 The Blackjack Crash Course
Mastering the basics of the world’s most popular table game
By Henry Tamburin
I remember setting foot in a Las Vegas casino for the first time some 40 years ago, and being too intimidated to sit down at a blackjack table. A buddy of mine turned to me and said, “Don’t worry. At one time, all of these people playing were beginners, just like you.”
Of course he was right. I soon mastered the game and it wasn’t nearly as difficult as I’d thought. I came to understand why blackjack has been the most popular casino table game for over 50 years. Even today, more folks play it than poker. The main reasons for blackjack’s popularity are that it’s easy to play, it’s fun, and when played correctly, it has an extremely low house edge.
In this month’s column, and continuing next month, I’ll review the basics of how to play blackjack, show you a simplified playing strategy that you can learn in minutes, and provide some tips on how to overcome your jitters when you’re ready to sit down and give it a shot.
The objective in blackjack is to beat the dealer’s hand. You can do this in one of two ways: either by having your hand total higher than the dealer’s hand, or by not going over 21 when the dealer subsequently goes over 21. (Going over 21 is known as “busting” or “breaking.”) So, if you’ve got 18 and the dealer has 17, you win. If you stand on 12 and the dealer busts, you win.
In a casino you’ll usually find numerous blackjack tables, with minimum betting limits varying from one table to the next. A sign somewhere on the table will indicate what the minimum and maximum betting limits are. If you’re a beginner, I strongly suggest you get your feet wet at the lowest minimum-bet table you can find.
In blackjack, picture cards count as 10. An Ace counts as either 1 or 11. (Initially the Ace counts as 11, but if you draw more cards and the hand totals more than 21, then the Ace can be counted as 1). The total of any hand is the sum of the card values in the hand. For example, a hand containing a 4-5-8 totals 17 and Ace-5 is a 16. The highest-valued starting hand in blackjack is an Ace plus a 10-value card. This is known as a blackjack or a natural. It’s what every player is hoping for when the cards are dealt.
When you win a hand at blackjack you are paid even money (i.e., if you bet $5 and win, you get paid $5). The only exception is a player’s blackjack, which gets paid either 3-2 or 6-5 (if the dealer doesn’t also have a blackjack). As a rule, avoid games that pay 6-5 for blackjacks. This rule variation tilts the edge further in the casino’s favor, since you’re being paid less for your blackjacks.
If your hand and the dealer’s hand have the same total, this is known as a push, or tie, and you neither win nor lose your wager. Card suits have no meaning in this game.
Some blackjack tables use a single or double deck of cards, which are dealt by the dealer from his hand. (He “pitches” the cards to the players). Others use four, or more commonly, six or eight decks of cards that are dealt from a device known as a dealing shoe. In most pitch games, the cards are dealt face down to players, who must pick them up to look at them (using one hand only). In shoe-dealt games, the player’s cards are dealt face up, and players are not permitted to handle the cards. The first two dealer’s cards are always dealt one card face down (the “hole card”) and the other face up. The dealer’s latter card is the most important card on the table, because it will dictate how to correctly play your hand.
Some hands in blackjack are known as soft hands and others as hard hands. It’s important to know the distinction. Any hand that contains an Ace counted as 11 is known as a soft hand. For example, Ace-6 would be a soft 17. Likewise, 2-3-Ace is a soft 16. A hard hand is any hand that either does not contain an Ace, or if it does, the Ace is counted as 1. For example, 10-5-Ace is a hard 16. Oftentimes, a hand can start as a soft hand, and after receiving one or more cards, will turn into a hard hand (Ace-5 is soft 16; if you hit and draw a 10, you now have a hard 16).
While the player has the freedom to decide how he wants to play his hand, the dealer doesn’t make any decisions. He acts on his own cards according to the rules of the game. If his hand totals 16 or less, he must continue to draw cards until he reaches a total of at least 17. If his hand totals 17 through 21, he must stand. In some casinos the dealer must stand on soft 17. In others, he must hit until he has at least a hard 17. The odds are slightly better for players when the dealer stands on all 17s, including soft 17. On the table surface, you can see which rule the casino follows. This is something else you should take note of before you sit down.
The built-in house edge in blackjack arises from the simple fact that the player acts before the dealer. If the player busts he automatically loses, even if the dealer subsequently busts. Requiring the player to act first would mean a whopping 8% edge for the house, if the rules for dealer and player were otherwise the same. But they are not. You get paid an extra bonus when you get a blackjack and beat the dealer (either 3-2 or 6-5, as I explained above). The dealer receives no such bonus when he beats you with one. Also, you have an array of playing options not available to the dealer—such as standing or hitting on any hand total, doubling down, pair splitting, and, in some venues, surrendering. By knowing exactly when to use these options, you can reduce the house edge to about one-third of 1 percent!
Next month, I’ll go into more detail on this arsenal of moves. Understanding how to utilize them is what separates the amateurs from the aces. ´
Henry Tamburin is the author of the best-selling book, Blackjack: Take The Money and Run, editor of the Blackjack Insider e-Newsletter, and Lead Instructor for the Golden Touch Blackjack course. For a free 3-month subscription to his blackjack newsletter with full membership privileges, visit www.bjinsider.com/free. For details on the Golden Touch Blackjack course visit www.goldentouchblackjack.com or call 866/WIN-BJ21. For a free copy of his casino gambling catalog featuring over 50 products call 888/353-3234 or visit the Internet store at www.smartgaming.com.
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