"Blackjack" is also called "21". Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games in the world. Those who play different casino games spend most of their time playing Blackjack. Blackjack rules are easy to understand and to learn. Blackjack gives the skilled player a consistent winning advantage over the house! A dealer and several players take part in Blackjack. Every player and the dealer have two cards each. Each player's hand is played against the dealer's hand only. If you obtain a hand value closer to twenty-one without going bust than the dealer does, your hand wins. The objective of Blackjack is to obtain a hand value as close to twenty-one as possible without going over. The objective of Blackjack is to Beat The Dealer! The most powerful hand possible is a hand value of twenty-one in your first two cards. An ace and a ten valued card will give you 21 or blackjack. When you receive a blackjack, the dealer will pay you three chips for every two that you have bet. If both you and the dealer have blackjacks your bet is simply retained by you. In this case you neither lose nor win. The player decides himself whether to hit or stand, which is a great advantage over the dealer. There are fixed rules governing the play for the dealer. If the dealer's total is beyond 17 he has to draw a card. If a player obtains a hand value less than 21 or equal to 21 and greater than the dealer's hand value then a player wins an amount equal to his wager. If both a player and the dealer has the same hand value, it is known as a "push". A push is neither won nor lost. In the case of a push nobody wins and nobody loses. They say you go bust if the total value of your hand goes over 21. If you go bust you lose your bet. If both your hand and the dealer's hand is a bust, you lose your bet because the dealer always plays out his hand last. The dealer's greatest advantage over the player is that the dealer is always the last to play out his hand. Players have the advantage of flexible play. Players have four options. The player has to decide what to do after receiving first cards: he can stand, hit or split.

The origin of the game Blackjack is still discussed. Some people believe that Blackjack is based on some European card games. Blackjack have elements of French “Vingt-Un” (21), “Trente et Quarente” (20 and 30), “Chemin de Fer” (Railroad), Spanish “One and Thirty” and Italian “Baccara” and “Seven and a Half”. French “Vingt-Un” (21), “Trente et Quarente” (20 and 30), “Chemin de Fer” (Railroad), Spanish “One and Thirty” and Italian “Baccara” and “Seven and a Half” come to the United States in the 19th century and were very popular. For some time casinos and gambling houses were forbidden. In the Western part of the USA gambling was illegal from the 1850’s to 1910. In Nevada gambling was illegal from 1910 to 1931. In 1931 gambling was legalized in Nevada. When casino gambling was legalized Blackjack became one of the most popular games. Casino gambling and Blackjack were very popular. Blackjack was played at nearly every casino and gambling house. The most popular types of Blackjack were played with one or two decks. In 1956 the first article about the game of Blackjack was published. “The Optimum Strategy in Blackjack” was the title of this article. Roger Baldwin was the writer of this article. In “The Optimum Strategy in Blackjack” Roger Baldwin wrote about some strategies. Roger Baldwin explained how to reduce the “House”, or casino, advantage based upon probability and statistics. “Beat the Dealer” was published in 1962 by the Mathematics Professor Edward O. Thorp. It was Edward O. Thorp who developed and wrote about the first card counting systems. “Beat the Dealer” was one of the most popular books. A lot of people read books about casinos, casino games and gambling. After the publication of the book there appeared millions of new gamblers all over the world. People wanted to implement Thorp’s strategy. Some casinos changed Blackjack rules as Thorp’s strategy really worked. When Blackjack rules were changed in some casinos most people stopped playing Blackjack. Casinos had to change Blackjack rules back to attract players. Thorp’s book ended up making money for casinos, as it increased the amount of Blackjack being played. Thorp’s strategy seemed complicated and difficult for some players. Julian Braun was one of the most important contributors to modern Blackjack strategy. Mr. Braun improved Dr. Thorp’s code. Braun’s updated strategies and card counting systems were included in the second edition of “Beat the Dealer”. If it hadn’t been for Troph and Braun the game of Blackjack wouldn’t have been so popular then and now.

Blackjack is an international game. Blackjack has a fairly standardized set of rules and rule variations. In some casinos neither dealers nor players say anything during the game. The dealer and the players use special signals to show their playing intentions. The use of special signals is preferred in most casinos. Using signals speeds up the game. Using signals is a form of international communication. The signals help to avoid noise. If you are dealt a blackjack and your cards are dealt face down, you have to signal a blackjack by placing your cards face up in front of your bet. If your cards are dealt face up, the dealer will automatically recognize the blackjack. The most common decision you will have to make is whether to stand or to hit. If your cards have been dealt face down, you may hold your cards in one hand only. If you want to signal a stand, you have to slide the corner of your cards face down under your bet. If you want to signal a hit, you have to wait until the play comes to you then simply scrape the bottom of the cards lightly against the table toward you. If your cards have been dealt face up, your stand and hit signals are made with your hand. To indicate a stand you have to move your hand left to right, in a flat, palm down position about two inches over your cards. To indicate a hit you have to tap the table next to your cards with your fingertips or you have to place your hand near your cards and move your fingertips toward you. If the first two cards dealt to you are cards of equal value, you may "split" the pair combination. If you want to accommodate and signal your split intention, you have to place another bet, equal to your initial bet, alongside your initial bet. If your cards have been dealt face down, you have to place one card, face up, in front of each bet. If your cards were dealt face up, then the dealer, upon seeing your second bet, will split your cards for you. After the split you play two separate hands. Most casinos allow splitting in the case of any pair combinations as the first cards. In some casinos splitting Aces is not allowed. Most casinos that do allow splitting of aces will only allow one card to be dealt to each split ace. Some casinos allow multiple splits if the second card dealt to either hand has a value equal to the first card. You may "double down" on a hand, which consists of two cards. The original bet must be doubled in the case of a double down. In the case of a double down you receive one more card. The dealer will understand that you want to double down if you make an additional bet equal to your first bet. If your cards have been dealt face down, you have to place them face up in front of your doubled bet. The double down option isn’t available in all casinos or it can have some restrictions peculiar for this very casino. Some casinos don't allow doubling down on split hands. Some casinos can permit doubling down when the total value of your two cards is ten or eleven. The double down option gives you an advantage over the house.

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