half of his/her original bet. If the dealer’s hand is a Blackjack, the player wins 2 to 1 on his/her Insurance bet. If the dealer’s hand is not a Blackjack, the player loses the Insurance bet and the hand is played as normal.