Blackjack Rules


Blackjack is a betting game played against a dealer. The object is score more points than the dealer without going over 21.


Points are totaled for each card in a hand. Face cards (Jack, Queen and King) count as 10 points, Aces may be counted as either one or 11. All other cards are counted according to their numeric value.

When Aces are present in a hand, the total displayed to its right represents the highest score, not over 21, that could be made from those cards.

Game Play

To begin a round, the player places a bet (by hitting the "Deal" button) and both the player and the dealer are dealt two cards. The dealer's first card is dealt face down while all other cards are dealt face up.

If the first two cards in a hand total 21, it's called a "blackjack" or "natural." The player wins with a blackjack unless the dealer also has a blackjack. If the dealer has a blackjack and the player doesn't, the player loses. If both have a blackjack, it is a tie ("push"). In any case, the round is over.

When neither the dealer nor the player have blackjack, the player may take additional cards one at a time ("hit") until he or she reaches 21 or goes over ("busts"). The player may stop at any time ("stand"). The player loses if he or she busts.

Otherwise, once the player stands, it is the dealer's turn and the dealer's down card is revealed. The dealer must hit if the point total is less than 17 and continue hitting until reaching 17 or better. If the dealer busts, the player wins.

If neither the player or dealer busts, the player wins if his or her total is higher than the dealer's. If they tie, it is a push.


The player starts with $1000.00 credit (strictly play money) and may bet any amount between $5.00 and $100.00 in increments of $5.00. The player may change this bet amount between rounds.

If the player wins with a blackjack, his or her bet is paid off at 3 to 2. Otherwise, the player is paid even money for a win. In the event of a push, the player's bet is returned.

Note that a hand of three or more cards totaling 21 is not considered a blackjack. That is, if the player reaches 21 by hitting on a hand it is not an automatic win. If the player does win with such a hand, the bet is paid at even money.

Special Plays

After the initial deal, if neither the player nor dealer has a blackjack, the player has some additional options:

Buttons are automatically enabled and disabled depending on what actions or options are valid at any point in the game according to the rules.


On the initial deal, if the dealer's up card is an Ace, the player is offered "insurance." This is a side bet equal to half of the player's original bet. If the player buys insurance and the dealer has blackjack, the player is paid 2 to 1 on this side bet. If the player buys insurance and the dealer does not have blackjack, the side bet is lost. In either case, the round continues as before with the player's original bet.

When prompted to buy insurance, click "OK" to purchase or "Cancel" to decline.


When the player is dealt a pair, he or she may split. One card is removed and placed in a new hand with a bet equal to the amount of the player's original bet.

The split hands are then played individually as follows:

Once a player stands (or busts) on the first split hand, the next hand is played and so on until all split hands have been played. Play then moves to the dealer as before.

Note: If the additional card dealt to a split hand makes a total of 21, it is not considered a blackjack. In other words, the hand does not automatically win.

When the player splits, the hand currently in play will be highlighted.

Once the dealer busts or stands, each split hand is individually compared to the dealer's to determine a win, loss or push. So it is possible, for example, to beat the dealer with one hand in a split but lose on the other.

House Rules

Blackjack rules can vary. The rules used in this game are based on typical Las Vegas casino rules: