Classic Blackjack

Both the player and the dealer are dealt two cards. Both of the player’s cards are dealt face up, the dealer’s first card is dealt face up and their second card face down. The goal of classic online Blackjack is for the player’s cards to add up to a total of 21 (or as close to it as possible) without exceeding that amount. After the first two cards are dealt, a player may choose to continue to draw additional cards until the total of 21 is reached. If at any time the player’s total exceeds 21, the result is an automatic “bust”, where the player loses the hand regardless of the dealer’s total.

At any total of 21 and under, a player may elect to “stay”, meaning they do not want to draw any additional cards. It will then be the dealer’s turn to draw cards. If the dealer’s two-card total is 16 or less, they are forced to draw additional cards until their total is 17 or higher. Once the cards hit 17 or higher, the dealer must “stand” and cannot draw additional cards. The goal is to have a higher card total than the dealer without breaking the 21 limit.

Now that you understand the basic rules of classic online Blackjack, it’s time to get into the finer details. Blackjack pays 3 to 2. The dealer is required to draw to 16 and stand on all card values of 17 or above. Unlike other variants of Blackjack, you are only allowed to play one hand at a time. Chip denominations come in the following sizes: 1, 5, 25 and 100. To place your bet, simply click on the chip size that you would like to place and click on the hand that you’re playing. The minimum/maximum wagers are determined by the games rules which can be seen at the top right of your screen below the deposit button. Once you have placed your wagers, you can simply click on the deal button to get started.

The dealer will issue 2 cards to you with the hand total posted to the top left of both of your cards. The dealer will reveal 1 up card and the other card will remain face-down. You will make your decision about whether to stand, hit or double based on the dealer’s up card and the combination of your 2 cards. At the completion of your hand, you will have the option to continue with the same bet per hand or to clear all bets. Provided you have the requisite bankroll; you simply click the deal button to start the new round. Take note that the game automatically continues at your previous wager unless you manually decide to clear all bets and start over.

Classic online Blackjack has the option of free demo play mode or real money mode. As with other blackjack variants and other card games at the casino, you can see your remaining balance in the box just to the right of the deposit icon. This blackjack variant gives you the option to switch tables if you’d like to try your luck at a different online table. Simply click on the switch table button located on the bottom right of your screen. The game also offers you on-screen advice if you erroneously decide to stand on a low number; this makes it easy for you to avoid mistakes. Please note that you will forfeit your wagers if the dealer has blackjack.

Card Values

2 through 9 are face value
10, Jack, Queen or King are worth 10
Aces are worth 1 or 11 (player’s choice)

Important Blackjack Terminology

Hit – Draw additional cards to your hand.
Stay: Take no more cards and end your hand.
Bust: Get a hand total over 21 and lose automatically.
Hard Hand – A hard hand in blackjack is a hand that either has no ace or has an ace with a value of 1. A queen and an 8 would be a Hard 18, while an Ace, 7 and 9 would be a Hard 17.
Soft Hand – Soft hands are hands where the Ace is valued at 11. If your first two cards were an Ace and a 6, you would have a Soft 17.
Double Down – When the player receives their first two cards and knows their initial total, they may choose to “Double Down”. By doubling down, a player doubles their bet and draws one more card to their hand, face up. After a player does a double down, no more additional cards may be drawn to their hand. If a player has performed a split, a double down can be performed on both pairs of hands.
Split – If a player is dealt a pair as their first two cards (such as 66, 99, QQ), they can choose to “split” the pair into two separate hands. An additional bet equal to the original wager will automatically be placed on the new hand, at which point both hands will then be played separately of each other. Each separate hand can be played like a regular hand of Blackjack. When splitting Aces, the player is no longer eligible to score a Blackjack (21 instant payout) on either of the two new hands. If you split Aces and receive a total of 21 on one or both of the hands and the dealer then gets a Blackjack with an Ace and face card or a 10, the player’s 21 will be declared the loser.
Insurance – Players can protect themselves from a possible dealer Blackjack by placing insurance on their hand. This is typically done when the dealer’s face card is an Ace. When insurance is selected, a bet equal to half the amount of the original wager is made that protects the original wager against the Blackjack. If the dealer does hit a Blackjack with their second card, the player wins double the insurance bet amount. If the dealer doesn’t get a two card Blackjack, the player loses their insurance bet total.
Push – When the dealer and player’s hands are of equal value of at least 17, the hand ends in a draw. The player’s bet remains on the table and a new hand is dealt.

RULES

The game has one dealer and one to three players seated at the table. The dealer will deal each hand from a shoe containing a total of 4 decks with 52 cards each that are freshly shuffled after each round. Prior to the start of the hand, players must select their wager amount by choosing from the $1, $5, $25 or $100 chip denominations and then click on the table to place the bet. Players must then click the “Deal” button for the hand to proceed. In public table games, the game will continue regardless after the 30 minute default time limit has expired.

Bets may not be changed once the cards have been dealt. Additional bets may be made throughout the hand via Double Downs, Splits and Insurance. The necessary buttons to take advantage of these options will appear along the lower center of the screen when the action is available. For example, the Split button will not appear unless you are legally allowed to split your cards.

All players’ hands must be completed before the dealer will complete his or her hand. If both the player and the dealer receive a classic blackjack, the hand will be considered a push. If the dealer’s hand total exceeds 21, all remaining non-busted players in the hand will be paid out. 

For the full and official game instructions go here.

Payouts