Overview
In blackjack you play against the dealer, not against other players. Cards two to ten count at face value, picture cards count as ten and an ace counts as one or eleven. You win if your hand finishes closer to 21 than the dealer's, or if the dealer goes over 21 while you do not.
How a Round Works
- Place your stake. You and the dealer each receive two cards; one dealer card is face up.
- If your first two cards are an ace and a ten-value card, you have blackjack, which is paid at the rate shown on the table.
- Otherwise choose to hit (take a card), stand, double down (double the stake for exactly one more card) or split a pair into two hands.
- The dealer then draws to a fixed rule, typically standing on 17. Hands are compared and paid.
Rules
Blackjack payout
Tables paying 3:2 on blackjack are standard. Tables paying 6:5 increase the house edge by roughly 1.4 percentage points, so always check the table felt or rules.
Dealer soft 17
Some tables have the dealer stand on soft 17 (a hand counting an ace as 11), others have the dealer hit. Hitting soft 17 slightly favours the house.
Insurance
Offered when the dealer shows an ace. It pays 2:1 if the dealer has blackjack, but over time it carries a much higher house edge than the main game and is generally declined by players using basic strategy.
Surrender
Where offered, surrender lets you give up half your stake instead of playing out a weak hand.
Common Variants
- Classic multi-deck
- Played with six or eight decks shuffled together, with the rules listed above.
- Single-deck
- Fewer decks favour the player, so these tables usually compensate with less generous payout or doubling rules.
- Live blackjack
- The same game dealt by a human dealer from a physical shoe.
- Side bets
- Optional bets on pairs or poker-style combinations. They are settled independently and usually carry a higher house edge than the main hand.
Payouts and House Edge
There is no single house edge for blackjack. With favourable rules (3:2 blackjack, dealer stands on soft 17, doubling after splits allowed) and perfect basic strategy, the edge is around 0.5%. Playing by instinct instead of basic strategy, accepting 6:5 payouts or taking insurance all raise it. Each table displays the rules that determine its edge.
| Outcome | Typical payout |
|---|---|
| Winning hand | 1:1 |
| Blackjack (3:2 table) | 3:2 |
| Blackjack (6:5 table) | 6:5 |
| Insurance | 2:1 |
| Push (tie) | Stake returned |
Figures are standard mathematical values for the rules described. Each game displays its own rules and RTP, which apply if they differ.
Fairness
RNG blackjack shuffles a virtual shoe before every round using certified software. Live blackjack is dealt from a physical shoe that is shuffled and cut according to the studio's procedure.
Play Responsibly
Knowing basic strategy reduces the house edge but does not remove it. No betting system, including doubling stakes after a loss, changes the long-run outcome. See responsible gambling for the tools available in your account.