How to Play Blackjack: Step-by-step Guide for Beginners

Have you always wondered how to play blackjack but never tried because it seemed too difficult to learn?  

Well, read on because blackjack is a fun and easy game.

In this guide, I’m going to walk you through all the details, including:

• What is Blackjack
• How to Calculate the Blackjack Hand Value
• The Blackjack Table Layout Explained
• How to Play Blackjack at an Online Casino (step-by-step)
• The Player Decisions in Blackjack
• The Basic Blackjack Strategy
• Does the House Always Have An Edge in Blackjack?
• 7 Tips for Playing Blackjack

Without further ado, let’s get started!

What is Blackjack?

Blackjack is a card game played with a standard deck of 52 cards (no jokers are used).  It often consists of six decks of cards being dealt from a shoe (which is what we call the box that the dealer deals the cards from).  

The dealer gives each player two cards face up in front of their betting spot. The dealer also gets two cards, one face up and the other face down underneath it.  

The Player's Goal in Blackjack

The object of the game is to get 21 or less and to have a higher total than the dealer.  

• If your hand totals more than 21 (which is called ‘bust’), it’s an automatic losing hand  
• If you don’t go over 21 and have a higher total than the dealer, then you win even money

• If you and the dealer get the same total, it is called a ‘push’ and you don’t win or lose. Instead, your bet will be returned
• When your hand is an Ace and a 10-value card from your first two cards, it is called a blackjack and is an automatic winner, unless the dealer has a blackjack as well. 

How to calculate the Blackjack Hand Value

Your blackjack hand is very simple to calculate. 

Note that ‘blackjack’ consists of an Ace and a 10-value card with your first two cards.  If you split Aces and get a 10-value card, it only counts as 21, not a blackjack.

All cards are counted at their point value, so those from 2 through 10 have that number as their value.  

All face cards (also called ‘a paint’ in casino jargon) have a value of 10.  

An Ace has a value of 1 or 11, depending on which value gives you the better hand.

If you have an Ace and a 4, your hand could be valued as a 5, or as a soft 15.  

What Does Soft 15 Mean?  

All ‘soft’ hands have an Ace in them, so a soft 15 is an Ace and a 4, with the Ace counting as 11. 

Having a soft hand means that you can take another card, and, even if you get a 10-value card, you won’t bust your hand.  

If you take another card and your hit card is a 10, the Ace counts as 1, and the 10 and the 4 plus the Ace add up to a hard total of 15.

To summarize:

• Cards from 2 – 10 have their number as their value.
• Face cards all have a value of 10
• Aces have a value of 1 or 11
• Suits don’t matter

The Blackjack Table Layout Explained

This is a standard blackjack table layout.  

As you can see, there are 7 betting circles.  The player chooses the one closest to him and places money there to bet on the next hand.

The next line is the ‘Insurance’ line.  Insurance is a bet you can make that wins if the dealer has a blackjack (more on this later).

The next information line “Dealer must draw to 16 and hit on Soft 17” means that the dealer will hit (i.e. take a card) any time they have a soft 17.  

How to Play Blackjack at an Online Casino (step-by-step)

In a brick-and-mortar casino, you go to the blackjack table, exchange your cash for chips (called a “buy-in), and place your bet. The dealer then deals the cards and the game is underway.  

In an online casino, all of these things are done by the computer.

Here’s how you do it:  

Step 1: Choose a blackjack online casino from our platform

Register as a player on the site, and deposit money using a debit or credit card. If the casino offers any blackjack bonuses, take advantage of them.

Step 2: Open a blackjack game and get ready to play

Here is how a typical online blackjack layout looks (we used Multi-Hand Atlantic City Blackjack for this example): 

Step 3: Place your bet

Click on the value of the chips that you wish to bet.  Then click on ‘Deal’ to deal the cards.

Step 4: Make your player decisions

Once the cards are out, you need to decide how to play your hand and click the appropriate action tab.

Step 5: The online dealer deals the cards to complete the hands

The computer pays the winning bets, returns the bets that tie (called a push), and takes the losing bets.

Step 6: Now it’s time for another round!

Once the bets are paid, the cards in play are discarded, and you are invited to join a new betting round. 

The Player Decisions in Blackjack

Here are the 6 main decisions you can make in blackjack:

Stand

When you decide you have a strong enough hand, click on the option ‘Stand’.  This tells the online dealer you don’t want any more cards. 

Be sure to balance between having enough to possibly win, but not taking too many cards and bust.

Hit

Knowing when to hit in blackjack is one of the most crucial decisions. This tells the online dealer to give you another card.  The option will be available to you for as long as you don’t go over 21.

Double Down

You can double your bet when your first two cards have been dealt (more on this when we get to the strategy part of this guide). 

When doubling down in blackjack, you need to match your initial bet. You will only get dealt one additional card.  

Split

When you are dealt two cards of the same value, (e.g. two 5s or two 8s), you can split them up to three times to make up to four hands.  

As a general rule, you should always split a pair of Aces or a pair of 8s.  (More on this when we get to the strategy part of this guide).  

You may take multiple cards on each hand when you have split cards, and double down if you want to, once you get your second card.  You can learn more about splitting in blackjack from my dedicated guide.

Surrender

Some casinos offer the option to surrender, which means you can give up your hand before the dealer plays their hand.  You give up half of your bet when you do this.  

There are two kinds of surrender:

• Early surrender is usually only allowed against a dealer’s 10 or Ace up card before the dealer checks for blackjack.  Early Surrender is a very rare option, so it’s highly unlikely you'll see it. 
• Late surrender is when you give up half your bet after the dealer has checked for blackjack.  Only consider it when you have a hard 15 or 16 against a dealer’s 10 or Ace.

Insurance

Insurance is a bet you can make if the dealer’s up card is an Ace.  Essentially an Insurance bet is a wager that you make when you think the dealer has a blackjack. 

Your Insurance bet pays 2 to 1 if the dealer does have a blackjack.

The maximum bet you can make on Insurance is half of your initial bet.  When you make the bet and it wins, you get paid 2 to 1, so it simply means your initial bet is returned to you. 

Here’s a typical scenario where you may want to take Insurance:  

1. You make your initial bet of $20.  
2. The dealer has an Ace as their up card. 
3. You get a blackjack.  
4. This is usually a winning hand and you want to make sure you get paid, so you make the Insurance bet ($10 with an initial bet of $20) when it is offered.  (Keep in mind that if both you and the dealer get a blackjack, it will be a push)

Even Money/Insurance

If you have a blackjack and don’t want to risk the dealer getting a blackjack (and you not getting paid),  take Insurance.  

Whether the dealer has a blackjack or not,  you will get paid even money for your initial bet.

Here’s why:  If the dealer has a blackjack, your initial bet is a push and your Insurance bet gets paid 2 to 1.  If the dealer doesn’t have a blackjack, your Insurance bet loses and your initial bet gets paid 3 to 2.  

Either way, you end up getting paid an amount equal to your initial bet.

The Basic Blackjack Strategy 

Here’s a simple strategy guide you can follow.  

It’s specifically for a casino that offers blackjack played from a six-deck shoe, and the dealer hits a Soft 17. 

The first part is designed to be an easy-to-remember guide and does not include some of the more complex and detailed nuances to make it easier to remember. 

There are a few exceptions to these rules that we will explore once we get past the easy ones*:

• If the dealer has a stiff hand (i.e. that’s casino jargon for an up card with values 2 through 6), then you should never risk going over 21.  Don’t hit on any hard hand of 12 or more against a dealer’s up card of 2 through 6*

• If the dealer likely has a made hand (i.e. an up card of 7 through Ace), always hit until you have a hard 17, or any 18 or more. 

• Always split Aces and 8s.  Never split 10s, 9s, 4s, or 5s*
• Always double down with a 9, 10, or 11 against a dealer’s up card of 2 through 6*

• I’m not sure that any casinos still offer early surrender, but for late surrender only consider it when you have a hard 15 or 16 against a dealer’s 10 or Ace.

Exceptions and Additions to the Above Strategy

• Always hit a 12 against a dealer’s up card of 2 or 3.
• Always split 9s, but stand against a dealer’s up card of 7, 10, or Ace.  Always split 4s against a dealer’s up card of 5 or 6 if you’re allowed to double down after a split.  Otherwise, just hit.

• Always double down with a 10 against a dealer’s up card of 7, 8, or 9. Always double down with an 11 against any dealer’s up card.

The Complete Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart 

Below, you can check out a strategy chart for blackjack including the best decisions you can make, based on your hand value and the dealer's up card.

Using it in your decision-making process will help you maximize your odds and play what is commonly known as the "Perfect Basic Strategy".

Of course, using this chart won't guarantee you will win, but it will drastically cut down the house edge. You can learn more about the blackjack odds and house edge from our complete guide.

Check it out:

Hard Totals
Dealer Upcard
	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
17	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	SrS
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	SrH	SrH	SrH
15	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	SrH	SrH
14	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
13	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
12	H	H	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
11	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
10	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
9	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
8	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
KEY		H = Hit
		S = Stand
		D = Double if allowed, otherwise Hit
		SrH = Surrender if allowed, otherwise Hit
		SrS = Surrender if allowed, otherwise Stand

Soft Totals
Dealer Upcard
	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
A,9	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A,8	S	S	S	S	Ds	S	S	S	S	S
A,7	Ds	Ds	Ds	Ds	Ds	S	S	H	H	H
A,6	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,5	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,4	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,3	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,2	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
KEY		H = Hit
		S = Stand
		D = Double if allowed, otherwise hit
		Ds = Double if allowed, otherwise stand

Pair Splitting
Dealer Upcard
	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
A,A	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P
T,T	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
9,9	P	P	P	P	P	S	P	P	S	S
8,8	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	SrP
7,7	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
6,6	PH	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H	H
5,5	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
4,4	H	H	H	PH	PH	H	H	H	H	H
3,3	PH	PH	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
2,2	PH	PH	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
KEY		H = Hit
		S = Stand
		D = Double if allowed, otherwise Hit
		P = Split
		PH = Split if double after Split is Allowed, otherwise Hit
		SrP = Surrender if allowed, otherwise Split

Download the Blackjack Strategy Chart

Does the house always have an edge in blackjack?

The short answer is yes.  And the reason is simple - you must play your hand before the dealer does.  

How does this give the house the edge? 

Because you play first, you may bust your hand and lose your bet, but then the dealer busts their hand, too.  

Even though you and the dealer tied (you both bust), you still lost your bet. 

7 Tips for Playing Blackjack Online Like a Pro

Here are a few tips for playing blackjack that I’ve learned over the years as a player, and from watching other experienced, successful players.

Tip 1: Try blackjack for free

Once you’ve registered on the website, you may want to play some hands for free, to get a feel for how to play blackjack at the online casino.  Many sites offer this as an amenity to allow beginners to get comfortable with how the game is played, and with how the website functions.  

Tip 2: Start small until you’re really comfortable

Once you know how to play, then start with some small real money bets just to get used to having your cash in action.  Playing for real money feels a lot different than playing for free.  

Once you’ve learned how to play blackjack at the casino, then you can start playing for higher stakes when you feel comfortable.

Tip 3: Don’t be bashful about increasing your bets when the shoe is running hot 

I remember when I was a floorman in Las Vegas seeing a newbie who sat down at a dead table and won 13 hands in a row (oh to have been on that shoe!).  

It was a $5 minimum table and he won  $65.  It was heartbreaking, to say the least.  He was really happy, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him how much he could have won if he’d been a bit more adventurous!

Tip 4: Learn basic strategy  

It’s not that challenging and will make you a more knowledgeable player.  I’ve included a quick explanation of the Basic Strategy in this guide for you to learn and use when you’re playing. 

The one I’ve included is specifically designed for a six-deck shoe and the casino stands on all 17s. As you play more, you’ll start to recognize the correct plays to make.  

You’ll become very confident that you’re making the best decisions and protecting your bankroll when at the blackjack table once you learn Basic Strategy.  In the meantime, use the included card as a reference.

Tip 5: Decide how you’re going to play blackjack before you sit down 

Are you looking to play for an hour or two and enjoy a couple of cocktails and maybe win a little bit?  Or are you going to ‘go for the throat’ (GFTT) and try to maximize your winning odds in a short time?  

Tip 6: A simple ‘Go For The Throat’ strategy

If you’re a GFTT player, then here’s a strategy for you.  Let’s say your starting bet is $25.  You’re going to bet it all back at the casino and try for 5 winning hands in a row.  

This is not easy to do, but as a player, and as a floorman and pit manager, I’ve seen it happen many times as players luck into a hot shoe.  

Your first-hand wins, and now you’ve got $50.  So you bet the $50, and your second hand is also a winner.  Your second hand won, and you bet the $100.

Third winner?  Yes, now you have $200.  Fourth winner? $400.  The fifth hand wins and you collect the $800.  From an initial bet of $25.  Thank you very much!

Tip 7: Always take the opportunities that are presented to you

Always be aware of opportunities to get more money on the layout when it’s in your favor to do so.  

Do you take the opportunity for splits and double downs when the dealer has a weak up card like a 6 or a 5?  

Oh yes, don’t hesitate to get the best value out of those weak dealer hands.

Final Thoughts

Writing this guide about how to play blackjack has been a lot of fun. It’s a great game to play and enjoy (and also win some cash, too). 

Don’t be bashful and give it a shot because it’s an easy game to play.  

Using this guide will help you make sure you know what you’re doing and, most importantly, will help you feel confident and help you have fun.