Casino Blackjack Rules

Blackjack rules are not identical everywhere — casinos tune a handful of variables that shift the house edge. Below are the common rules you'll meet at the table, with the specific variant used by this site's chart and trainer called out explicitly.

Objective

You are playing against the dealer, not the other players at the table. Your goal is simply to have a hand total closer to 21 than the dealer's, without going over 21 ("busting"). Other players' hands are irrelevant to whether you win or lose — each player's bet is settled independently against the dealer's final hand.

Card Values

2–10: face value
J, Q, K: worth 10
Ace: worth 11 or 1, whichever helps your hand more. A hand containing an Ace counted as 11 is called "soft" (e.g., soft 17 = A + 6). If drawing a card would bust a soft hand, the Ace re-counts as 1 and the hand becomes "hard."

Blackjack (a "Natural")

An Ace plus any 10-value card as your first two cards is a Blackjack — the best hand in the game. It beats any other 21 (including a 3-card 21), and it pays out immediately rather than waiting for other decisions.

Standard payout: 3:2 — a $10 bet wins $15. Some casinos, especially on single/double-deck games, pay only 6:5 on Blackjack — this sounds similar but is a significantly worse deal for players (roughly 1.4% worse house edge) and is generally worth avoiding.

If the dealer also has a natural Blackjack, the hand is a push (tie — your bet is returned) rather than a win.

How a Hand Plays Out

Players place bets.
Two cards are dealt to each player (usually both face up) and two to the dealer — one face up (the upcard) and one face down (the hole card).
If the dealer's upcard is a 10-value card or an Ace, the dealer checks (peeks at) the hole card for a Blackjack. If found, it's revealed immediately and all non-Blackjack hands lose right away — no further decisions are needed.
Each player, in turn, decides how to play their hand (see Player Options below).
Once every player has finished, the dealer reveals the hole card and plays their hand using fixed rules (no choices — see Dealer Rules below).
Bets are paid, lost, or pushed by comparing each remaining player hand to the dealer's final total.

Dealer Rules

The dealer has no choices — they must follow a fixed drawing rule:

Draw ("hit") on any total of 16 or less.
Stand on soft 17 (S17) — this site's rule set. The dealer stops at any 17 or higher, including a soft 17 like A+6.
Some casinos instead use Hit soft 17 (H17) — the dealer draws again on a soft 17, hoping to improve. H17 is slightly better for the house (about 0.2% more house edge) and shifts a few basic strategy plays (mainly a bit more doubling/surrendering). Always check the table felt or ask the dealer which rule is in play.

Player Options

Hit

Take another card. You may hit as many times as you like until you stand or bust (exceed 21, which is an automatic loss regardless of what the dealer draws).

Stand

Take no more cards and lock in your current total.

Double Down

Double your original bet and receive exactly one more card, then stand automatically. This site's rule set allows doubling on any first two cards; some casinos restrict doubling to hands totaling 9, 10, or 11 only.

Split

If your first two cards share the same rank (or are both 10-value cards, e.g., K+J), you may split them into two separate hands, each getting its own additional card and its own bet.

Aces are special: each split Ace typically receives only one more card, and you cannot hit again — a common casino restriction to limit exploiting a strong starting card.
Double after split (DAS) — this site's rule set allows doubling on a hand that resulted from a split. Not every casino allows this.
Most casinos allow resplitting if you draw another matching pair, typically up to a maximum of 3–4 hands (aces usually cannot be resplit). This trainer simplifies to a single resplit (two hands total) to keep practice focused.
A 21 made after splitting counts as a regular 21, not a paying Blackjack, even if it's an Ace + a 10-value card.

Surrender

Give up half your bet and end the hand immediately, before drawing any more cards. This is only offered as your very first decision, on your original two cards.

Late surrender (this site's rule set): you may surrender only after the dealer has checked and does not have Blackjack.
Early surrender (rare): you may surrender before the dealer checks for Blackjack — noticeably better for players, but hard to find.
Many casinos don't offer surrender at all — always ask if it isn't posted.

Insurance

When the dealer's upcard is an Ace, you may be offered Insurance: a side bet of up to half your original wager that the dealer has Blackjack. It pays 2:1 if the dealer does have Blackjack, and is lost otherwise.

Basic strategy says: never take insurance. Even though it "feels" like protecting your hand, it's a separate bet with a house edge of roughly 7% for a player who isn't tracking the remaining cards. It's only potentially profitable for skilled card counters who know significantly more high cards remain in the shoe than usual.

Push

If your final total ties the dealer's (and neither is a Blackjack beating a non-Blackjack 21), it's a push — nobody wins, and your original bet is returned.

What Changes the House Edge

These are the common "knobs" casinos adjust. All else equal:

Fewer decks favor the player slightly (single-deck is best, 8-deck is worst).
Dealer stands on soft 17 (S17) is better for the player than hitting soft 17 (H17).
Blackjack paying 3:2 is much better for the player than 6:5.
Double after split allowed (DAS) is better for the player than not allowed.
Surrender available (especially early surrender) is better for the player.
More frequent shuffling (poor "penetration") slightly hurts anyone trying to track the shoe, though it has no effect on basic strategy itself.

Always play the best combination of rules you can find — reading the table's placard is worth a few seconds before you sit down.

Next step

Ready for the exact numbers?

Head to the Basic Strategy Chart for the mathematically correct play in every situation, or jump straight into the Practice Trainer to test yourself hand by hand.