Play Free Blackjack

Blackjack Rules

Blackjack is a simple yet fun to play card game, which is popular in casinos.

In blackjack, you(the player), competes against the dealer rather than against other players. In the free blackjack game above, you are the only player at the table and are competing against the dealer to win prize points that Jackpot Joy will exchange for use in their games.

The blackjack dealer has no options but to amass a total higher than the total upon which you chose to stand on. This means that you can stand on any total less than 21 and hope that the blackjack dealer cannot beat that hand with his/her own cards.

21 is the cut off point in blackjack. Any total higher than 21 and you will be declared bust.

Card Values

The card values in blackjack are the face value of the card except for an ace and the picture cards..

In blackjack, an Ace can count as either 1 or 11.

The Jack, Queen, and King are all valued at 10 in blackjack.

If your opening two cards consist of an Ace and any picture card, then you have blackjack or 21 as it is sometimes called in various countries. In blackjack, the suits of the cards do not have any meaning in the game.

To calculate the value of your blackjack hand, one simply adds together the totals of the cards.

eg 1) Ace and picture card = 11 +10 =21 or Blackjack

eg 2) Card values of 2, 5 and 7 = 14 in blackjack.

eg 3) Card values of 2, 7, Ace = 10 or 20 in blackjack

eg 4 ) Card values of 2, 9, Ace = 12 or 22 in blackjack.

However, in example 4 the player cannot have 22 as this is higher than 21. They are technically bust, but because of the ace rule in blackjack, they gain a second chance as they can call it 12. In blackjack, you do not need to specify to the blackjack dealer how you wish to treat an ace, as the blackjack dealer will always treat the ace in the manner that forms the best hand.

The Play of Blackjack

The opening play in blackjack sees two cards dealt face up to players and a further two dealt face down to the dealer.

Each player is then asked whether they wish to stand or hit. To stand means that the player declines to draw another card from the pack. To hit means that the player accepts another card from the pack, dealt by the blackjack dealer.

The blackjack player faces a choice as to whether to stand with his two cards or take another card but facing the risk of going bust. This is where strategy enters blackjack, as they player becomes more experienced then they will start to win a higher percentage of blackjack games, as their judgement improves.

Meanwhile, the blackjack dealer cannot play until all the players have finished playing their hands. Once the players have all decided to stand or gone bust, then the blackjack dealer takes their turn to form their blackjack hand.

First, they turn over their two cards, to check if they have blackjack. If not, then they must continue drawing cards until they reach a total of 17 in card values. However, if a player can beat 17, then the blackjack dealer must continue to draw until they beat that player or go bust by drawing a total of 22 or more.

Several variations exist in blackjack, but the rules above cover the majority of blackjack games.