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Playing Blackjack in the US.
The modern version of the popular card game called "Blackjack" was derived from the older card game simply called "21". While it is unknown where it was invented or by who, the first accounts of playing the "21"game was in Spain during the seventeenth century. At later times the game also showed up in parts of France. To this day "21" remains popular in Spain where it is still played in its original form. The game play was slightly altered but the nature and basic rules remain the same in the version we now know as Casino Blackjack.
The casino version of blackjack has the dealer facing 1 to 7 players who each play their hand independently. Before a round of Blackjack starts a player places his bet and receives two cards to start with. To win, the player simply needs to get a higher amount on the cards than the dealer where the maximum is 21. Aces substitute for one or eleven and face cards count as tens. When a player or the dealer go over the twenty-one maximum, it is called going bust and whoever went over the maximum loses. The player will show his cards, and will ask for more cards until twenty one is reached or an amount the player feels they cannot increase without going bust, and will stand at that amount. The dealer in turn will show his cards and do the same. In case the dealers total tops the player’s total the dealer wins. In case of a tie where both reach the same amount, the bet is returned to the player. In the event multiple players participate it is possible for the dealer to win and lose in the individual games against each player.
After the first two cards are dealt the player can decide to increase the bet that was placed at the beginning. This in-between betting is called "Double down" and common practice in most casinos offering the Blackjack game.
In case the player receives cards with identical numbers, like a pair of tens, or two aces, the option is given to split those into two games. The player then receives an additional card for each that was dealt and both pairs are played as separate games. This is called "Split a pair" and if this is the case the betting amount doubles with an additional equal bet on the extra game. Both pairs are played out just like a regular game of Blackjack.
A player can decide to "surrender", which means he or she forfeits the game. This option will cost half of the betting money that was initially placed. Not all casinos offer this option, but it is not uncommon.
While playing Blackjack in several casinos, the player can be confronted with many variations to the rules. They are usually implemented to gain a so called "house advantage". This immediately affects the chances of winning the game. Not only the Casino decides on rules, many state laws affect the way the game is played in the US, where each state has its own laws on gambling which all affect the rules for playing Blackjack differently. Knowing this it is wise to get familiar with the rules used in the casino of choice before playing the game. In total, there exist more than 100 variations to the Blackjack rules.
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