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Blackjack
Introduction.
Blackjack is one of the most popular casino card games in the
world. Much of blackjack's popularity is due to the mix of chance
with elements of skill. Blackjack descends from vingt-et-un
("twenty-one"), which originated in France in the eighteenth
century.
The game:
Each player has a separate game with the dealer.At the end of
a game the dealer may lose against some, but win against the
others.
Each card has a count equal to the face value of the card.Court
cards(jack,queen,king) count as 10. Aces count as 11 or 1 as
decided by the player.
The object of the game is to draw cards to maximize the total
card count to a value of 21 or less.The player loses immediately
if his or her total card count exceeds 21.
Rules:
- Starting from the dealer's left,each plyer is dealt a
card, face up.The dealer's cardis then dealt face down (the
"hole" card).
- Each plyer,and the dealer is now dealt one additional
card, face up.
- Each player in turn chooses to "hit","stand","split" or
"double down".
- After the players have played out their hands, the dealer
is dealt cards face up until he "stands" or is "bust".House
rules say that the dealer must hit until he or she has at
least 17, regardless of what the players have. In some casinos
a dealer must also hit a soft 17 (a combination of cards
adding up to either 7 or 17, such as an ace and a 6).
- The cards of each player is compared with those of the
dealer.
Terms:
- Hit- The player elects to receive one more card.
- Stand-The player elcts to receive no more cards.
- Bust-The player's combined card count is 22 or more,
resulting in an immediate loss.
- Split-On being dealt a pair of cards of the same
face value, a player may opt to double his bets and play two
separate hands, each having one of the pair.
- Double down- A player may opt to double his bets,
draw a card and stand thereafter. Surrender-A player forfeits
half his bet and opts out of the game.Casino rules vary on
this option.
- Blackjack or natural-An ace and a ten-card, making
a two-card 21. Payouts to the holder increase by a factor
of 3:2, usually (check casino rules).
- Insurance- If the dealer's upcard is an Ace, some
games offer players the option of taking Insurance before
the dealer s his 'hole card'. The player who is taking Insurance
bets that the dealer was dealt a natural, i.e. a two-card
21 , and this bet by the player pays off 2:1 if it wins.Insurance
bets are limited to half the player's original bet.
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