Learn How to Play Blackjack

by Blackjack on September 25, 2009

Learn to play Blackjack at the Sahara Hotel & Casino www.SaharaVegas.com on the Las Vegas strip. Blackjack can be an entertaining casino game for both beginners and experts at the Sahara Hotel & Casino Las Vegas.
So you want to play blackjack?

It’s a great game, and exciting, and you can win money as consistently if you play blackjack with the correct methods and attitude.

First you have to understand the game, and then we will show you some basic tips to play blackjack that will help you play and win so lets get started.

Blackjack Rules

The rules of blackjack are fairly simple.

The dealer will deal you (all players) two cards, and then the dealer gets 2 cards, one showing and hidden.

You may think that the object of the game is to get as near to 21 as you can (even a 21 with an ace and face card or 10, which is called Blackjack). This is NOT the object of the game. The object is simply to beat the dealer.

After you have received your cards, you can ask for additional cards “hit”, as many as you wish, just so long as you do not bust (go over 21).

Blackjack rules clearly state that the dealer must continue to hit until 17, and then stop. Should there be a tie; the dealer will win only if he had a real blackjack (an ace with a 10).

The Game of Blackjack Getting the odds in your favor

The rules may be easy, but to play blackjack as the pros do, takes some work.

You see, the pro has to know all the odds. The pro will know how to make the odds work in his favor and increase and decrease bet size according to the odds

Although some casinos still use a single deck or double deck game, most casinos have use a shoe with six or sometimes eight decks.

A good point to remember is that with multiple decks, the casino usually pays out at 3:2. Always make sure you know the payout before you begin.

Some casinos will load the odds in their favor and pay out at 6:5, which is not good at all.

Basic Blackjack Strategy

Before you even start to play blackjack, sit down and learn this basic strategy

Were you dealt an ace? Yes? then

If your second card is an 8 or 9, then STAND.

If your second card is a 6 or less, then HIT

If your second card is a 7, watch the dealer’s hand and decide

Were you dealt a pair (of the same card but different suit)? Yes? Then:

If you have a pair of 4s, 5s, 9s 10s, then SPLIT Anything else, don’t SPLIT

Were you dealt something else but a pair and an ace? Yes, then;

If your cards equal 17 or more, then STAND

If your cards equal 11 or less: then HIT

If your cards equal 12 until 16; watch the dealer’s hand and decide

Three Special FACTUAL Tips

* The 52 card deck (or multiples) all have 30% of the cards with the value of “10″

* Always assume the dealer’s hidden card is a 10.

The actual chances of are high. Also assume that whoever hits, you or the dealer, will get a 10 more times than you won’t.

* When a dealer’s has a 6 or less showing, he must take at least one hit to get to 17.

That means that his chances of busting are HIGH. Sometimes you will do well to stand at 12!

Here we have given you the bare basics, but if you follow them, you can play well and only with a small disadvantage to the house and with a good chance of winning.

To win consistently you need to!

Card count and all the facts you need to put the odds in your favor with card counting systems that can make you money are contained in the follow up article to this one.

Digest what you have learned here on playing blackjack, then move to card counting and you will soon be winning consistently at Blackjack.

learn to play blackjackFor more free info

On how to play blackjack and more tips and strategies in all major casino games visit our website for articles, downloads and features at http://www.net-planet.org/games/blackjack.htm

{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }

Blackjack September 25, 2009 at 1:35 pm
TheBigBlueSteel September 25, 2009 at 1:55 pm

I Went To A College Class On How To Cardcount…I Won Some Money But Im Not Goin Crazy bout gamblin

Stryker September 25, 2009 at 2:22 pm

Hoyle.com they are the authority on card games.

estesoyojajaja September 25, 2009 at 2:41 pm

me to, i also like carioca rummy, but it is not verry famous like gin rummy…

Ryan A September 25, 2009 at 2:53 pm

Theres a LOT to learn when you want to beat a blackjack table. i recently answers somebodies question on this with more detail than i usually do in my answers, this is the link… http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ap0aKjvUfeN94H0ig3ouVvfty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090123050735AAwY1Pe&show=7#profile-info-mtBJIkpGaa

that explains all the necessary info for one particular card counting system.

****THIS IS THE BEST EXPLANATION AVAILABLE ON YAHOO ANSWERS**** period, idc what you think, i know more about blackjack advantage play than anybody here

If you do everything i wrote in that article, and only play when the count is high ***enough*** for you to have a player advantage as i described, you will expect to win money, there re other ways to play, and other ways to bet, but that way it the most efficient, in terms of the dollar amount you expect to win, it is however less efficient in risk aversion, and variance vs. time, which are concepts im not going to explain

there are some good links on that posting, and these are a few more.

http://www.hitorstand.net
http://www.blackjackinfo.com

Mike A September 25, 2009 at 3:59 pm

Here are some good tips:

Always double down on an 11. Only double down on a 10 if the dealer's face-up card is somewhere between a deuce and an eight; Aces, nines, and tens are dangerous.

Never split any fives or tens (including 10-point cards). You already have a ten with the first scenario, and a 20 is one of the strongest hands of all.

Always split Aces. Even though you receive only one card to each new hand, the potential for Blackjack is always there.

Always split eights unless the dealer's face-down card is a deuce to a five. A dealer has to take another card on a 16.

If the table requires the dealer to hit a soft hand (ace as 11), skip it. Good casinos require dealers to stop whenever they have an ace and at least a six, meaning they can't regard it as a one-point card. Bad casinos require dealers to continue until they have a hard hand (ace as one).

You might also consider looking for some Tom Ainslie books. My favorite is in this link:

Mia September 25, 2009 at 10:33 pm

I also have played BJ many years with great success. I limit my sessions to no more than 2 hours, and limit my chip loss to $15 on any table. If I lose more than that I switch tables or casinos. My win rate is around 70%, you must keep a record of all your sessions. I've have been barred in 3 casinos. You must learn basic strategy and card counting. The key to winning, is how you accept losing sessions, like the hotshots on the movie 21 that thought they could not lose.

mitali1009 September 26, 2009 at 1:33 am

Great website for learning strategy from simple tables: http://www.hitorstand.net/strategy.php

Basic Blackjack Rules:

The goal of blackjack is to beat the dealer's hand without going over 21.
Face cards are worth 10. Aces are worth 1 or 11, whichever makes a better hand.
Each player starts with two cards, one of the dealer's cards is hidden until the end.
To 'Hit' is to ask for another card. To 'Stand' is to hold your total and end your turn.
If you go over 21 you bust, and the dealer wins regardless of the dealer's hand.
If you are dealt 21 from the start (Ace & 10), you got a blackjack.
Blackjack usually means you win 1.5 the amount of your bet. Depends on the casino.
Dealer will hit until his/her cards total 17 or higher.
Doubling is like a hit, only the bet is doubled and you only get one more card.
Split can be done when you have two of the same card – the pair is split into two hands.
Splitting also doubles the bet, because each new hand is worth the original bet.
You can only double/split on the first move, or first move of a hand created by a split.
You cannot play on two aces after they are split.
You can double on a hand resulting from a split, tripling or quadrupling you bet.

Good luck!

Steve R September 26, 2009 at 4:29 am

Black Jack is a simple game that the player actually has an edge to win. It is a game of skill .. playing the odds. Practice the basics of the game over and over. When you get to Vegas, play the black jack video machines to prepare you. Use the live game instructors at most of the casinos on the strip. They are usually held in the morning hours when the crowds are low.

ml497 September 26, 2009 at 7:16 am

There are certain strategies you can follow, just by using statistics. For example, if the dealer shows a 6 and you have 12, it is better to stand because the dealer will bust about 40% of the time. There is no strategy, however, to raise your chances of winning to over 50%.

mayerj72 September 26, 2009 at 3:06 pm

Pogo.com

The best site for games! You could also google your query and probably get even more results.

greg September 26, 2009 at 11:48 pm

You might be able to teach one a VERY rudimentary form of playing blackjack, whereby he/she (the dog, that is) could learn to bark or not, signifying hit or stay, when you tell it certain numbers. I can't imagine it going much beyond that though.

eddy September 27, 2009 at 2:00 am

splitting cards.. if you get a pair of something, then you can split them. You put out an extra bet of the same amount since you are choosing to have another hand by splitting. Once they are split, you play them as seperate hands. If you split aces, you get just 1 card.
(at least where I worked.)
Play at a free game site like pogo.com .. maybe yahoo or msn games has it too. But realize you'll win more often than normal in a free online game.
They won't let you be the dealer.. you're the player in the free games ive seen.
If you go to a casino, you can ask if they give away the free card that tells you what to do in each situation.. when to hit and when to stay. Many casinos give them out free.

logg0n September 27, 2009 at 2:43 pm

Why are they hiding the cards? I’ve played this in 5 different countries and never seen that, its a waste of time it looks like to me, and you are supposed to be playing as a team in a sense to beat the dealer, if you knew the guy to your left has a 5 and a 6, you are more inclined not to hit and bust on your shitty 14 or 15 and he might get the 10.

schoolie4eva September 27, 2009 at 4:10 pm

Finding a place to learn blackjack online is easy. The hard part is learning to play it well enough to give yourself the advantage over the house at certain times. Bodoglife.com has a good blackjack program to learn on. You should also go to a place like blackjacktactics.com to learn the basic blackjack strategy as well as the basic hi/lo count system.

As for the Casino Host job, that's a bit more difficult. That is one of the most wanted jobs in Las Vegas. You can not just walk in a get a Casino Host job. Casino Hosts work there way up through the Casino, making contacts and friends as they go. It's all about customer service and making contacts and a lot of the job is spend developing new contacts out of the Casino when your players are not in it playing. The pay is incredible if you are good, but it generally takes years in the Casino first to make it there and there are very limited spots open to get. I would suggest dealing blackjack first to work your way up through dealer, pit boss, management, etc.

pimpmyride666 September 27, 2009 at 5:15 pm

What about card counting? The MIT Blackjack Team did it by card counting (NOT cheating).

TheGangstadiamond September 27, 2009 at 11:44 pm

but i still dont get it what about the kqaj what are they worth

apples4000 September 28, 2009 at 12:55 am

no site needed
blackjack is another name for 21
2-9= the number they are
10-13= 10
ace=1 or 11
u start off with 2 cards and work up
if u go over 21 you bast, you can stop before 21
blackjack= a black jack and ace

Jimmy H September 28, 2009 at 6:08 am

The differences between regular blackjack and Super Fun 21 can be found at http://www.ranked-online-casinos.com/super-fun-21-online-casinos.html You can also find casinos that offer this game online.

pimpmyride666 September 28, 2009 at 11:43 am

Because they’re crazy and superstitious. Dealers are not the most skeptical group. They believe that a bad player in 3rd base will cause other players to lose and a bunch of other myths.

5singh5@sbcglobal.net September 28, 2009 at 8:49 pm

No problem…you'll learn how to play blackjack and other popular casino games for free at http://GamblingReviewsSite.com/casinogames You will also get Blackjack tips above and beyond the typical tutorial. After a few short minutes you'll be a master. Blackjack is not a game of skill as much as it is knowing what to do when, there are never any decisions to make they are all made for you. All you have to do is learn them! Have fun and good luck!

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