The Basics

The basic rule for blackjack is getting as close to 21 without going over and beating the dealer’s hand.

A Bet must be placed prior to the dealer dealing any cards. The player does this by placing the chips in the area designated on the Blackjack Table, it's usually a little spot in front of each player.

The dealer will then deal two cards to each player including the dealer. One of the dealer's cards is dealt face up and one is dealt face down. Kings, Queens, Jacks (the face cards) are all worth ten points, the Ace can count as either a 1 or an 11 point card (its is your choice on what value you want to make the ace) and all the other cards are counted as their face value indicates (so the 5 of hearts count as a 5).

The dealer must draw on 16 and stand on 17

Blackjack
Blackjack means the player is dealt an ace and a 10 point card (10, Jack, Queen, or King) as the first 2 cards! However, if the dealer also gets blackjack then it is a push (all ties are considered a push). A winning blackjack pays the player 3 to 2 or one and a half times the players bet. (Metroplex Casino Parties pays 2 to 1 or double)

Hit or Stand
A “HIT” means the player would like the dealer give him/her another card in hope of getting closer to 21. A player indicates a hit with a hand gesture to the dealer or by just saying hit me. To “STAND” means that the player wants to stick with the cards he/she currently has, the player indicates this by waving his/her hand (palm down) over the cards or by just saying Stand. If the player asks for a hit and goes over 21, the wager is lost. This is called a “BUST”.

Double Down
”Double Down” means the player can double his/her bet on the first two cards. The player may draw only one more card to improve his/her hand. The player can double down on any combination of cards, but is usually only recommended on 10 or 11.

Splitting Pairs
If the first two cards a player is dealt are a pair (two 8’s, two Aces) he may split them into two separate hands. Each hand must have the same amount bet on them and then play them separately. Aces receive only one additional card and after the split if the player gets an Ace and a 10 it counts as 21 and not as blackjack. It is never advised nor wise to split 20 (10’s, Jacks, Queens or Kings) and is recommended that the player spilt a pair of Aces or a pair of Eights.