Blackjack

These are the terminologies used in blackjack so make sure to read them all because they’re the ones that’ll give you an insight into how blackjack works. Sounds good? Learn more further down.

• The Card Deck. The standard 52-card pack is used to play blackjack but usually, multiple card decks are shuffled and used together to play blackjack. The most popular is the six-deck game because it’s played with 312 cards.
• The Shoe. This is a box where four or more decks of cards are kept and dealt from a shoe. The shoe allows the dealer to remove one card at a time and definitely, the cards are face-down.
  
• The Shuffle and the Cut. The dealer starts shuffling the decks of cards and after they’ve been properly mixed, a player starts the game by cutting. Cutting basically refers to using the plastic card to signify when you’ll need to re-shuffle the cards.
  
• The Deal. The deal refers to the dealer giving each player and themselves one face-up card after players have made their wagers. This process is repeated once more though this time around, the dealer gives themselves a face-down card instead.
  
• The Naturals. The natural is the Ace and ten cards which combined, is equal to 21 or blackjack. Funny thing about a natural is that it can come in three ways. The first scenario is getting a natural and the dealer getting none, in which case the dealer pays the player one and a half times their bet. For the second scenario, the dealer has a natural so they collect the bets of all players who don’t have a natural. Finally, if both the dealer and a player have a natural, this is called a stand-off so your chips will be returned.
  
• The Play. The player to the left goes first and must decide whether to stand or hit. To stand means to hold your ground by not requesting for another card while a hit means being dealt another card by the dealer. So, depending on how close you’re to 21, you can stand or hit though, if it goes bust (cards‘ are more than 21), you would have forfeited your wins.
  
• The Soft Hand. A soft hand refers to a two-card combo of an ace and a card other than ten. Because players can count the ace as an 11 or one, they can decide to draw or hold. A soft 18 is an ace and a seven and the total can be an 18 or 8 though players can still draw more cards for a better hand. This is because players can still count the ace as a one so an additional card may lead to a better hand.
• The Dealer’s Role. Once every player has been served, the dealer’s face-down card is turned up and if their total is 17 or more, they stand while they take a card if the total is under 16. Also, dealers must count aces as 11’s. These rules are rigid and the dealer can’t, let’s say, take another card if their hand totals 18. On the other hand, players aren’t restricted by such rules.
  
• Splitting Pairs. If your first two cards have the same denomination such as two Queens or two sixes, you can consider each as a separate hand. So, the rules state that you must bet an equal amount of cash on both hands. You always start by playing the left hand whereby you’ll stand or hit once or twice and following that, you play the cards by your right. With a pair of aces, you’ll be given a card for each ace and won’t be able to draw again.
  
• Doubling Down. When your first two cards total 9, 10, or 11, the blackjack player is allowed to double their bets. When it’s your turn, you have to place a bet equal to your original wager amount after which you’re handed a face-down card which is only turned up at the end of the hand. Remember that dealers aren’t allowed to double down.
  
• Insurance. If the dealer’s face-up card is an ace, players can make a side bet called the insurance that the dealer’s face-down card is a ten-card making the dealer’s cards a blackjack. This side bet is only up to half of your original bet. If the face-down card turns out to be a ten-card, players who made the side bet will be given double their side bet amount. If there are not multiple ten-cards mixed in with the deck of cards, then the insurance side bet isnt a good bet.
  
• Settlement. A bet can’t be collected back so if a player goes bust, their entire bets are lost and this fact doesn’t change even if the dealer goes bust as well. So, the dealer pays the players that stood the player’s bet if the dealer’s hands pass the 21 mark. If the dealer’s hands are 21 or less, the dealer pays the bets of the player with the highest hand and collects the bets of any player with a lower hand total.
  

• The first blackjack casinos were established in the 1700s in France.
• Blackjack casinos typically offer a variety of blackjack games, including classic blackjack, Spanish 21, and Pontoon.
  
• Most blackjack casinos use a standard 52-card deck, but some may use additional decks or special rules to increase the house edge.
  
• Blackjack casinos usually have a dress code that requires players to dress formally.
  
• Most blackjack casinos require players to purchase chips from the casino in order to play.
  
• Blackjack casinos typically have a minimum bet requirement in order to play.
  
• Most blackjack casinos offer a variety of side bets, such as insurance and progressive jackpots.
  
• Blackjack casinos typically offer a variety of promotions and bonuses, such as cashback and reload bonuses.
  
• Most blackjack casinos have a VIP program that offers exclusive benefits to loyal players.
  

• The probability of being dealt a blackjack is 4.83%
• The probability of winning a blackjack hand is 49.32%
  
• The probability of losing a blackjack hand is 44.85%
  
• The probability of pushing (neither winning nor losing) a blackjack hand is 5.81%
  
• The house edge in blackjack is generally around 0.5%
  
• Blackjack is the most popular casino table game in the United States
  
• In a standard game of blackjack, there are a total of 52 cards
  
• The average blackjack player plays at about a 200$ bet per hand
  
• Blackjack is a game with one of the lowest house edges of any casino game
  
• The basic strategy for blackjack has a house edge of 0.5%
  

Blackjack is fun, simple to understand, and has an excellent payout so it’s considered by many to be the gateway game into the world of casinos. Luckily, it’s unlike other casino games that relies on a degree of randomness because there are techniques like card counting for beating the dealer. From beginners to pro-level players, blackjack is a game that appeals to a wide audience.