Decks and StacksDecks and Stacks
The first thing that you should bear in mind is to shuffle the cards. If you are playing Blackjack with multiple players, it is quite common to combine two or more decks together.
After shuffling the cards in your hand, let the players place their bets. All bets must be placed first prior to start dealing the cards. Players are not allowed to place their bet once the cards are dealt.
Always remember that players can have fundamental strategy cards on the table.
Start the game by dealing with the first card of the player — it should be face down. First to deal is a player on your left side, moving left to the right side until all remaining players are given. Then, finish it by dealing yourself with one card facing down. After that, deal another set of cards to every player. However, the card must be facing up this time. Then lastly, deal the final card for you. Of course, it should be facing upwards too. If this card is “ace,” you should ask other players if they wish to buy insurance. When they say “yes” to your question, then take the insurance bet of each player. The insurance must be half of the amount of its original bet. Flip over the next card to know if you have Blackjack or not.
Once you have Blackjack, you can start collecting bets from the players who did not purchase insurance. However, those players who purchased insurance can have their original bets. A player with a Blackjack may receive their original bet, even though they did not buy insurance.
If your card facing up is not an ace, then just continue to play like normal. Start from the left side. All players must have their turn. When players opt to stand, you will move on to the next players. If they choose to hit, you will deal them with another facing-up card.
If players continue to draw cards and exceed 21 as the value on their hand, they are busted. You may start to collect their bets and move on to the next players. However, if they have a Blackjack, you need to pay them with a 3:2 bonus. For example, a $30 bet receives $45, plus their original bets.
Players may choose to double down prior to taking some additional cards. In this scenario, deal new facing-up cards once they’ve added extra bets. As a dealer, you also need to remember that those players who select doubling down can only receive 1 new card and can’t opt to hit. On the other hand, any players who have matching cards may split their hands. Once they split it and decide to match the original bet, you need to deal them two cards. These cards must be facing down. Players will then play 1 hand and followed by the next hand.
If all players have taken their turn, then it’s now time for you to play. You may turn over your face-down card. If you have sixteen points or lower, then deal another card for yourself. Just continue until it reaches 17 points or more.
Once you have 17 points in your hand, typical Blackjack rules dictate that the dealer stands. If you have an ace on your second card, consider it as 11 until the total of its value exceeds 21. On the other hand, if you do not have an ace in your hand and its value exceeds 21, you lose, and all remaining players win.
If the total of your hand is below 21, you should pay those players who have higher a higher total than you. Then, collect the bets from players with lower hands than yours.
For some instances, if both dealers and players are tied (otherwise known as a “push”), then refund their bets.
Once you are done dealing and have paid out all winning hands, you need to collect the cards and shuffle so players can place their bets for the next round of play.
The rules of play along with other relevant resources
A visual demonstration and brief explanation of of common Blackjack signals used during play
Common questions related to Blackjack play and strategy
