CASINO PARTY
How to Play Blackjack
Blackjack is a card game in which players try to get close to a total of 21 points without exceeding that number. Face cards count as 10 points, aces are 1 or 11 (at the player's discretion) and all other cards are their number value. Players first place a bet. They begin with two cards and may take additional cards at their option. Each player plays against the dealer and not the other players; players win by having a higher total than the dealer (without exceeding 21) or if the dealer goes bust (exceeds 21). A hand consisting of an ace and a 10-point card is called blackjack and is of special value.
At the beginning of each game, each player receives two cards. In their turn, a player may:
Stand--Stay with what they have.
Draw--Take any number of cards, one at a time, until they bust or decide to stand.
Double Down--Double their initial bet and take one (and only one) card.
Split--If a player is dealt a pair, they may double their initial bet and split the cards into two hands. The dealer then adds one card to each hand and the player plays each hand independently, with the amount of the initial bet on each hand. Split aces cannot get blackjack and cannot draw; all other split hands can get blackjack and can draw or double down at their option.
After each player takes their turn, the dealer reveals their down card and plays. If the dealer busts, all players who did not bust are paid at even odds. (This means they win an amount equal to their bet, in addition to keeping what they bet.) If the dealer does not bust, all players with a higher total than the dealer are paid at even odds, all players with a lower total lose their bet, and players that tie push (keep their money).
If a player is dealt blackjack, they immediately reveal their cards and are paid at 3-2 unless the dealer has blackjack also, in which case they push. (Odds of 3-2 mean that a $10 bet pays $15, and larger bets follow the same multiplier.)
A special circumstance arises if the dealer begins with an ace showing. In this case, before the first player takes their turn, each player has the option to place an insurance bet. Insurance costs 1/2 of the initial bet, and pays 2-1 if the dealer has blackjack. That is, if the dealer has blackjack, the insurance bet wins and the initial bet loses, for a net loss of zero. If the dealer does not have blackjack, players lose their insurance bet but continue playing.
