PlayFallsview Caino Guide | Blackjack

The Goal of the Game

Often called 21, the goal of Blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possible without going over. There are two ways to win at Blackjack — either your hand adds up to more than the dealer’s hand without going over 21 or the dealer goes over 21 while your hand remains under 21.

Understanding the Cards

Numbered Cards

Cards numbers from 2 to 10 are worth exactly what’s shown on the card.

Picture (or Face) Cards

Jacks, Queens, and Kings are each valued at 10.

Aces

If you hit an Ace, it can be worth either 1 or 11 — whichever works out better for your hand (the dealer must follow specific rules regarding the value of an Ace).

 

Understanding the Hands

Blackjack

A hand of exactly two cards that totals exactly 21.

Soft Hand

A hand of two cards, where one card is an Ace. There’s no danger in busting by hitting because the Ace can drop down in value to 1.

Hard Hand

A hand featuring two cards, with no Ace.

Push

When you have the exact same total as the dealer’s hand.

Bust

A hand with a total of 22 or higher.

Before You Play

  1. Establish a budget for your Blackjack session.
  2. Understand the point values for each card and how to play.
  3. Learn the lingo and how to apply it. We’re talking hit, stand, split, or double down.

Playing a Hand of Blackjack

  1. Place your bet by moving your virtual chips to the betting section of the felt.
  2. When dealing begins, you’ll receive two cards, face up. The dealer will receive their two cards as well, but only one is face up.
  3. If the dealer has a 10 or an Ace, they’ll check the face down card. If they have Blackjack, it’s game over and the dealer wins (unless another player has Blackjack too, in which case they’ll keep their original bet).
  4. If the dealer doesn’t have a 10 or an Ace (or if they do but they’ve confirmed that they don’t have Blackjack), players get to choose to hit, stand, split, or double down.

Understanding Your Moves

Hit

Tell the dealer you want another card.

Split

Create two hands out of your two cards. For example, if you have a pair of 8s, you can create two hands, each with an 8, and then receive an additional card on each 8 to create two separate hands. You can play each hand independent of the other.

Double Down

If you’re confident enough in your hand and think exactly one additional card will help you, you can double your bet. Remember, you’ll only get one additional card when you double down.

Stand

Tell the dealer you don’t want any additional cards.

Insurance

If the dealer’s up card is an Ace, you can place an insurance bet. When you take insurance, you’re betting that the dealer’s down card is worth 10 and that the dealer has Blackjack. Insurance bets are paid 2:1 unless otherwise indicated.

Side Bet

Some Blackjack games come with side bets. These are additional bets that award extra cash depending on the makeup of your hand (for example, hitting a pair of Queens or  having three 7s). Consult each game for additional side bet options.

 

Blackjack Odds

Blackjack is wildly popular — and for good reason. While there’s certainly a lot of luck involved, you can reduce the casino’s advantage by understanding odds and playing correctly.

Understanding Blackjack Odds

Blackjack odds differ from other casino games because the outcome of every round depends on how previous rounds played out. As cards are removed from a Blackjack shoe, the odds change. This differs from games like Roulette where the odds for each spin are the same.

About House Edge
In a nutshell, house edge refers to the small percentage of all bets that a casino expects to win. Casinos are in business to make money, so the house edge helps a casino make a profit. In Blackjack, the casino has an edge. You’ll notice that players are dealt cards before the dealer flips over their down card. Because of this, players can lose before the dealer even has a chance to play.

Improving Your Odds
While there’s a lot of luck involved in Blackjack, the decisions you make can affect the outcome of each hand. While a dealer is forced to stand on 17-21 and hit on 16 or less, you can choose to stand or hit on whatever hand you like. And by following basic Blackjack strategy, you can improve your odds and reduce the house edge.

Blackjack vs. Other Casino Games
Did you know that in Blackjack, the house edge can be as low as 0.5%? That’s impressively low, especially when you compare it to the 5.26% house edge found at the Roulette wheel. It’s this type of low house edge that makes Blackjack so attractive.

Blackjack Strategies

Knowing basic strategy can help you boost the odds a little more in your favour than by making random decisions.

Basic Strategy

Blackjack strategy has a different set of rules based on what type of hand you’re holding. These rules dictate when to hit, stand, split, or double down. Following basic strategy never guarantees that you’ll win. But overall, these decisions make the most sense. While you can choose to not follow basic strategy, the dealer must stand on 17, draw if their hand is 16 or less, and stand when the total is between 17 and 21.

How To Play Your Hand

Knowing what to do in each situation can be difficult to decide. For example, if you’re holding a Hard 7 and the dealer is showing 6, you’d stand. But if the dealer is showing a 7 against the same hand, you’d hit.

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