{"id":208,"date":"2026-04-20T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/example.com\/?post_type=card_game&amp;p=4"},"modified":"2026-04-20T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T12:00:00","slug":"blackjack-rules","status":"publish","type":"card_game","link":"https:\/\/playerules.com\/?card_game=blackjack-rules","title":{"rendered":"Blackjack"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is Blackjack?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Blackjack (also called 21) is a casino card game where you play against the dealer, not against other players. Your goal is to get a hand total as close to 21 as possible without going over (&#8216;busting&#8217;). If your total is higher than the dealer&#8217;s when the hand ends, you win. If you bust, you lose immediately \u2014 even if the dealer later busts too.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Card Values<\/h2>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Number cards 2\u201310: worth their face value (a 7 is worth 7)<\/li><li>Jack, Queen, King: each worth 10<\/li><li>Ace: worth 11 OR 1 \u2014 whichever helps your hand more<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<p>Example: Ace + 6 = &#8216;soft 17&#8217; (you count the Ace as 11). If you draw another card and bust, the Ace automatically becomes 1.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Setup<\/h2>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Each player places their bet before cards are dealt.<\/li><li>The dealer deals two cards to each player, both face-up.<\/li><li>The dealer deals themselves two cards \u2014 one face-up and one face-down (the &#8216;hole card&#8217;).<\/li><li>A starting hand of Ace + any 10-value card is a <strong>Blackjack<\/strong> \u2014 it pays 3:2 (you win $15 on a $10 bet).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Play \u2014 Your Choices Each Turn<\/h2>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hit<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Ask for another card. You can keep hitting until you&#8217;re satisfied or until you bust (go over 21). Say &#8216;hit&#8217; or tap the table.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stand<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Stop drawing cards and end your turn. Say &#8216;stand&#8217; or wave your hand over your cards.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Double Down<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Double your original bet and receive exactly ONE more card, then you must stand. Best used when you have 10 or 11 \u2014 one more card often makes a great hand.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Split<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>If your first two cards are the same rank (like two 8s or two Kings), you can split them into two separate hands by placing a second equal bet. Each card gets a new card dealt to it, and you play each hand one at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Surrender (if offered)<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Give up your hand immediately and get half your bet back. A good choice when your hand is very unlikely to beat the dealer.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Dealer&#8217;s Turn<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Once all players have finished, the dealer flips over their hidden card. The dealer must follow strict rules: <strong>hit on any total of 16 or less, stand on any total of 17 or more.<\/strong> The dealer has no choices \u2014 the rules decide for them.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who Wins?<\/h2>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Your total is higher than the dealer&#8217;s (without busting): <strong>You win!<\/strong> Even money (1:1).<\/li><li>You bust (go over 21): <strong>You lose<\/strong> \u2014 even if the dealer busts later.<\/li><li>Dealer busts: <strong>All players still in win.<\/strong><\/li><li>Your total ties the dealer&#8217;s: <strong>Push<\/strong> \u2014 your bet is returned.<\/li><li>You have Blackjack and dealer doesn&#8217;t: <strong>You win 3:2<\/strong> (e.g. $15 on a $10 bet).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Strategy Tips<\/h2>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Always split Aces and 8s.<\/strong> Two Aces gives you two chances at 21. Two 8s (total 16) is a bad hand \u2014 split them.<\/li><li><strong>Never split 10s.<\/strong> A total of 20 is nearly unbeatable \u2014 don&#8217;t break it up.<\/li><li><strong>Double down on 11<\/strong> whenever the dealer shows 2\u201310. You&#8217;re likely to make a strong hand.<\/li><li><strong>Stand on hard 17 or above<\/strong> \u2014 the risk of busting is too high to hit.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=qd5oc9hLrXg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>\u25b6 Watch: How to Play Blackjack (YouTube)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over. Hit, stand, double, or split \u2014 beat the house.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"game_category":[10],"game_tag":[],"class_list":["post-208","card_game","type-card_game","status-publish","hentry","game_category-banking-casino"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/playerules.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/card_game\/208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/playerules.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/card_game"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/playerules.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/card_game"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/playerules.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"game_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playerules.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fgame_category&post=208"},{"taxonomy":"game_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playerules.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fgame_tag&post=208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}