Numbers count as shown, picture cards count as 10, and aces count as 1 or 11.
02
Take a card. Or keep your total.
Hit draws another card. Stand ends your turn. Over 21 is a bust: that hand loses.
03
Let the dealer finish.
At our table, the dealer draws below 17 and stands on every 17 or higher. The better surviving total wins; equal totals normally tie.
THE RULES, MADE VISIBLE
Understand the cards. Enjoy the game.
From the first deal to the final chip: original examples, clear explanations and the exact rules used by the practice table above.
01
BEFORE THE FIRST CARD
How to set up blackjack.
For a game at home, use a standard 52-card deck without jokers and choose one person to deal. One or more players can play against that dealer. Use counters to keep score if you like; money is not needed. Agree the house rules before you start.
THE DEALER One card up. One card hidden.
9♦♠
DRAW PILE ▥
The dealer’s face-up card is the part you can see.
10♠6♥
YOUR HAND 16
The opening deal at our practice table. The hidden card is revealed when the dealer plays, unless a blackjack check ends the hand earlier.
Choose a stake. Our game starts with 1,000 practice chips. Select 10, 25, 50 or 100 for a hand.
Deal two cards each. Yours are face up; the dealer has one upcard and one face-down card.
Check for blackjack. An ace with a ten-value card in the first two cards is a natural. Our dealer checks an ace or ten-value upcard before additional wagers.
Play, then compare. Make your decisions first. The dealer then reveals the hidden card and follows the drawing rule.
↳
Learning at home? Our simulator uses six decks, but you can practise the sequence with one. Card-counting probabilities differ; the order of a turn does not.
02
THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE HAND
Blackjack card values & aces.
Suits have no effect on the total. Add the card values, counting aces as 11 only when that does not take the hand over 21.
7♣2–10 → face value
A 7 counts as 7. A 10 counts as 10.
K♥J, Q, K → 10
All picture cards have the same value.
A♠A → 1 or 11
Use the highest total that does not bust.
TRY THE ACE EXAMPLE
17 can become 16.
A + 6 is soft 17: the ace is 11. Add a 9 and the ace drops to 1, making 16 instead of 26. A hard hand has no ace counting as 11.
A♠6♥
11 + 6 = 17SOFT 17 · ace counts as 11
More than one ace? A + A + 9 is 21: one ace counts as 11 and the other as 1. The practice table works this out for you.
03
ONE DECISION AT A TIME
Hit, stand, double or split?
These are actions, not promises of a win. Your best decision depends on your cards, the dealer’s upcard and the rules in use. The examples below demonstrate how each action works.
＋
Hit · take a card
10♠6♥4♣
16 + 4 becomes 20. You may draw again below 21; our table automatically finishes a hand that reaches 21.
✓
Stand · keep your total
K♠Q♦
Your total stays 20. Your hand is finished. With multiple split hands, move to the next one before the dealer plays.
×2
Double · one final card
5♣6♦K♠
Start at 11, double a 25-chip stake to 50, draw one card and stop. Here, the king makes 21. Another card could give a worse total.
⑂
Split · play two hands
8♠→8♥
Two 8s become two separate hands. Add a matching stake and receive one new card on each. Play one hand at a time.
Double requires your first two cards and enough chips. Split requires matching ranks and enough chips; J + Q cannot be split at our table. Split aces receive only one extra card each. See all table limits.
After all surviving player hands finish, the dealer reveals the hidden card. At this table, the dealer draws on 16 or less and stands on 17 or more, including soft 17. The dealer cannot choose to hit just because your total is higher.
16 or lessDRAW ANOTHER CARD
→
17–21STAND & COMPARE
↗
Over 21DEALER BUSTS
Example: the dealer has A + 6. That is soft 17, so they stand here. A table labelled H17 would require another card. Neither rule changes what an ace is worth.
What is insurance, and what happens to it?
When the dealer shows an ace, our game offers a separate insurance stake equal to half the original bet. It wins at 2:1 only if the dealer has a natural blackjack; otherwise it loses. It does not protect you against an ordinary loss or a later bust. Declining is allowed.
For example, a 20-chip main stake allows 10 chips of insurance. Winning insurance returns 30 chips including that 10-chip stake. If your main hand loses to the dealer’s blackjack, its 20-chip loss offsets the 20-chip insurance profit. If the dealer has no blackjack, those 10 insurance chips are lost independently of your hand.
05
THE HAND, EXPLAINED
Who wins at blackjack?
First check for naturals and busts, then compare surviving totals. A natural blackjack beats an ordinary 21. Two naturals tie. If you bust, that hand loses immediately, even if the dealer would later go over 21.
ILLUSTRATIVE HANDS · Choose an example to see the result.
YOUR HAND · 20
K♠Q♥
vs
DEALER · 18
10♣8♦
YOU WIN
20 beats 18.
Both hands stay at or below 21. Your higher total wins at 1:1: a 20-chip stake returns 40 chips, including 20 chips of profit.
Ordinary win1:1 profit
Stake 20 → receive 40 total → profit 20.
Natural blackjack3:2 profit
Stake 20 → receive 50 total → profit 30. Requires an unsplit, two-card ace + ten-value card, with no dealer natural.
Push / tieNo profit or loss
Stake 20 → receive 20 back. Two naturals also push; ordinary 21 does not push against a dealer’s natural.
Loss / bustStake lost
Stake 20 → receive 0 → loss 20.
After a split: settle every hand separately. An ace + king on a split hand is ordinary 21, paid at 1:1 if it wins. A doubled hand uses its doubled stake when calculating the result.
06
SAME NAME. DIFFERENT TABLES.
Blackjack variations & our house rules.
Blackjack does not have one universal set of table conditions. These are the choices our game implements. Check them before applying advice from another version.
RuleOur practice tableYou may see elsewhere
Blackjack payout3:26:5, which pays less
Soft 17Dealer stands (S17)Dealer hits (H17)
DecksSix, no jokersSingle, double or other multi-deck games
DoubleAny first two cards; after splits except acesRestricted totals or no double after split
SplitMatching rank; up to four handsDifferent pair and hand limits
Split acesOne extra card each; no resplitResplitting may be allowed
SurrenderNot offeredEarly or late surrender
Our dealer checks for a natural before further wagers when showing an ace or ten-value card. Insurance is available against an ace; there are no other side bets and no automatic five-card win. The six-deck shoe reshuffles before a new hand when fewer than 80 cards remain.
!
Blackjack, Pontoon and Switch are not interchangeable. Pontoon has its own rules. In Britain, “Black Jack” can also refer to a shedding game related to Switch. This page teaches the dealer-based game of 21.
General reference: Bicycle’s blackjack rules ↗. Our practice rules are stated above. The explanations and diagrams on this page are original. Guide checked against the implemented game rules on .
KEEP IT BY THE CARDS
Less remembering. More playing.
A compact blackjack reference for the table. Print it or choose “Save as PDF” in your browser’s print window.
Natural = ace + ten-value card as the first two, before splitting. A natural beats ordinary 21. Two naturals tie. Your bust loses even if the dealer busts. Split aces get one extra card; no surrender. Six-deck S17 practice rules. Practice chips have no cash value.
LEARN IT. DEAL IT. ENJOY IT. ♠
GOOD QUESTIONS
A few things worth knowing.
Does a five-card hand automatically win?
Not at this table. Five cards still need a total of 21 or less, and the result is compared with the dealer normally. A five-card automatic win is a house-rule variation, not part of every blackjack game.
What if both the player and dealer bust?
Your bust loses immediately. A later dealer bust does not turn it into a push or a win. Other player hands that did not bust can still win when the dealer busts.
Does three-card 21 beat a two-card blackjack?
No. An unsplit ace plus a ten-value card in the first two cards is a natural blackjack and beats ordinary 21 made with three or more cards. Two naturals tie. A two-card 21 after splitting is also ordinary 21.
How do you play blackjack for beginners?
Start with two cards and add their values. Choose Hit to draw another card or Stand to keep your total. Your aim is to beat the dealer without going over 21. Select Teach me above to practise each decision with a helper showing exactly where to click.
Is blackjack the same as 21?
Blackjack is commonly called 21 because 21 is the highest total that does not bust. Other games called Twenty-One or Pontoon can use different rules. This page teaches the specific blackjack rules listed above.
Is this the same as British “Black Jack” or Switch?
No. This page teaches the dealer-based game of 21. The shedding game sometimes called Black Jack in Britain is a different game, often related to Switch or Crazy Eights.
Can I play without doing the tutorial?
Yes. Choose “I know the rules. Let’s play.” Set a practice stake, then deal. You can return to Teach me at any time; changing mode starts a separate practice session.
Why can’t I double or split?
You need enough unused chips to match your current hand’s stake. Double requires two cards; split additionally needs matching ranks and fewer than four hands. Split aces finish after one extra card. Unavailable controls explain their limits underneath the table.
Does the tutorial use random cards?
No. The six lessons use prepared hands to teach specific situations. Free play uses a shuffled shoe. Tutorial chips and results do not affect your free-play session.
Can I win real money?
No. There are no deposits, purchases, prizes or withdrawals. The practice chips are simply a way to demonstrate stakes and scoring.
Will my progress be saved?
No. Your cards, chips and results stay in this page’s memory. Reloading starts fresh. This test site has no accounts, advertising or analytics scripts.
