Blackjack is one of the most popular casino card games all around the world.

The huge popularity of that game is caused through simple rules and easy strategy of counting cards. However, the game didn’t gain popularity at once. The U.S. online gambling houses had to work hard to create many sorts of casino bonuses and extra features in order to increase the interest of the players.

It is recognized that that the precursor of that game was the card game “vingt-et-un” (“twenty one”), which appeared in the gambling establishments of France in the XIX century.

Rules
The player makes a bet against the dealer. It is not quite correct to believe, that the goal of the game is to collect as many points as possible, but not more than 21. The true goal of the game is to beat the dealer.

The game is played with one to eight decks. The probability of collecting blackjack playing with a higher number of decks is lower, so the advantage of the player melts by increasing the number of decks. After finishing a game, when approximately 1/3 of the cards are left, the deck is changed.

Value points of each card: from two to ten - from two to ten points, respectively, the ace – 1 or 11 (the player decides), the so called pictures (king, queen, jack) – 10.

The situation when the player and the dealer collect the same number of points is known “stay” or “push”. In this case everyone keeps his bets, nobody wins and nobody loses. Although in some casinos some exceptions can occur and the casino may be the winner in case of pushes.

The players make their bets by putting them on the fields of the game table. Bets are made before the cards are delivered. After the first card is delivered, the players can’t make any bets.

The dealer delivers the cards (usually from one or two decks): he delivers two cards to each player and one to himself, (in the USA they deliver to the dealer two cards, from which one is open, the other one is closed). All the cards are opened at the same time (the player and the dealer can see them).

When even at delivery one player collects 21 points (if he gets an ace and a 10 or an ace and a picture), the situation is called blackjack. In this case the prize is paid to the player straightway in a ratio 3:2 (in other words, 150 % of his bet). As exceptions are considered situations, when the dealer gets as first card (open card) a 10, picture or ace. In this case the player with a blackjack can take the prize in ratio 1:1, or has to wait until the game is over (and in case if the dealer does not collect blackjack, he receives the prize in ratio 3:2).

Next, the players that don’t collect blackjack, can take another card (by asking the dealer to hit them) or to stay with those three cards (and the sum of points), which they have in the hand (in this case they must tell the dealer that they stay).

As a matter of fact, if the player collects 21 points after being hit, the dealer asks him no more and continues with the next player.

If the player’s sum exceeds 21 points after being hit, the situation is called “excess”. Dealer says “much” and retires the player’s bet.
If the dealer with his first two cards collects 21 points (blackjack), all players lose (except those with blackjack). Those with blackjack keep their bets if they didn’t decide with anticipation to take their prizes in proportion 1 to 1.

In some cases, depending on the player’s cards, the dealer can offer extra variants.

After all players finish taking cards, he says “to myself” and delivers cards to himself. The general rule of blackjack is confined in that the dealer must stop when he collects 17 points or higher. In different casinos the rule stating that the dealer must stop when collecting an ace and a six, may vary.

Variations

*Basic: dealer with one open card and one hole card.

*With two open cards: extra rules aren’t used, blackjack 1:1.

*European: dealer gets second card after all players get their cards. In case the dealer collects blackjack, players get back all side bets (except “insurance”)