Editing Blackjack (section)

==Rules of play at casinos==
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The object of the game is to win money by creating card totals higher than those of the dealer's hand but not exceeding 21, or by stopping at a total in the hope that the dealer will bust. Number cards count as their number, the jack, queen, and king ("face cards" or "pictures") count as 10, and aces count as either 1 or 11 depending on whether or not counting it as 11 would cause a bust. If a player exceeds 21 points, they bust and automatically lose. A total of 21 on the starting two cards is called a "blackjack" or "natural,"<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Morehead |first1=Albert H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ae6-tBj7mi8C&dq=blackjack+hoyles&pg=PA278 |title=Hoyle's Rules of Games, 3rd Revised and Updated Edition: The Essential Guide to Poker and Other Card Games |last2=Mott-Smith |first2=Geoffrey |last3=Morehead |first3=Philip D. |date=2001-12-01 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-452-28313-8 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |url=https://www.caesars.com/destinations/how-to-play/blackjack |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=www.caesars.com}}</ref> and is the strongest hand.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Blackjack Guide and Strategy |url=https://officialgamerules.org/game-rules/blackjack/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Official Game Rules |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Blackjack |url=https://bicyclecards.com/how-to-play/blackjack/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=bicyclecards.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

At a blackjack table, the dealer faces five to nine playing positions from behind a semicircular table. Between one and eight [[standard 52-card deck]]s are [[shuffling|shuffled]] together. To start each round, players place bets in the "betting box" at each position. In jurisdictions allowing back betting, up to three players can be at each position. The player whose bet is at the front of the betting box controls the position, and the dealer consults the controlling player for playing decisions; the other bettors "play behind". A player can usually bet in one or multiple boxes at a single table, but in many U.S. casinos, players are limited to playing one to three positions at a table.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

The dealer deals from their left ("first base") to their far right ("third base"). Each box gets an initial hand of two cards. The dealer's hand gets its first card face-up. In "hole card" games, the dealer also gets a second card face-down (the hole card), and if the first card is a 10-A, the dealer will peek at the hole card to see whether they have a blackjack. If they do, they reveal it immediately, the hand ends, and the dealer takes all wagers whose hands are not also a blackjack. Hole card games are sometimes played on tables with a small mirror or electronic sensor used to peek securely at the hole card.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> In European casinos, "no hole card" games are prevalent; the dealer's second card is not drawn until all the players have played their hands.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

Dealers deal the cards from one or two handheld decks, from a [[Shoe (cards)|dealer's shoe]] or from a [[shuffling machine]].<ref name=":2" /> One card is dealt to each wagered-on position clockwise from the dealer's left, followed by one card to the dealer, followed by an additional card to each of the positions in play, followed by the dealer's hole card if applicable. The players' initial cards may be dealt face-up or face-down (more common in single and double-deck games).

Once all the hands are dealt, play begins with the player to the left of the dealer and proceeds clockwise.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

===Player decisions===
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{{redirect2|Double down|Doubling Down|other uses|Double Down (disambiguation)}}
On the initial two cards, the player has up to five options: "hit", "stand", "double down", "split", or "surrender". Once a hand has more than two cards, hitting and standing are the only options available. Each option has a corresponding hand signal.
* '''Hit''': Take another card.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" />
: ''Signal'': Scrape cards against the table (in handheld games);{{cn|date=April 2025}} tap the table with a finger<ref name=":2" /> or wave a hand toward the body{{cn|date=April 2025}} (in games dealt face-up).
* '''Stand''': Take no more cards;<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /> also known as "stand pat", "sit", "stick", or "stay".
: ''Signal'': Slide cards under chips face-down (in handheld games);{{cn|date=April 2025}} wave hand horizontally (in games dealt face-up).<ref name=":2" />
* '''Double down''': Increase the initial bet by 100% and take exactly one more card. The additional bet is placed next to the original bet.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /> Some games permit the player to increase the bet by amounts smaller than 100%, which is known as "double for less".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gambling Terms - The Complete Guide |url=https://www.gamblingnews.com/blog/gambling-terms/ |access-date=2022-11-11 |website=GamblingNews |language=en}}</ref> Non-controlling players may or may not double their wager, but they still only take one card.
: ''Signal'': Place additional chips beside the original bet outside the betting box and point with one finger.{{cn|date=April 2025}}
* '''Split''': Create two hands from a starting hand where both cards are the same value. Each new hand gets a second card resulting in two starting hands. This requires an additional bet on the second hand. The two hands are played out independently, and the wager on each hand is won or lost independently.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> In the case of cards worth 10 points, some casinos only allow splitting when the cards rank the same. For example, 10-10 could be split, but K-10 could not. Doubling and re-splitting after splitting may be restricted. A 10-valued card and an ace resulting from a split usually isn't considered a blackjack. Hitting split aces is often not allowed. Non-controlling players can opt to put up a second bet or not. If they do not, they only get paid or lose on one of the two post-split hands.{{cn|date=April 2025}}
: ''Signal'': Place additional chips next to the original bet outside the betting box and point with two fingers spread into a V formation.<ref name=":2" />
* '''Surrender''': Forfeit half the bet and end the hand immediately.<ref name=":0" /> This option is only available at some tables in some casinos, and is not allowed after splitting.
: ''Signal'': Using the index finger, draw a horizontal line behind the bet. Surrender can also be announced verbally.

In handheld games, a player must reveal their cards if they have a blackjack, bust, or wish to double down, split, or surrender.

Hand signals help the "[[eye in the sky (camera)|eye in the sky]]" make a video recording of the table, which resolves disputes and identifies dealer mistakes. It is also used to protect the casino against dealers who steal chips or players who cheat. Recordings can also identify [[advantage players]]. When a player's hand signal disagrees with their words, the hand signal takes precedence.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

After the players have finished playing, the dealer's hand is resolved by drawing cards until the hand achieves a total of 17 or higher. If the dealer has a total of 17 including an ace valued as 11 (a "soft 17"), some games require the dealer to stand while other games require the dealer to hit. The dealer never doubles, splits, or surrenders. If the dealer busts, all players who haven't busted win. If the dealer does not bust, each remaining bet wins if its hand is higher than the dealer's and loses if it is lower. In the case of a tie ("push" or "standoff"), bets are returned without adjustment. A blackjack beats any hand that is not a blackjack, even one with a value of 21.

A player blackjack wins immediately unless the dealer also has one, in which case the hand is a push. If the dealer is dealt blackjack, all players who do not have a blackjack lose.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" />

Wins are paid out at even money, except for player blackjacks, which are traditionally paid out at 3 to 2 odds.<ref name=":0" /> Some tables today pay blackjacks at less than 3:2.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

===Insurance===
If the dealer shows an ace, an "insurance" bet is allowed. Insurance is a side bet that the dealer has a blackjack. The dealer asks for insurance bets before the first player plays. Insurance bets of up to half the player's current bet are placed on the "insurance bar" above the player's cards. If the dealer has a blackjack, insurance pays 2 to 1.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> In most casinos, the dealer looks at the down card and pays off or takes the insurance bet immediately. In other casinos, the payoff waits until the end of the play.

In face-down games, if a player has more than one hand, they can look at all their hands before deciding. This is the only condition where a player can look at multiple hands.

Players with blackjack can also take insurance. When this happens, it is called 'even money,' as the player is giving up their 3:2 payout for a 1:1 payout when taking insurance with a blackjack, under the condition that they still get paid if the dealer also has a blackjack.

Insurance bets lose money in the long run. The dealer has a blackjack less than one-third of the time. In some games, players can also take insurance when a 10-valued card shows, but the dealer has an ace in the hole less than one-tenth of the time.

The insurance bet is susceptible to advantage play. It is advantageous to make an insurance bet whenever the hole card has more than a one in three chance of being a ten. [[Card counting]] techniques can identify such situations.{{cn|date=April 2025}}