A 'Blackjack' is an Ace with any 10, Jack, Queen, or King. Aces count as 1 or 11, while all other numbers are worth their face value. It can be given any value you want but it cannot make up any values itself.Įach face card is worth ten points. The joker has no value whatsoever and can be any card. Thus, the queen is the most valuable card in the deck because it has the most stars next to its name. They represent the value of one for each card in the deck minus one. There are eleven stars in all, each star being like a diamond. However, a jack is stronger than a ten because it represents a single heart instead of two spades. A ten of spades is considered stronger than a king of clubs because it represents ten more spades than the king does. For example, an ace is the highest value card in terms of numerical value and also in terms of strength relative to other cards in the deck. This is why the term 'ace' is used when referring to both the number eleven and the suit of hearts. Note that if the dealer has a 10 showing before he or she shows an ace, the player wins even money on their hand.Īce is the only card that can be either a one or eleven. If the player's total is less than the dealer's total, the player's blackjack wager is forfeited to the house. If the player's total is closer to 21 than the dealer's, the player receives an even money payout (1-1). Unless it smashes the hand, the dealer's first ace counts as an 11. If your hand does not match this requirement, then you should stand on it. This means that you should only hit a dealer's down card if their current hand matches exactly nine cards from ace to nine, or if it's a ten-card deck, stand on ten. The most basic strategy for playing blackjack is called 'hit until you have a winner' or 'stand on eight'. For example, if you're given a six-card stack of diamonds, you might want to switch over to a strategy that involves taking risks and betting large amounts of money because they think there's a chance they'll get a pair of sixes or a triple twenty-one.

You can stick with one strategy throughout the game or change strategies depending on what body part of the card has been dealt into your hand. There are several ways to play blackjack. If your hand totals 15 or more, you win the hand automatically if your hand totals less than 15, you lose the hand. When a player's total exceeds 21 (busts), their blackjack wager is forfeited and returned to the house. Aces are either 1 or 11, court cards are worth 10, and all other cards are worth their face value.

King blackjack