In these games, the players' cards are dealt face down, You are just beginning, this is the best kind of game, because you don't have to worry about In games dealt from a shoe, the players' cards will be face-up, and players are not allowed to touch (In some parts of the world, the dealer may get only one card. Theįlip one of his cards over, exposing its value as the 'dealer upcard'. Starting at his left (your right) so that the players and the dealer all have two cards each. Once all the bets are placed, the dealer will deal the cards to the players. Twenty is a great hand, so we would stop there. Let's back up, and draw a different card instead: (This hand is now a hard 17, despite having an Ace in it.) We no longer have the option to count the Ace as 11, Now our hand is 17, since 1 + 6 + 10 = 17. The fact that the hand can't break if you draw another card. This hand is valued at 7 or 17, also known as a 'soft' 17.Ī soft hand is any hand where an Ace can be counted as either 1 or 11 without going over 21. The value that makes the best hand, and that may change as more cards are added to the You need not specify which value the Ace has. Any hand that goes over 21 'breaks', or is 'busted', and is an automatic loser.Īn Ace can be counted as either 1 or 11. Some examples:ĥ + 7 + 9 = 21, so this hand has a value of 21.ġ0 + 10 = 20, so this hand has a value of 20.ĩ + 3 + 10 = 22, so this hand is a 'bust'. The value of a hand is simplyĬounts of each card in the hand. The suits of the cards do not have any meaning in the game.

The 10, Jack, Queen, and King are all valued at 10.

The cards from 2 through 9 are valued at their face value.

An Ace can count as either 1 or 11, as explained below.

In blackjack, the cards are valued as follows: In any event, when you're just learning to play, don't hesitate to show the dealer or other players You're playing at a shoe game, the player cards are all dealt face up. No problem with the dealer or any of the other players at the table seeing the cards in your hand. The rules of play for the dealer are strictly dictated, leaving no decisions up to the dealer.

Other players at the table are of no concern. The basic premise of the game is that you want to have a hand value that is closer to 21 Now Part 1 – Blackjack Basics Premise of the Gameīlackjack is pretty simple.

Blackjack kings and queens