Blackjack is one of the most popular and widely played casino games, offering some of the best odds for players who understand its rules and strategies. Whether you’re a novice or just stepping into a casino for the first time, blackjack presents a great opportunity to both have fun and potentially win money. With blackjack there’s a learning curve, and knowing when to apply the right strategies can significantly impact your success.
In this beginner’s guide, you’ll learn everything you need to get started with blackjack, from basic rules to strategies that will help you lower the house edge.
- How To Play Blackjack – basic rules
- Beginner strategies
- What is the house edge & why it matters
- Beginner mistakes
- Managing your bankroll
- Leaving the table
- Advanced blackjack strategies
What Is Blackjack and How Do You Play It?
Blackjack is a card game where the main objective is to beat the dealer by getting a hand total as close to 21 as possible without going over. It’s a game of skill and strategy, offering some of the best odds in the casino, and it’s incredibly popular because of its straightforward nature.
Here’s a simple breakdown of how to play:
- Each player is dealt two cards. The dealer also gets two cards—one face up, one face down.
- Decide your move based on your cards and the dealer’s face-up card:
- Hit: Take another card.
- Stand: Keep your current hand.
- Double Down: Double your bet and take one more card.
- Split: If you have two of the same card, split them into two hands.
- Surrender: Give up half your bet and end the hand.
- The game ends when you either go over 21 (bust) or stand with your hand.
- If you have blackjack (an Ace and a 10-value card), you win unless the dealer also has blackjack.
- The dealer plays last, and the winner is whoever has a hand closest to 21 without going over.
The simplicity of the game combined with its strategic depth is what makes blackjack both exciting and accessible for beginners.
What Are the Basic Rules of Blackjack?
Blackjack has quite basic and simple rules, and you need to learn them before sitting down and playing it online.
The player wins if they get closer to 21 than the dealer without busting.
How Are Cards Valued in Blackjack?
Number cards from 2 to 10 are worth their face value. The Jacks, Queens, and Kings are all valued at 10 points. The ace is the most flexible card in blackjack, because it can be counted as either 1 or 11 points depending on what benefits you the most at the time.
What Happens If You Go Over 21?
Going over 21 is known as a “bust,” and it means you automatically lose the round, regardless of what cards the dealer has. Once your hand exceeds 21, the dealer doesn’t even need to complete their hand, as a bust results in an immediate loss of your bet.
How Does the Dealer Play in Blackjack?
The dealer has to follow a strict set of rules in blackjack when playing their hand. The table has rules on when the dealer has to hit or stand. By learning the blackjack table rules and how the dealer plays, it can benefit an experienced player due to the predictable nature of it. As long as you know what the dealer is likely to do, you can plan your own moves around theirs.
What Are the Dealer’s Rules for Hitting or Standing?
The dealer’s rules for hitting or standing are simple. In most blackjack games, the dealer must hit if their hand totals 16 or less. This means that even if their hand might potentially bust, they are required to take another card until their hand reaches at least 17.
There is a specific rule regarding “soft” 17s, where the dealer has an Ace.
- If the dealer has a hand of an Ace and 6, which can be counted as either 7 or 17.
- The dealer is sometimes required to hit a soft 17, while in others, they must stand.
- The latter rule, where the dealer stands on soft 17, is more favorable to players because it reduces the dealer’s chances of improving their hand.
What Are the Essential Blackjack Strategies for Beginners?
As a beginner in blackjack, learning a few key strategies can help you reduce the house edge and give you a better chance at winning. The most important strategy revolves around making mathematically sound decisions based on your hand and the dealer’s first card that’s face up. This is known as basic strategy, which you can read in our guide here.
This might seem like a lot to remember and take in at first. But, like poker, you can have a strategy card or “cheatsheet” ready to use to help you make quick decisions and learn faster as a beginner.
How to Use a Blackjack Strategy Card
The card provides a table that tells you the mathematically optimal move for every possible hand based on your cards and the dealer’s face-up card. Using this card/cheatsheet, you can easily decide whether to hit, stand, double down, or split, without having to guess or rely on instinct.
- To use the card, simply locate your hand value on the left side of the chart and match it to the dealer’s upcard shown at the top.
- The point where the two intersect on the chart will give you the best move for that situation.
- For example, if you have a 16 and the dealer has a 10, the card might advise you to hit because the probability of the dealer having a stronger hand is high.
By consistently following the strategy card, you can minimize the house edge to less than 1%, giving you a much better chance at winning.
Where Can You Find Strategy Cards?
If you’re playing blackjack online, there’s a huge amount to be downloaded from Google Images. Etsy has plenty printable cards, and so does Amazon. There’s no need to pay though, there’s plenty available for free, such as this one on reddit with a great explanation.
View our online strategy card for blackjack here.
If you’re going to a land based casino in a popular town, casino gift shops will sell the card. Or you can print one from your phone or PC before you go, as casinos don’t mind you having it.
When Should You Hit, Stand, Split, or Double Down?
This is basic strategy, and as the strategy chart reveals, depends on your hand and the dealer’s upturned card. Follow our basic rules on when to hit/stand/split or double down.
- Hit when your hand is low and you need another card to get closer to 21.
- Stand when your hand is strong, or the dealer has a high chance of busting.
- Split when you have a pair and can turn a bad hand into two better hands.
- Double down when you’re in a strong position to win with just one more card.
What Is the Correct Play in Different Situations?
To make the correct play in different situations, it’s essential to understand the relationship between your hand and the dealer’s upcard.
Here are some general guidelines based on basic blackjack strategy:
How Does the House Edge Affect Blackjack Players?
The house edge is the casino’s statistical edge that keeps them in profit over a long period of time. With blackjack, the house edge is one of the lowest of all the table and slot games. Even with a tiny 0.5% or 1% house edge though, it means over a long period of time that betting $100 you can expect to lose 50 cents to a dollar.
Certain rules can help improve the house edge in the favor of the player. See our guide on beating the house.
What Are the Best Rules for Reducing the House Edge?
The rules of the blackjack table have a direct impact on the house edge. Aim to play on tables that have the following rules in place:
- 3:2 Payout for Blackjack: This is perhaps the single most important rule to look for. When blackjack pays 3:2, you win $3 for every $2 bet when you hit a natural blackjack (an Ace and any 10-point card). This rule alone can significantly reduce the house edge.
- Dealer Stands on Soft 17: When the dealer must stand on a soft 17 (a hand with an Ace valued at 11), it slightly reduces the house edge. If the dealer hits on soft 17, they have a better chance of improving their hand, which increases the house edge.
- Doubling Down on Any Two Cards: The ability to double down on any two cards, not just 10 or 11, gives players more flexibility and helps reduce the house edge. Additionally, if the game allows doubling down after splitting, this rule works in the player’s favor as well.
- Surrender Option: Some games offer the surrender option, which allows you to give up half your bet in exchange for folding your hand. This is particularly useful when you’re dealt a poor hand against a strong dealer upcard.
Why Should You Avoid 6:5 Payout Tables?
The 6:5 payout rule means that for every $5 you bet, you only win $6 when you hit a blackjack. While this might not seem like a huge difference, it significantly increases the house edge.
In a 3:2 game, hitting a blackjack on a $10 bet nets you $15. In a 6:5 game, that same blackjack only pays $12.
Over time, this reduction in payout adds up and makes it much harder for players to come out ahead. In fact, a 6:5 payout can increase the house edge by as much as 1.4%, turning an otherwise player-friendly game into a long-term losing proposition.
What Are the Benefits of Games That Allow Surrender?
When a game offers surrender, it allows you to fold your hand and recover half of your bet if you think your chances of winning are low. This is especially helpful when you’re dealt a weak hand (such as a 15 or 16) against a dealer’s strong upcard (such as a 10 or an Ace).
There are two types of surrender: early and late.
- Early surrender allows you to fold before the dealer checks for blackjack, which is more advantageous for players but rarely offered in casinos.
- Late surrender, more commonly available, allows you to fold after the dealer checks for blackjack. While less favorable than early surrender, it still helps reduce the house edge, especially in situations where your hand has little chance of winning.
Read our guide to surrender in blackjack.
What Mistakes Do Beginners Make in Blackjack?
Blackjack players regularly make mistakes, such as taking insurance and wasting money on side bets. Blackjack is one of the few games that are not down to sheer luck, but are influenced by the player and the strategy they choose to implement.
Avoiding unnecessary beginner mistakes can proove to be more profitable in the long run.
Why Should You Never Take Insurance?
When the dealer’s upcard is an Ace, you’ll be offered the chance to place an insurance bet. The insurance bet is basically a side bet on whether the dealer has a blackjack.
If the dealer does have blackjack, the insurance bet pays 2 to 1, allowing you to recover your original bet. If the dealer doesn’t have blackjack, you lose the insurance bet, and the hand continues.
While this might sound appealing, insurance dramatically increases the house edge. The odds of the dealer having a blackjack are not favorable enough to justify the bet. In fact, for every four cards that would complete a blackjack (10, Jack, Queen, King), there are nine other cards that won’t.
This imbalance means that, over time, the insurance bet is a losing proposition.
The house edge on insurance is much higher than on the main game—around 7.5%—compared to the 0.5-1% house edge when playing basic blackjack strategy.
As a result, most experts advise avoiding insurance altogether, along with side bets, as they are bets designed to make money for the casino, not the player.
How Can Side Bets Hurt Your Bankroll?
As well as the insurance offer, many casinos offer various side bets in blackjack. These include bets like “Perfect Pairs” or “21+3,” where you can bet on specific combinations of cards, such as receiving a pair or forming a poker-style hand.
These big odds might seem attractive, but they don’t represent fair value.
For example, the “Perfect Pairs” side bet might pay 25 to 1 if you receive two cards of the same suit and rank. However, the odds of this happening are very low, and the house edge on this bet is typically around 7%.
For beginners, it’s best to avoid side bets entirely. Stick to the core game, where you have better control over the outcome, and the house edge is much lower. This approach will help preserve your bankroll and improve the likelihood of you being successful in the long run.
How to Manage Your Bankroll at a Blackjack Table
Managing your bankroll and setting limits is important when playing blackjack. As the game involves both strategy and luck, it can be easy to get carried away, both when winning and losing.
The most skilled players can lose more than they intend to when they don’t manage their bankroll. Knowing when to walk away and not chase losses, and when to raise your bets above the minimum is a skill in itself.
When entering a blackjack tournament, it is advised to only join a tournament where the buy-in does not exceed 5% of your bankroll.
Why Should You Stick to Minimum Bets?
If you’re new to blackjack, sticking to minimum bets is important to avoid losing too much money quickly. As the house edge determines that the casino will profit in the long run, it’s better for beginners to make their funds last as long as possible in order to gain more experience without running out of funds.
For example, if you’re playing at a table with a $10 minimum bet, sticking to this amount keeps your losses small and manageable. Many beginners make the mistake of increasing their bet size when they’re on a losing streak or chasing after a big win, but this often leads to quicker losses.
How Can You Prevent Chasing Losses?
Chasing losses is one of the most common mistakes players make, regardless of their experience levels. Casinos thrive on beginners chasing their losses though, as it can quickly deplete your bankroll.
Chasing losses is when a player increases their bet size after a loss in an attempt to try and win back quickly the money they’ve just lost. It’s tempting and frustrating, but this strategy rarely works and often leads to even greater losses. It usually leads to an empty online casino balance, and often much bigger financial problems for those that don’t stop soon enough.
- Take breaks
- Walk away from the table
- Talk to a friend or partner before making rash decisions
- Never bet more than you are willing to lose
What’s the Impact of the House Edge on Long-Term Play?
The house edge will always exist, and its built in advantage in blackjack is what keeps the casino in profit. You might not notice it in the short term after just a few games, but over time, it can really add up and prevent you from consistently winning money.
| Game Rule | House Edge Impact | Player Advantage |
| 3:2 Payout on Blackjack | Reduces house edge by 1.39% | Highly favorable |
| Dealer Stands on Soft 17 | Lowers house edge slightly | Slight advantage |
| 6:5 Payout on Blackjack | Increases house edge by 1.4% | Avoid this table |
| Surrender Option | Lowers house edge by 0.08% | Beneficial for bad hands |
Stick to minimum bets, avoid risky bets and side bets, and take advantage of player friendly rules and basic strategy. Doing so will ensure your bankroll lasts longer and you won’t need to leave the table as quickly.
When Is the Best Time to Leave the Blackjack Table?
The excitement of playing on an online casino and winning hands can make it easy to get caught up in the moment. Knowing when to leave the table, or the virtual blackjack room is important so you don’t lose more money than you would be comfortable with.
What Are the Signs It’s Time to Walk Away?
There are four main signs to look for to know when it’s good to walk away, such as loss limits, win steaks, tiredness, and cold tables.
Why Does Running Out of Money Mean It’s Time to Leave?
If you’ve run out of money with an online casino, it means the amount you originally deposited is now gone. Assuming that when you made the inititial depost, it was an amount you were willing to lose, so if that has now been depleted then you should call it a day. Going back to the deposit page to add more funds is likely a bad move, as you’re effectively going to be chasing your losses.
Sticking to this pre-determined budget can save you from financial ruin and having your night spiral out of control.
How Does the Mood of the Table Affect Your Game?
An upbeat blackjack table or live dealer room can be fun, and the positive energy could enhance your gameplay. Ensure you remain distraction free is essential. Don’t take notice of criticism or disruption from other players that can make you lose focus of your strategy.
What Should You Know About Advanced Blackjack Strategies?
Once basic blackjack strategy has been learned, beginners want to move onto the next concept to improve their blackjack game. There are some advanced strategies like card counting, shuffle tracking and ace sequencing that can be implemented to further reduce the house edge and try and beat the casino. These methods require serious practice, patrience and a deep understanding of the game mechanics.
What Is Card Counting and Should You Learn It?
Card counting is a well established and known about concept that involves keeping track of which cards have been dealt already, and therefore determining the likelihood of certain cards showing up in future hands. Knowing what cards are left can allow players to adjust their bets, such as increasing their stakes, if they feel a good hand is on the horizon.
Card counting will benefit a player and give them a long-term edge over the house. Casinos are aware of card counters and implement counter measures like using multiple decks to reduce how effective it is.
What Are the Basic Principles of Card Counting?
Card counting involves a system of tracking the low cards that get dealt (2-6), the neutral cards that get dealt (7-9), and the high cards (10s and aces). You keep a score of these cards by adding to a score for low cards, doing nothing for the neutrals, and subtracting for the high cards. Throughout the game, if your card counting score is high, that means a lot of low cards have been dealt. It means the deck is hot and there are plenty 10s and aces left, so upping your bets is a good idea. Equally, a low card counting score means that lots of good value cards have already been played and the deck is likely full of 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s and 6s, making it harder to hit blackjack.
How Can Shuffle Tracking and Ace Sequencing Improve Your Game?
Shuffle tracking and ace sequencing can improve your game by knowing when the high value cards are likely to be dealt, and upping your bets when you think it’s the right time.
Shuffle tracking involves monitoring clusters of high value cards as they are shuffled in the deck, and predicting when they will be dealt.
Ace sequencing requires even more practice and concentration, but can give you a significant advantage if you know that an ace is about to be dealt.
What Are Some Common Blackjack Myths and Misconceptions?
When learning to play blackjack, beginner players often have some misconceptions about how the game works and how other players can affect it.
Is Blackjack a Rigged Game?
Beginner players often think blackjack is rigged so the casino or dealer always wins. It’s not the case, as you know from reading this guide. It’s the house edge that ensures that the house profits in the long term. As we’ve discussed, poor bankroll management and poor strategy mean that you’ll go bust quicker. That’s not the casino’s fault, it’s down to poor play from the beginners.
Can Bad Players at the Table Ruin Your Game?
Other blackjack players do not directly impact your chances of winning. It can be frustrating to watch other players make poor decisions like hitting when they should have stood, but you are still playing against the dealer so their decisions don’t impact what you do with your hands. They’re playing their own game.
Some players believe that if someone at the table makes a poor decision, it can “throw off” the flow of the game and cause them to lose, but this is simply not true. The cards are dealt randomly, and the actions of other players don’t affect the overall odds of the game.
Let’s be clear about something, other players have little to no impact on your performance.
What Other Casino Games Are Similar to Blackjack?
Both baccarat and poker share some similarities to blackjack. Whilst they’re all card games and involve skill and luck, the strategies and betting goals vary massively.
How Does Blackjack Compare to Baccarat?
One of the main differences between the blackjack and baccarat is the level of player involvement. In blackjack, players must decide whether to hit, stand, split, or double down based on their hand and the dealer’s upcard, making it a game of skill and strategy. Baccarat, on the other hand, requires very little decision-making. Once the bets are placed, the dealer takes care of the rest, making baccarat a simpler game with fewer strategic elements. View our guide on blackjack compared to baccarat.
What Are the Key Differences Between Blackjack and Poker?
Blackjack differs as you play against the house, not against other players like in Poker. Blackjack and poker are often compared because they both involve strategy and card play, but the two games differ greatly in structure and objectives. See our guide to blackjack compared to poker for more details.
