New players looking to get started in blackjack online will benefit from learning the basics through this online blackjack guide. Find out the goal of blackjack, how a round runs, all your possible moves, and the rules that govern this incredibly popular table game. Open a second tab and follow along with a round of blackjack in Practice Play to learn at warp speed.
Every round begins with a bet. Put chips on the board in the betting circle, and tap “Deal.” You’ll be dealt a two-card hand face up, and the dealer receives a two-card hand with one card face up and one card face down. The goal is to get a hand that’s higher than the dealer’s without going over 21 points. Once you have your two-card hand, you have five options: hit, stand, double down, split, and surrender.
Blackjack Hit or Stand
According to Blackjack rules, you can request another card by hitting. The dealer adds another card face up to your hand. When you’re in a good position to win, stand. That means you’re taking no additional cards and are ready to go head to head with the dealer.
What is Double Down in Blackjack?
Double Down is a move that gets you one, and only one, extra card, while doubling your initial bet.
What is Splitting in Blackjack?
In blackjack, every time your initial two-card hand is a pair (ex. Two 9’s), you can split them into two individual hands. In this case, each 9 would receive one more card. Note, two 10-rank cards are considered a pair in blackjack, so if your two-card hand consists of a Queen and Jack, that’s a pair that can be split.
What is Surrender in Blackjack?
In some Blackjack game variations, you can surrender a hand, which ends the round prematurely. Surrendering makes sense when the dealer has a strong upcard because you retrieve half your wager. At Bodog Casino, all our versions of blackjack, except Single Deck and Double Deck, offer the option to surrender.
Blackjack Rules
The rules for blackjack depend on the type of blackjack you’re playing and the casino you’re playing at. For example, the rules for Single Deck Blackjack are different from the rules for Standard Blackjack in our casino. Our rules will also differ from other online casinos. Let’s go over the rules for our standard blackjack.
- Six decks are used and shuffled after each round.
- Dealer hits on hands that are 16 and below and certain 17-point hands. The dealer hits on a soft 17 (17-point hand with an 11-point Ace) and stands on all other 17-point hands.
- Blackjack pays 3:2.
- Bet between $1 and $500 per round.
- Surrender any first two cards.
- Split up to three hands per round.
- Split Aces receive only one card and can’t be re-split.
- Double any two cards.
- A split Ace and a 10-rank card isn’t blackjack
