Blackjack rules

THE BUY-IN

You must buy-in a minimum amount of chips when sitting down at your chosen table. The minimum limit is equal to ten times the lower bet limit of the game. For example on a table with minimum bet $1 the minimum buy-in is $10.

THE GAME

In Blackjack, each player competes only against the dealer (i.e. the bank), not against other players. Your goal as the player is to draw cards until your hand adds up to 21, or comes as close as possible without exceeding 21. If your first two cards total 21, you have Blackjack.

If you don’t get a Blackjack on the first two cards, you will be able to draw cards. If the total of your cards exceeds 21, you bust and lose your wager. You can make a stand at anytime you want, as long as your cards don’t exceed 21. The result of your cards is compared with the result of the dealers’ cards. If you have the same card total as the dealer, from 17 and up, no one wins and you get your stake back in a push. Blackjack beats a score of 21.

The beauty of this game is that the dealer is forced to draw new cards if the card total of the dealers’ cards are below 17 and the dealer has to make a stand if the card total of the cards is 17 or above. As a player, you always have a choice to draw, as long as your card total is less then 21.

The Blackjack game at StarClubPoker uses six decks of cards, which are shuffled after each round. The game follows standard Las Vegas Strip rules.

SIT DOWN

Up to 7 players plus a dealer are able to be seated around a table. Before you are dealt any cards, you must place a bet. Once made, you will be dealt two cards (face up). The dealer is then dealt two cards, one face down (hole card) and one face up (up card).

BETTING

The table bet limit determine the bet amounts. For example, in a table with bet limits $1 - $10 your minimum bet is $1 and you may bet up to $10 per hand.

VALUE OF CARDS

* All suited cards (jacks, queens and kings) are all valued at 10.
* All cards 2 to 10 have their face value.
* Aces count as with 1 or 11, whichever is better to the player.
Note: suits have no meaning or value in Blackjack

SPLIT

If (and only if) your first two cards are of the same value, you may split them into two separate hands, placing a second wager of equal value. You then proceed to draw cards as usual. However, if you split two aces, you get only one additional card for each hand. If you split two aces and one of your hands totals 21, this is not considered Blackjack, but 21.

DOUBLE DOWN

When you have been dealt two cards, and believe that a third card may give you a position to beat the dealer's hand, you can double down. Your wager is doubled, and you are allowed to hit and receive just one additional card.

INSURANCE

Insurance is a game of its own within Blackjack, and gives you the chance to protect yourself when you believe that the dealer may have Blackjack. If the dealer's first card is an ace, and if you believe that the dealer's hole card is of value 10, you may buy insurance against dealer Blackjack at the price of half your initial bet. If the dealer does have Blackjack, the insurance pays 2 to 1, corresponding to the amount of your initial bet. If you have bought insurance, and the dealer does not have Blackjack, you lose your insurance. Your initial bet is then settled by comparing your cards with the dealer's. Should you and the dealer both have Blackjack, the game results in a push.