The game of blackjack is a card game that pits player against dealer. It is played with one or more decks of cards where each card is counted as its numerical value, face cards as ten, and an ace as either a 1 or 11 (depending on the game). The objective of the player is to beat the dealer by getting a blackjack – an ace and a 10 value card (10, jack, queen or king) on your first two cards – having a higher final card count than the dealer without going over 21, or by having a hand that is not over 21 and preventing the dealer from busting his/her hand.
Many players make mistakes in this game that lead to losses. For example, some people hold onto a weak hand of 16 when the dealer has an up card likely to bust. This is a mistake because the dealer will make 17 or better about 80 percent of the time. The best strategy is to hit when the dealer has a weak up-card, and stand when the dealer has a strong up-card.
A good Blackjack strategy starts with a basic understanding of the game. This can be obtained by reading books or playing online. Many sites offer a free practice version of the game where you can place bets to see how the site works. Then you can switch to a real money account to start playing for real money. When you are ready to play for real money, click the chips to add them to your bet. You can then choose to “hit” or “stay.” If you hit, you will receive another card from the deck. If you stay, you will keep your original bet amount and win the dealer’s bet money if you have a higher final number count than the dealer’s. You can also win if you get a Blackjack or push (have the same number count as the dealer).
In addition to these basic rules, there are some other important tips that you should keep in mind. For example, if you have a pair of 10s and the Blackjack dealer has a four, five or six showing, always split them. This will give you a much better chance of winning the hand. Another tip is to turn on the advice button in the bottom right corner of the game window, which will tell you what move is most statistically likely to win your current hand.
