What is Classic Blackjack?

Classic Blackjack is one of the oldest and most well known of the card casino games. The aim of the game is to try and beat the dealer's hand either by getting Blackjack or to get closer to 21 than the dealer without going bust. With Classic Blackjack the player can only bet one hand at a time (i.e. you cannot have a multi-hand play). Only one deck of cards is used with Classic Blackjack.

Rules of How to Play Classic Blackjack on the Internet

The first thing to do when playing Classic Blackjack is to place your bet. The dealer will then deal one card for the player and two cards for the dealer. One of the dealer's cards is face up and one is face down. The next stage is for the player to be dealt a second card which is known as a "Hit". There are a number of important rules to follow when playing Classic Blackjack. Firstly, if the dealer's hand is bust (i.e. it is more than 21) then the player automatically wins. If the player has Blackjack, which is an Ace and a card which has a value of 10, then the player automatically wins.
If the dealer and the player have the same hand, this is know as a "push" and the amount that was bet is returned to the player. This also applies if both the player and the dealer get a Blackjack.

Payouts

If the player wins with a Blackjack then he is paid out at odds of 3:2, in other words if the player bet 20 credits then he will win back 50 credits. The calculation is basically 3/2 which is 1.5 multiplied by the bet which is 30 credits plus the original bet back.
Payout for a winning hand that is not a Blackjack is paid out at odds of 1:1 against the original bet: a player will receive his original bet back plus the same again. For example, a bet of 10 credits will give a win of 20 credits.
Payout against an insurance bet (against the dealer getting Blackjack) is paid at odds of 2:1 on your insurance bet. So if you bet 10 credits and took out insurance, the cost of the insurance is 5 credits. If the player wins the insurance bet (i.e. there is a Blackjack) then he is paid 15 credits; his insurance bet of 5 credits plus odds of 2:1, which is another ten credits.

Split Play

If the player receives two cards of the same denomination then he has the opportunity to split. Basically this means that the player gets a second hand to play and cards can be dealt all over again. Be aware that it is not possible to get a Blackjack when cards have been split; in other words, if two Aces are split and then a Ten is dealt, this is considered 21 and not a Blackjack. A player is allowed to split only once per hand in Classic Blackjack. Remember that with every split, the player is placing another bet of the same value as the initial bet.

Doubling Down

A player has the opportunity to increase his winnings with Double Down. A player can only Double Down when he has a value of 9, 10 or 11. Double Down allows the player to draw one more card and then stand. The Double Down bet is equal to the value of the original bet and the player cannot Double Down after a split.

Buying Insurance

The final important rule to remember is about insurance. A player can take insurance when the first card drawn by the dealer is an Ace. The insurance is taken in case the dealer gets a Blackjack. Insurance costs half of the original bet. If the dealer does not have a Blackjack then the player will lose the insurance along with the bet he placed if he loses the hand. If the dealer does have a Blackjack then the insurance is paid out at odds of 2:1. Insurance can only be taken on the player's original hand.

How to Win at Classic Blackjack

There are a number of ways to win when playing Classic Blackjack. If the first card dealt to the dealer is an Ace then the dealer is allowed to check for Blackjack as long as the player has had a chance to buy insurance. If there is no Ace to start with then the game can commence with "Hits". The idea is that the player needs to get as close as possible to 21 without going over it (Bust). The player will ask for the cards to be progressively dealt to him until he is satisfied with his hand and then he will call a halt to it which is known as "stand". The dealer will then deal his cards until he reaches at least 17. Sometimes the player will be bust, in which case the game is over and the player has lost his bet. Sometimes the player and the dealer will end up with the same number which is known as "push", in which case the player will not lose his bet but he will also not win anything. The other alternative is that the dealer will be "bust" in which case the player will win at a rate of 3:2.

It is important to remember that Aces can be valued either as 1 or 11. The face cards, King, Queen and Jack all have a value of 10. When playing Classic Blackjack, the player is not allowed to draw more than 11 cards, i.e. he is allowed an additional 9 cards in his hand. If the player has 11 cards and still has not reached 21, or gone bust, then he automatically has to "stand" and the dealer then has his turn.
If the player has a total of 9, 10 or 11 with his first hand then he has the opportunity to place a Double Down bet. This is a bet in which the player is dealt only one more card and then stands. A player also has the opportunity to win more money if he decides to split his hand. This can be done if the initial hand has two cards of same denomination. Each time a split is made the value of the initial bet placed is taken, it is like placing the bet again.

Definitions and Terms for Classic Blackjack

There are many terms that are used in Classic Blackjack which are defined below.

21 - the maximum value that cards can reach without them being bust. It can be reached without Blackjack by numbered cards, for example a ten a four and a seven.

Blackjack - an Ace with another card that has a value of ten, it could be a ten of hearts or a face card like a Jack or Queen or King. It is an automatic winner and cannot be beaten, only equaled.

Bust - when the cards dealt to either the dealer or the player exceeds the numerical value 21.

Denomination - the actual face value of the card for example an Ace can be one or eleven and a Jack is ten or a three of spades is three.

Double Down - a side bet that can be placed if the player thinks that with only one more card drawn he will be able to beat the dealer. In Classic Blackjack it can only be done if the initial hand has a value of 9,10 or 11. After the Double Down bet is taken the player is allowed one more card only and then has to stand.

Hit - the term used for dealing the next card by the player if the player chooses to continue with his game as he believes he can get closer to 21.

Insurance - the opportunity for the player to cover himself if the dealer's first card is an Ace and the player believes that the dealer has a high chance of getting Blackjack

Push - when the dealer and the player draw the same result and the player will get back his original bet.

Split - the chance to split your bets by adding another bet if the player receives two cards of the same denomination. This can only be done once per game.

Stand - the position taken when the player is happy with his hand and does not want to draw any more cards.

Value - the numerical value of the card: 1 or 11 for an Ace, 10 for the face cards. All other cards are valued according to their written numbers.