How to play blackjack
The rules take a few minutes to learn. Playing them well is what the rest of this guide is for.
Short answer
You and the dealer each get two cards and try to get closer to 21 without going over. Number cards count at face value, jacks/queens/kings count as 10, and an ace counts as 1 or 11, whichever helps your hand more. A natural blackjack (an ace with a 10-value card in your first two cards) beats any other 21 and pays 3:2. On every other hand you choose to hit, stand, double, split, or surrender, and the closest hand to 21 without busting wins.
The hand flow
- Bet. Place your wager before any cards are dealt.
- Deal. You get two cards face up; the dealer gets one face up (the upcard) and one face down (the hole card).
- Dealer peek. If the dealer's upcard is an ace or a 10-value card, the dealer checks the hole card for blackjack before you act. If the dealer has blackjack, the hand ends immediately (you lose unless you also have blackjack, which pushes).
- Your decision. With the dealer confirmed not to have blackjack, you hit, stand, double down, split (if your first two cards are a pair), or surrender (if your table offers it and you have not acted yet).
- Dealer plays. Once every player is done, the dealer reveals the hole card and hits according to a fixed rule until reaching 17 or higher.
- Settle. Whoever is closer to 21 without busting wins. A tie is a push and your bet returns.
Your five options
- Hit. Take another card.
- Stand. Keep your total and end your turn.
- Double down. Double your bet, take exactly one more card, and stand.
- Split. If your first two cards are a pair, split them into two separate hands, each with its own bet. Some tables allow doubling after a split (DAS); this changes a few pair decisions — see the decision library.
- Surrender. Give up half your bet and end the hand before taking any other action. Only offered on your first two cards, and only at tables that offer it (late surrender).
Insurance
When the dealer's upcard is an ace, you are offered insurance: a side bet of up to half your original wager that pays 2:1 if the dealer has blackjack. As a basic-strategy player you decline it — see side bets & insurance for why.
Rules that vary by table
Blackjack is not one fixed rule set. The two biggest variables are how many decks are in play and whether the dealer hits or stands on a soft 17 (a hand totaling 17 that includes an ace counted as 11, such as ace-6). Both move the house edge — see how the rules change the edge. Common configurations include Vegas Strip, Atlantic City, Downtown and single-deck rules, each with its own mix of deck count, soft-17 rule, and surrender availability.
Common questions
What does the dealer do?
The dealer follows a fixed rule with no choices: hit until the hand totals at least 17, then stand (except on a soft 17, where the table rule decides whether the dealer hits or stands).
What happens if I bust?
You lose immediately, even if the dealer later busts too. This is why the dealer's advantage exists: you can bust and lose before the dealer even plays.
Can I always double or surrender?
Only on your first two cards, and only if your table offers that option. Some tables restrict doubling to certain totals or forbid surrender entirely; the decision library lists the fallback play when an option is not offered.