Blackjack is a card game where a player tries to get closer to 21 than the house without going over. The game is played with standard playing cards. All cards retain their shown value with two exceptions. Aces can be played as either a 1 or an 11 at the discretion of the player. For example, an Ace and a 2 can be counted as 3 or 13. Face cards, jacks through kings, are all valued at 10.
Standard blackjack begins with the players placing bets. The dealer then deals each player two cards face-down including the dealer. The players play their hand to completion one at a time going clockwise around the table starting to the left of the dealer. Each player plays against the house and not each other. Upon beginning their turn a player may choose to double down, place an insurance bet, or split their hand depending on the cards in play. If a player decides to do none of these, they have the option of asking for a card, hit, or to stand with their total. A player may hit as many times as they like until either deciding to stand or they bust (getting a total higher than 21).
The dealer must play by a strict set of rules and will play last. The dealer must hit if their total is below 17. If the dealer’s hand has a point value of 17 or more then the dealer must stand. The dealer receives a card face up and a card face down. Players are to play their hand keeping in mind what they think the dealer might possess. If the dealer busts then all players who stayed in the game win their bet.