Game Rules

Blackjack

How the Game Is Played

Blackjack is played between a dealer and group of players. The object of the game is

to beat the dealer (not the other players) with a hand of cards that does not go over a

total of 21. Blackjack can be played with a single deck or multiple decks.

 

The value of the hand is the sum of its cards:

 

·          Face cards count as 10.

·          Aces count as either one or 11, player’s choice.

·          All other cards count as their face value.

 

Play begins with each player placing a bet. In games using three or more decks, the

dealer pulls cards from a plastic or wooden box called a shoe. Otherwise, he deals

from his hand.

 

Each player and the dealer receive two cards. The first two player cards are dealt face

down for single-deck games and face up for multiple-deck games. In all games, the

dealer receives one card face down and the rest face up. The dealer’s first face-up

card is called the upcard. The dealer’s face-down card is known as the hole card.

After the initial deal, each player can hit (draw cards) until they want to stand (stop

drawing), or until the hand busts (goes over 21). Players can hit or stand on any card

total of 21 or below.

 

After the players have completed their turns, the dealer must draw cards as long as

his or her total is less than 16 and must stand when the total is 17 or more, unless the

game setting requiring the dealer to hit on a soft 17 (an ace and a 6) is turned on.

 

 

Winning and Losing

You win at Blackjack by beating the dealer’s hand.You must hold a hand equal to or

less than 21 that also beats the dealer’s hand. If the first two cards you receive are

Blackjack (total 21), and the dealer does not have Blackjack, you win immediately.

If you bust (go over 21) or the dealer has a hand of 21 or under that is greater than

yours , then you lose your bet. If you stand with any total under 21 and the dealer

busts, then you win your bet.

If you tie the dealer, it is called a push, and neither side wins.

Beating the dealer pays even money, except for Blackjack. If the player has Blackjack

and the dealer dos not, it pays 3 to 2.

 

Doubling Down

When you double down, you place a matching bet next to your original bet and receive

one and only one additional card, which completes your hand. This option makes it

possible for you to double your bet under favorable conditions.

 

When your hand is strong and the dealer’s is weak, you should take advantage of the

situation by doubling down. It is a vital method of offsetting the house advantage. For

example, when you’re dealt a 5 and 6 (totaling 11), it is usually desirable to double

down, since your odds of getting a 21 (by receiving a 10 or face card) are very good.

The strength shown by the dealer is also a factor in the decision to double down.

When dealer is weak (a 4 to 6 upcard), doubling down will be more advantageous.

 

Splitting Pairs

Splitting pairs is another key strategy for the Blackjack player.You can split when dealt

a pair of any kind (e.g., two aces). To split your pairs, you separate the identical cards,

leaving them face up, and place an amount of chips equal to your original bet in front

of your new hand.You then proceed to play each hand independently, requesting hits

or standing, as desired.You can win, lose, or bust with either or both hands.

 

Surrender

If the dealer does not have Blackjack, players have the option to surrender, and lose

only half their original bets. Surrendering is only an option before a player has opted

for a hit, and it is an optional setting in Hoyle Casino.

When you surrender, the dealer will take your cards and half your original bet.

Although it’s not generally to your advantage to surrender, it can be useful when your

hand is weak (e.g., a 16), and the dealer is showing a powerful upcard (e.g., an ace).

 

Insurance

When the dealer’s upcard is an ace, he or she will ask the players if they want to buy

insurance. Insurance is actually a type of secondary bet; you are betting that the

dealer has a Blackjack.

 

To take out insurance, place up to half your original bet in the “insurance” area marked

on the board. The dealer will then check the hole card to see if it’s a Blackjack. If the

dealer does indeed have a Blackjack, your are paid off at 2 to 1, however, you also

lose your original bet. If the dealer does not have a Blackjack, you lose the insurance

bet. Play continues as normal.

 

Do not take insurance unless you are counting cards and know exactly when it is

favorable to do so.

 

Strategies for Winning Blackjack

Success at Blackjack is not the result of intuition, but of mathematics. Julian Braun, an

IBM computer expert, ran nine billion Blackjack card combinations based on one-to

eight-deck Blackjack games. The fundamental system strategy tables (see below) are

based on the data unearthed by Mr. Braun when four decks are in play. Making

decisions based on these findings is the foundation for good Blackjack play.

 

Players who apply the information found in these tables can reduce the house

advantage down to between one percent and two percent. Additionally, a simplified

card-counting method can actually give you the advantage over the house. Using

these methods properly only requires you remember a single number, rather than an

exact list of cards that have already been played.

 

Hitting or Standing

You may be tempted to hit or stand solely on the basis of the cards totals you are

holding, but you must always consider the dealer’s upcard when deciding to hit, double

down, split, or surrender. For example, it may seem obvious to hit a hand of 12. If the

dealer is showing a 4, 5, or 6, though, your odds of winning are better if you stand,

because the dealer must hit on 16, and has a good chance of busting.You can use

this rule to your advantage by knowing when to stand, even if your hand total is not

close to 21.

 

Winning at Blackjack is all about gauging your hand’s potential versus the degree of

threat posed by the dealer’s upcard.Your strategy for hitting should depend upon

these factors. The degree of threat posed by the dealer’s upcard is described here:

 

Dealer’s Upcard Potential Threat

Ace Extreme danger, a loss is likely.

10 to king Big trouble.You’ll be lucky to push.

9 You’re a little uptight and maybe in trouble.

7 to 8 Breathe a little easier. The dealer is beatable.

4 to 6 Looking good.You are in the driver’s seat.

2 to 3 Wait and see. Be cautious.

 

The threat posed by the dealer’s upcard is arrived at by simple arithmetic. The

prevalence of 10s and face cards (accounting for 16 out of every 52 cards) makes the

dealer highly vulnerable when showing an upcard of 4, 5, or 6. His hole card is likely

to put him in the 12 to 16 range, forcing a hit, probably resulting in a bust.You need to

know the degree of threat the dealer’s upcard represents, and it should impact your

decision whether to hit.

 

Hard Hand Strategy

If your hand totals 13 to 16, only hit if the dealer is strong (9 upcard or better) or

showing the 7 or 8. The 7 or 8 forces you to hit, because it is possible that the dealer

will end up with a low hand (totaling 17 or 18), which still beats your 13 to 16.

If your hand totals 12, you should always hit unless the dealer is very weak (showing a

4 to 6), and therefore likely to bust.

 

Soft Hand Strategy

Always stand when you have an ace and an 8 or better (i.e., any hand totaling 19 to

21). An ace and a 7 (totaling 18) is relatively weak if the dealer is showing strength (9

or better), and you should hit. Always hit when holding an ace and a 6 or less.

 

Normally you wouldn’t hit on 17 or 18. However, the flexibility of the ace in soft hands

allows you to hit when you wouldn’t with a hard hand of the same value.

Doubling a 9:You should double down a 9 only if the dealer is weak (3 to 6). Doubling

otherwise is a poor bet, because the dealer is not as likely to bust.

 

Doubling Down

Doubling down is a powerful play, because it allows you to increase your bet after

seeing favorable cards. It is one of the primary means of offsetting the house

advantage, but you must know when to do it.

When you can double down varies depending upon the game settings.You can set the

game to allow doubling down only on 11s, on 10s and 11s, or on any two-card

combination.

 

Hard Hand Doubling Strategy

Statistically, doubling down is wise when your hand totals 9 to 11, because a 10 or a

face card would give you 19 to 21.

 

Doubling an 11: The best hand to double down with is an 11, and you should do

so unless the dealer shows an ace.

Doubling a 10: If the dealer shows a 9 or less, double down. A dealer 9 is

strong, but you still have the statistical advantage.

Doubling a 9:You should double down a 9 only if the dealer is weak (3 to 6).

Doubling otherwise is a poor bet, because the dealer is not as likely to bust.

 

Soft-Hand Doubling Strategy

The main strategy here is to take advantage of a weak dealer upcard (4-6). When the

dealer is weak, it’s time to pounce! However, you don’t want to double down if you

have a hand totaling 19 or 20, because you may ruin your already strong hand.

 

Doubling an Ace, 8-9: Never hit on a hand this strong!

Doubling an Ace, 6-7: Double the bet and whenever the dealer is weak (4 to 6).

 

Additionally, doubling down against the dealer’s 3 is recommended. Although the

dealer is not as likely to bust with a 3 as with a 4 to 6, the odds are still in your favor.

 

Doubling an Ace, 4-5: Double down only if the dealer’s upcard is a 4 to 6. If the

dealer’s card is lower than 4, chances are they will not bust.

 

Doubling an Ace, 2-3: Double down only when the dealer has the highest

probability of busting, with a very weak upcard (5 to 6).

 

Splitting Pairs Strategy

Splitting pairs is critically important to your success at the Blackjack table. If you don’t

split when the cards warrant doing so, the house advantage rises dramatically.

In Hoyle Casino, you can split pairs as desired, but split aces can only be hit once.

What pairs should you split? For starters, never split 10s and face cards! The rules

allow you to split any cards with a 10 value, such as a jack and a queen, even though

they’re not technically a pair. This is because breaking up your 20 is a bad move, so

the house is happy to let you split all the 10s you want. All pairs are discussed below.

 

Splitting Aces: Always split! Your odds of getting two very high hands (maybe

two 21s) are tremendous.

 

Splitting 10s: Never split! Splitting 10s is always a no-no, unless you really want

to lose your bankroll to the house.

 

Splitting 9s: It is best to split 9s when the dealer is relatively weak (2 to 6

upcard) so that you can leverage the dealer’s vulnerability with an additional bet.

If the dealer has an 8 upcard, then you split 9s, because you might catch 10s

which would give you winners (19s over the dealer’s 18). If the dealer has a 9

upcard, then you split 9s because the dealer likely has 19, which beats your 18 if

you stand. Splitting against the dealer’s upcard of 7 is inadvisable because,

statistically, he or she is liable to end up standing pat with a 17, which you

already have beat with an 18.

 

Splitting 8s: Always split! With two 8s, it’s acceptable to split against the dealer

no matter what the dealer shows, even if the dealer shows an ace. Split 8s

against the dealer’s ace? Lose twice the money? At first this seems like a bitter

pill to swallow. The fact is, however, keeping the 8s leaves you with a lousy 16,

virtually a guaranteed loser hand. Splitting the 8s increases your chances of

winning just enough to make splitting it worthwhile.

 

Splitting 7s:You should split 7s if the dealer’s upcard is 7 or less. A total of 14 is

weak. Starting two new hands with 7s is likely to result in two 17s. If the dealer

has an 8 to ace upcard, then you want to stand because you’re better off losing

one bet (against the dealer’s likely 18 to 21 vs. your 14) than two bets (dealer’s

18 to 21 vs. your likely two 17s).

 

Splitting 6s: Split these hands if the dealer’s upcard is 6 or less. Splitting 6s is

risky, because you are likely to get two 16s. Therefore, you only do it when it

looks like the dealer will bust (dealer’s upcard a 2 to 6).

 

Splitting 5s: Never split! A pair of 5s combine for a strong 10. Separately, they

will likely catch a 10 and form two miserable hands and one or two probable

busts. Consider the 5s inseparable.

 

Splitting 4s: It is unwise to split 4s unless the dealer is showing a 5 or 6.

Splitting the 4s results in two weak hands (catching 10s will make them 14s).

Therefore, you only want to split the 4s if the dealer is in an even more

precarious situation than you are (i.e. he or she is holding a 5 or 6).

 

Splitting 2s and 3s: Split these hands when the dealer is relatively weak

(showing a 7 or less). Against a 7, your long-term winnings will be marginal.

However, against the other, weaker hands, consider a split mandatory.

 

Re-splitting

The same strategies apply for re-splitting hands as for splitting hands. For example, if

you split a pair of aces, and are dealt a third ace, of course you should re-split again.

After all, if you had confidence enough to split the first time around, why change your

mind now? Don’t waffle, or you may end up confused. Re-splitting is a powerful tool for

evening the odds that normally favor the house.

 

Doubling After a Split

Depending on game settings, you may have the option of doubling down on one or

both hands following a split. All recommendations for doubling also apply following a

split.

 

Surrendering Strategy

In a late surrender, the dealer first checks his or her hole card for Blackjack. In an

early surrender, you can turn in your hand before the dealer checks the hole card.

Early surrender is not an option in Hoyle Casino.

Surrender is only advisable when your chances of busting are very high, and the

dealer has a very strong upcard.

 

Surrender on a 16: If the dealer upcard is a 9 to ace, save half your bet and

surrender. The dealer likely has a strong hand (19 to 21) and you will likely bust if

you hit.

 

Surrender on a 15: If you’re holding a 15, only surrender if the dealer’s upcard is

a 10. If the dealer’s upcard is an ace, it’s better to hang in there and not

surrender. The dealer must reveal Blackjack (if they have it) before you surrender.

Therefore, if the dealer has an ace showing and they do not reveal Blackjack, you

already know they do not have a 10-value hole card.You can beat many of the

dealer’s possible hole cards, so don’t surrender.

 

 

Surrender on a 14: Avoid this. Despite the prevalence of 10- value cards, your

chances of drawing an 7 to ace are not bad.

 

Buying Insurance

When you buy insurance, you bet on the probability of the dealer having Blackjack.

You can only make this bet when the dealer’s upcard is an ace.You bet half of your

original bet that the dealer has Blackjack. If they do, the bet pays 2 to 1.

If an ace is the dealer’s first upcard, the dealer must ask each player if he or she

wants to buy insurance. After all insurance bets are made, the dealer checks the hole

card. If the hole card is a 10-value card, the dealer shows the Blackjack to all players

and pays off winning insurance bets. If the hole card does not make Blackjack, the

dealer collects losing insurance bets and continues play without showing the hole card.

Unless you have been counting cards (see section on counting cards) and know the

deck is extremely rich in 10-value cards, the odds are against you and you should not

make this bet.

 

Card-Counting Strategy

The strategies outlined so far assume a balanced deck. Card-counting is used to

make decisions based on the cards remaining in the deck or shoe. Card-counters

keep track of the cards as they are dealt, but they pay more attention to the ratios of

important cards rather than knowing exactly which cards are left in the deck. Cards

are usually counted in ratios of large cards to small cards.

One common system, developed by a mathematician named Dr. Edward Thorpe,

assigns the following values to each card that is removed from play:

 

2, 3, 4, 5, 6 = +1

7, 8, 9 = 0 (neutral cards)

10, J, Q, K, A = -1

 

For example, after one hand in which a 10, 10, J, Q, A, A is played, the count will be - 6.

This is called the running count. This count reflects the balance of 10-value cards (and

aces) to low cards (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) as they are dealt.

 

To accurately apply the running count, you must also factor in the number of card

decks being used. The result of this calculation is called the true count. The true count

is obtained by dividing the running count by the number of half decks (26 cards per

half deck) remaining to be dealt. The true count is often a more accurate indicator than

the running count, because it accounts for the number of decks used in a game.

The true count can be calculated at any time. For this reason, the running count is the

number you must remember each hand.

 

True Count Example

A single deck of cards is used for this example. The low cards to be counted are 2s,

3s, 4s, 5s, and 6s. The high cards to be counted are aces, 10s, and face cards. The

deck starts with sixteen (16) 10-value cards and sixteen low cards.

In a game with two players (and the dealer of course), at the end of the first round of

play, assume the running count is +2. The dealer has a 3, 4, and 10 (+1), the first

player has a 2, 6, and Q (+1), and the second player has a 7 and 9 (0). This adds up to

+2. This count indicates there are two more high cards than low cards left in the deck.

Eight cards were dealt, which means that four small cards and two 10-value cards

were played. The deck now holds 14 high cards and 12 small cards. The running count

(+2) indicates a favorable count, but the deck still holds a high number of small cards.

 

Now assume 30 cards have been dealt and the running count is still +2. The deck now

holds 10 high cards and eight low cards. Though the running count is the same, the

deck is actually much more favorable to the player than when only eight cards had

been dealt.

 

The true count is determined by dividing the running count by the number of half

decks remaining to be dealt. After eight cards have been dealt, almost two half decks

remain. The running count divided by two equals +1. The running count after eight

cards is +2; the true count is +1. The true count is already slightly more accurate in

weighing the higher number of small cards remaining in the deck.

 

After 30 cards have been dealt, the running count (+2) is divided by 0.5 (half of a half

deck). The running count after 30 cards is +2; the true count is now +4. In this game,

where the running count stays at +2, as more cards are dealt from the deck, the true

count shifts in favor of the player.

 

How to Read the Count

A higher count (any count with a plus [+] sign) means more low cards than high cards

have been dealt, so the deck is loaded with high cards, which is more favorable to the

player. A deck rich in high cards favors the player, because the player has a better

chance of drawing Blackjack. This is important because Blackjack pays better to the

player (3 to 2) than for the dealer. Also, when the count is high the dealer is more

likely to bust, because they must draw on any hand below 17.

 

Conversely, a lower count means more high cards than low cards have been dealt, so

the deck is more favorable to the dealer. The dealer will bust less often with a lower count.

A neutral count is neither favorable or unfavorable.

 

Using the Count When Betting

You can use the true count to determine how much to raise or lower your bet.

Obviously, you want to be betting more when the count is higher to take advantage of

your increased probability of winning. Use the following table as a guideline for betting

based on the true count. Multiply the unit number by the amount of your minimum bet.

 

If the true count is: Bet this amount:

Any negative number . . . . . . . . . 1 unit

0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 unit

+1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 units

+2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 units

+3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 units

+4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 units

+5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 units

+6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 units

+7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 units

+8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 units

+9 and above . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 units

(or maximum bet)

 

Counting Aces

It is also important to know whether the deck is ace-rich, ace-poor, or neutral. The

running count and true count include aces in the high-card count. However, it is also

useful to keep track of the number of aces left in the deck. A deck that is full of high

cards but also ace-poor yields few Blackjacks.

 

Because a deck holds four aces, normal distribution is two aces per half deck. If one

ace or zero aces are dealt in a half deck (on average), the remaining half deck is acerich.

If two or more aces are dealt in a half deck (on average), the deck is ace-poor.

 

When the true count is positive and the deck is ace-rich, you may want to add an extra

unit to your bet. Conversely, if the deck is ace-poor, you may want to subtract a unit

from the bet.

 

Counting cards is an effective way to get an edge while playing Blackjack in Hoyle

Casino, however, real casinos frown upon card counting, and will eject any card

counters they catch.

 

Blackjack Strategy Highlights

• Learn the fundamentals of hitting, standing, doubling down and splitting.You can

use the chart on page 24 as a reference while you play.

 

• General rule: be conservative about hitting when the dealer has a weak upcard

(3, 4, 5 or 6).

 

• General rule: be aggressive about hitting when the dealer has a strong upcard

(A, 10, 9 or 8).

 

• Raise your bet if you know the deck contains a high percentage of 10s and aces,

since the dealer will be more likely to bust.

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