Blackjack
Blackjack is another of the most archetypal casino games. It has a long and
rich history and is arguably the most popular card game in any casino. Some would have it that it is the casino game that is played the most across the world.
The other name for blackjack is “twenty-one” – the aim of the game being to get as close to a total card value of 21. Numerical values are assigned to each card – the face value for numbered cards, 10 for face cards, and 11 or 1 for aces.
Blackjack is played against the house. A winning hand in is one where the player gets closer to 21 than the house does. A “blackjack” is also the term for a hand consisting of an ace and a 10-card.
Blackjack is the game for everyone
Part of the reason for the popularity of
blackjack in casinos is that so many people grow up playing 21 as a recreational card game at home. Being able to play a game that is both fun and infinitely interesting - for money - is a very enticing combination.
In fact when the game was first introduced in casinos, it was still known as “twenty-one”. The name “blackjack” was adopted because of its use in the game to describe a 2-card winning hand, as mentioned above.
The allure of blackjack
What makes blackjack such a quintessential casino game, associated with epic drama, cool calculation, high stakes and elite sophistication, is its versatility. It lends itself to an evening of relaxed, entertaining gaming. Equally it’s the perfect game to study intensely and spend hours of highly focused concentration at the table, applying one’s full mental capacity in order to beat the house.
It’s the province of the casual gamer, the flamboyant playboy and the sophisticated socialite - just as much as it is the territory where genius-level mathematicians apply the most arcane systems. It offers just the right balance of skill and luck to entice players who enjoy being entertained and love the thrill of gaming on fortune, but who want more of a challenge than a slot machine or a roulette wheel offers.
Above all, blackjack glamorous. It’s the ultimate casino experience, forever associated with some of the most celebrated casino escapades in history.
Playing blackjack
In essence, blackjack is a very simple game to play – and the best way to learn is to play it. Players are dealt two cards face-up, and the house receives a face-up card and a face-down card. Players then have the option of taking more cards to try and get closer to a total of 21, or of “standing” (not taking any more cards). The hand closest to 21 wins in a showdown.
There are variations of these basic game plays, which are discussed in the
Blackjack Rules section.
Play Blackjack Game
