Now that you know how the game of blackjack works and which action a dealer will take we will explain the basic rules of the game.
Blackjack is also well known as “21″ but the game 21 that everybody plays at home is a little different to casino Blackjack. The idea of the game which is to get the total sum of your cards as close to 21 as possible without going over 21 (please see comments below) is the same but it differs in the payout of when you actually get “Blackjack”. Blackjack is when your first two cards are an Ace and one with a value of ten; this then has a total sum of 21 (ace being 11 and 10 being 10). Please do be aware that you can only have Blackjack on the first two cards that you have been dealt. It is not blackjack when you have split two aces and receive one or two tens.

Note: Some who play blackjack will advocate that the purpose of the game is to beat the dealer and not neccessarily to get as close to 21 as possible; it is possible to win with any hand if the dealer busts (goes over 21) and you are still in the hand as will become clearer later.

Before you go any further you need to know what the different card values are in blackjack; this is very important as you will want to know what the total value of your cards is.

- The cards 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 10 have a face value. This is the value that is stated on the cards themselves. This means that a three of clubs has a value of three and an eight of diamonds has a value of eight; suit or colour of the cards is irrelevant in standard blackjack.

- The cards Jack, Queen and King all have a value of ten.

- An Ace in blackjack has a value of 11 or 1. Which value an Ace takes is decided by the player which is to your advantage and you do not need to decide before you play as you can decide at any time during play and you can even change your mind during play. This might sound a little difficult but in most cases it is obvious which alternative you will choose.

Now you know what the values of the cards are you are able to play blackjack in the standard form.

Blackjack is a very simple game and only gets slightly complicated when you look into the details. These details are very important to you as they can give you an edge on the casino. They can also turn against you so please be very careful when applying any of these additional plays at a game of blackjack.

- Doubling down: In blackjack you may double your initial bet having seen your cards. This is only done when your cards suggest that you have an advantage over the dealer and not just because you feel lucky. For example you might reasonably think you have an advantage when your first two cards have a total value of 11 and the dealer has a 5 showing. This is a typical situation when you might decide to double your bet. By placing your chips beside your original bet on the blackjack table (you must place the additional bet with the exact same value as your original bet) you are showing the dealer that you would like to double down. The dealer will then place your extra chips on top of your original bet and give you one extra card. For this extra privilege of being able to double your bet during a game you have to pay a price. This price in blackjack is that you only get one extra card, no matter what your total value is. As you are probably thinking now, you can double on 11 and receive one extra card, which might be a 2, leaving you with a total value of 13. You may want to “hit” but this is not allowed so just bear in mind that you only get one extra card when you are doubling down.

- Splitting: When you play blackjack you are allowed to split your first two cards to have two separate hands. This is only allowed when you have received two cards with the same value, the same value being very important. Many people think that the cards have to be the same (two Jacks or two Queens) but it is only the value that has to be the same. This means that you can split when you have a Jack and a Queen because in blackjack they both have a value of ten. If you wish to split then you need to place the same amount as your initial bet beside your original bet. The dealer will then know what to do and will split the two cards. The dealer will now give both cards an extra card so that you will be playing two hands. The game will proceed as normal, but you are playing two hands instead one. It is a possibility that you may draw another card with the same value as your first card. This will then allow you to split again if you wish. This may keep on going for a while but be careful if you are doing this, as it is pure gambling with the odds against you.

There is one exception to this splitting rule in blackjack and that is when you are dealt two aces. If you receive two aces you are allowed to split but you will only receive one card on top of each ace. This means that you cannot keep on buying but that you have to live with the cards that have been dealt. If you receive another ace on one of you initial aces you are allowed to split these again but yet again bear in mind, you only get one card per ace.