Rules of Blackjack - Your Choices

When your two cards have been dealt your first cards - it's time to decide how to play your blackjack hand the best possible way.
You will be presented with different play options depending on the cards you have been deal.
Unless you are dealt a Blackjack (best winning hand combination with an Ace and a 10 value card), you will always be presented with the options to HIT or STAND and possibly one or more of the advanced blackjack options that match the cards in your hand.

Rules of Blackjack:
HIT
STAND
SPLIT
DOUBLE
INSURANCE
SURRENDER


Getting yet another card to the hand is an option by selecting HIT, staying with your current hand by selecting STAND total is another. If you have a pair of cards, such as two Queens you can choose to split the hand into two separate blackjack hands.
Below you can read more about your different options when playing your Blackjack hand.

HIT:

If you want to be dealt another card, Choosing HIT will make the dealer give you another card.
One you have selected HIT another card will be dealt to your blackjack hand. If the card you are dealt increase your hand value to more than 21 you will BUST.
If the card you are dealt increase your blackjack hand value but it stays below 21 you may chose to HIT again.
You are allowed to HIT as many times as you want, - untill you BUST.

STAND:

If you feel that your current hand will beat the hand of the dealer, - or if you think that the dealer will BUST then select STAND to end the turn for the hand being played.
Select STAND if you don't want another card added to your hand.
Once you chose to STAND, the value of your blackhack hand is the value that will be competing with the dealers hand.

SPLIT:

If you are dealt a matching pair of cards you can choose to split this pair into two separate hands.
If you chose to SPLIT you automatically place another blackjack wager on the table with the same value as the one used for the SPLIT hand.
Another card is then dealt for each of your Blackjack hands.
You should always split a pair of aces and pairs of 8s.

DOUBLE:

Some hand combinations have more potential than others and may result in strong hands with a single HIT more. If you believe that you have such a hand then you often have the opportunity to double your bet size - called to DOUBLE DOWN.
Selecting this option will make the dealer give you one last card beore you pass the turn on to the dealer.
DOUBLING DOWN can only be done with your initial two card hand, before you are dealt additional cards by selecting HIT.

Blackjack Double Down Example:
If you initial hand has a 5 and a 6 - resulting in a hand value of 11, and the dealers Face-up card is a 6, your odds of winning with that hands with a single card more are high and you may chose to double your bet.

INSURANCE:

If the dealers Face-Up card is an ACE, the player will be offered a chance to buy INSURANCE against the dealer getting a blackjack.
If you chose to place an Insurance bet, you place another bet equal to half your original bet amount in the insurance betting strip in front of your bet.
Once an Insurance bet has been placed, the dealer will check to see if he has a 10 valued card underneath his Ace.
If the dealer has Blackjack, your winning Insurance bet will be paid at odds of 2:1, - but Youl lose your original bet unless you have been deal a Blackjack as well.

The Insurance bet provide players with a chance to break-even when there is a high chance for a Dealer Blackjack instead of simply loosing.
That is why this bet is called s "insurance", since it protect your original bet against a dealer blackjack.

If the dealer doesn't have blackjack, you lose the insurance bet, but are allowed to play the original bet out.
The insurance bet is often a poor bet for the player to place, with a high house advantage.

SURRENDER:
The Blackjack Surrender option is not offered at many online casinos, - or with many online Blackjack games.
The Surrender option, when available allow players to fold their hand at the cost of half their bet.

The Blackjack games where the Surrender option is available often offer one of two Surrender types:
EARLY SURRENDER and LATE SURRENDER.

In an EARLY SURRENDER blackjack game, a player may choose to surrender before the dealer checks his cards for a blackjack, offering a cheap way out even if the dealer turns out to have a blackjack.
The EARLY SURRENDER option offer players a really nice advantage and is rarely offered.

LATE SURRENDER is a more commonly available Blackjack Surrender options that is made available AFTER the dealer has checked for blackjack.