All number cards (2-10) score the value indicated on them. The Play - Basic Rulesīlackjack is usually played at a table of 2-7 players and uses one to eight 52-card decks. Going over 21 is commonly known as ‘busting’ and means an automatic loss. Now we'll take a look at the unwritten rules of blackjack.The aim of blackjack is to finish the game with a higher total than that of the dealer, without exceeding 21. Five-card Charlie pays 2 to 1, but the rule does not apply after you've split (see above) or if the dealer has a blackjack. If you keep hitting until you have five cards, and on the fifth card you still haven't busted, you win.

Five-card Charlie - Some casinos reward a hand called Five-card Charlie.

Many inexperienced blackjack players think buying insurance is a great idea, but most experts agree that it is a bad bet.

If the dealer does have blackjack, the player is paid at 2-to-1 on the insurance bet, which can be up to half the amount of the player's original bet. Buying insurance is like betting that the dealer will have blackjack.

Insurance - Whenever the dealer has an Ace showing, he offers the players the chance to buy insurance.

The option to surrender before the dealer has checked for blackjack is known as Early Surrender. This option is offered most frequently in casinos outside the United States.

Surrender - Once the dealer has checked and found that he does not have blackjack, players can surrender their hand and get half of their bet back.

Doubling after Splitting - Some casinos allow a player to double down on one or more split hands.

A split hand cannot become a blackjack, even if an Ace and a 10-value card make up the hand - it still counts as 21, but not as a natural blackjack. Some casinos limit the number of splits a player can make on one play. If another pair is dealt onto one of the two hands, it may be split again, resulting in three hands.

Both hands are played independently of each other, and a new bet equal to the original bet must be placed on the new hand. Any two cards that are each worth 10 (Tens, Jacks, Queens, or Kings) are considered a pair for the purpose of splitting. Splitting - If the player is dealt a pair in his opening two cards, he can split them into two separate hands.If he wins, he wins a 2-to-1 payoff on the total amount of the doubled bet. Doubling Down - After the initial deal, the player can double the amount of his original bet but he must take an additional card (and only one card) from the dealer.

Blackjack or black jack