Blackjack is a game of skill where the objective is to beat the dealer. A win occurs when your hand value comes closer to 21 than theirs; ties count as pushes. Furthermore, players may purchase insurance or even money which provides two times payout should the dealer show an up card of ten as an ace card.

Table rules

Before the cards are distributed, players place their bets. Usually the minimum and maximum bets are posted on the table. A dealer then deals two cards face up to each player; after which they decide whether to hit (take another card) or stand (keep their current hand). If their total surpasses that of the dealer they win; otherwise it is considered a draw and neither party wins.

One of the key aspects of blackjack is understanding and applying table rules correctly. Before beginning to play, always read and thoroughly understand your table’s rules – these will clearly specify when dealers must hit or stand, whether any two initially dealt cards can be doubled down on, payout for blackjacks as well as when and whether players must split aces and whether dealers can accept insurance bets.

Additionally, you should pay attention to the number of decks in a game. Each additional deck increases the house edge; therefore it is wise to choose games with as few decks as possible and manually-shuffled games over those that use an automated machine for shuffling; this will reduce house’s edge while increasing your chances of victory.

Doubling down

Doubling down in blackjack can increase your odds of success, but doing so requires both confidence and knowledge of the odds. When considering this move, soft hands that include an ace and one or eleven cards should be doubled down on as this gives an edge against dealers showing lower cards than themselves. In such situations it would also be wise to try hard doubling when presented with such opportunities; such as when someone shows one.

However, it’s essential to keep in mind that you can only double down after receiving two cards and after being dealt two. To do this, push a stack equal to your initial wager next to it; any new chips placed atop of this initial bet may be seen as tampering and may lead to your hand being invalidated.

Additionally, casinos prohibit double down after hitting or splitting to ensure fair play and prevent players from gaining an overwhelming advantage. Also avoid doubling down with soft hands exceeding 11 as this increases your risk of busting, giving dealers an edge against you with their higher total. It is also noteworthy that you cannot double down after splitting two Aces.

Splitting aces

Splitting pairs in blackjack is a key strategy that players must master. By splitting cards, a player can convert one poor total into two good totals and increase their odds of beating the dealer’s hand. As such, this move has become known as “the fundamental aspect of blackjack.”

Splitting an ace means receiving one card on each hand and continuing to play them separately; the dealer cannot add additional cards onto either hand, though a pair of tens or blackjacks must result – any winning hands in this instance will only receive 1:1 rather than 3:1 payout.

Splitting aces is usually the right decision regardless of what the dealer’s up card may be, since each pair of aces stands a good chance at receiving a ten-value card and creating an effective hand. Conversely, splitting eights usually isn’t recommended because this gives a player only 16 total cards with no certainty they’ll create an effective 20.

Splitting aces may not always be possible in casinos and players should be mindful of this before visiting one. Some casinos restrict re-splitting of aces which increases the house edge; additionally, certain blackjack games prohibit splitting when drawn to a ten-value card.

Insurance

Insurance in blackjack is a side bet that pays 2-to-1 when the dealer holds an ace face up. While experienced players typically disfavor insurance as it increases the house edge by 6.5%, for certain types of players (particularly gut players and those looking for quick hands without taking into account math calculations) it may provide an advantageous solution.

House edge in blackjack is already low, but adding insurance further reduces it. Unfortunately, insurance only covers one hand at a time; therefore it doesn’t offer enough protection to cover all bets at once. Furthermore, payout odds on insurance are often lower than in blackjack; thus making insurance an unlikely source of winnings; consequently many recommend against taking it at all.

However, taking insurance or not comes down to personal risk tolerance. Some players might find the temptation of mitigating losses too tempting and no longer enjoy playing blackjack; others can simply assess their individual level of risk tolerance and find the balance that best fits them. For maximum success when playing blackjack with optimal cards it’s always wise to play using as close an optimal deck as possible.