Blackjack is one of the world’s most popular casino games. A bit like ‘pontoon’, the object of the game is to draw cards with a total closer to 21 than the Dealer’s total… but without going over 21. Cards are dealt clockwise from a ‘Shoe’. You are dealt two cards, while the Dealer takes one card. The cards are dealt face up so you can see your point value.

Blackjack Rules:

Players play Blackjack individually against the dealer with 4 packs of cards. The object of the game is for the players cards total to beat the dealer’s total without going over 21. It’s similar to Pontoon but no five card tricks and special rules to buy a card or increase your bet.

Card Values 
Aces count 1 or 11, picture cards count 10, all other cards count their face value.

First Bet (Ante Bet) 
Bets are placed by players in the centre of the square box usually corresponding to their table position.

First Deal 
All players get two cards face up and the dealer gets one card face up. A ‘Blackjack’ is an ace and a 10 value card (thus scoring 21), dealt only on the first 2 cards.

Additional Cards 
Players will be offered in turn to take as many additional cards as they wish until they think they have a score closer to 21 than the dealer will achieve. The following special options are available to the player ONLY after the first two cards have been dealt:

‘Splitting’ your hand into two different hands is possible if your first two cards are the same except for pairs of 4, 5, or 10’s. To indicate you want to ‘split’ make an additional bet equal to your original one. The dealer will split your cards and place an additional card on each card creating two hands that you can then play. You are permitted to split more than once if you wish. When Aces are split the player may only take one more card and if the score of 21 is achieved this does NOT count as ‘Blackjack’.

‘Double Down’ is allowed if the players first two cards total 9, 10 or 11 the player may double their bet but they will ONLY draw one further card. ‘Insurance’ can be taken if you have blackjack and the dealers up card shows an ace. To do this you must bet half your original bet. If the dealer has Blackjack you will win your insurance bet at the rate 2:1 and you stand off on your Blackjack hand. If the dealer does not have blackjack you lose the insurance bet but get paid 3:2 for Blackjack.