Blackjack basics

The goal is simple: beat the dealer. Get a hand total closer to 21 than the dealer without going over. Number cards count face value, J/Q/K count 10, and an ace counts 11 or 1 - whichever helps you.

You and the dealer each get two cards; one dealer card stays face down. You act first: Hit (take a card), Stand (stop), Double (double your bet, take exactly one card), or Split (turn a pair into two hands). Go over 21 and you bust - you lose immediately, even if the dealer busts later.

Then the dealer reveals the hole card and must draw until reaching at least 17 - no choices, no strategy. Higher total wins; equal totals are a push (bet returned).

An ace plus a ten-card as your first two cards is a blackjack - it pays 3:2 and beats everything except a dealer blackjack.