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BLACKJACK
AND
MULTI-USER
BLACKJACK RULES |
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In Blackjack, each player and the dealer (the computer) are dealt
two cards. The objective is for the player to have a hand value
that is closer to 21 than that of the dealer, without going over
21. Each player competes only with the dealer whose rules of
play are strictly dictated.
The Basics
Online Blackjack is played with eight 52-card decks. After each
game has been played, the used cards are shuffled back into the
deck. All face cards are valued at ten and the cards from 2-10
are valued as indicated. Aces can be valued at either one or
eleven; if counting the ace as eleven would put the hand over
twenty-one, the ace is automatically counted as one instead.
You do not need to specify which value the Ace has as it’s
always assumed to have the value that makes the best hand. The
value of a hand is the sum of the values of the individual cards.
For example, a hand containing a Jack, 3, and 4 has a value of
17.
Your balance and your last bet are shown on the screen.
Select the amount you would like to wager on your next hand by
clicking the left mouse button on the correct coin: $1, $5, $25
or $100. Each time you click the left mouse button you will add
a chip to your planned wager amount.
PLAYS
Hit: Requests another card. You can request a hit as many times
as you like, but if your total goes over twenty-one, you will
Bust and lose the hand.
Stand: Requests that you receive no more cards. The
hand as it currently stands will be judged against the dealers.
Split: If you have two cards of the same denomination,
a Split button will appear. You can split your cards into two
hands and play each hand separately. Your original bet will be
duplicated for the new hand and each hand will be played out
as usual. In the Las Vegas version, splitting is allowed only
once. But in Atlantic City and Multi-User Blackjack, you may
split up to 5 times.
Double/Double Down: If you select this option, two
things will happen: you will get exactly one more card, your
turn will end, and your bet will be doubled. In the Las Vegas
version of the game, doubling down is allowed on any two cards.
In Atlantic City variant, you can only double down on any two
cards totaling 9, 10 or 11.
Surrender: Surrender means to give up your hand. After
you've been dealt 2 cards, some online casinos will give you
the option to surrender your hand. For example, if you've been
dealt two cards that you judge to be very poor cards, and the
dealer's face card is very good like a 10 card or an ace, you
may decide to surrender. If you do so, you will lose half of
your bet. The remaining half goes back to you. This can be a
wise move in cases where you are almost certain to lose to the
dealer... better to lose half your bet than all of it!
Insurance: Whenever the dealer’s up card is an
ace, the player has an option of taking insurance. The player
may opt to take insurance by clicking on the “Insurance
“ button. This is only done if the player believes that
the dealer’s down card is a 10-ranking card. Then the player
is permitted to place a side bet of half the original wager as
insurance. If the dealer does have a 10 ranking card, the player
is immediately paid 2-to-1 on the insurance bet, but the original
wager is lost unless the player too has a blackjack and pushes
with the dealer. Here the player is simply betting that the dealer’s
unseen card is a 10-valued card.
PUSH: The hand is considered a push if your hand and
the dealers are of equal value in which case no money will be
exchanged.
Note:
The Double Down and Split options will only be available immediately
after you receive your first two cards. If the dealer has an
ace showing, you will be offered a chance to buy insurance for
half of the amount you bet. When you buy insurance you are, in
effect, making a second bet. You are betting that the dealer
has a natural blackjack. If the dealer does have a natural blackjack
(in other words, his down card is a ten or a face card), you
will collect a payoff of 2 to 1 on your insurance. You will also
lose your original wager, unless you have a natural blackjack
too. If the dealer does not have a natural twenty-one, the rest
of the hand is played out as usual and you will lose your insurance
money.
If you win the hand, you will get back your original
bet plus the same amount in profit. A hand that consists of an
Ace and any ten-value card is called a natural twenty-one, or
a natural blackjack. If you win with a natural blackjack, you
will be paid off at three-to-two, which means you get your original
bet back plus 150% profit. (So if you bet $50 and win with a
natural twenty-one, you get $50 (your bet) plus $75 (your bet
plus half of your bet), which totals to $125.
MULTI-USER BLACKJACK
In the multi-player version of Blackjack, each table can accommodate
five players, multiple observers and the dealer. Your spot on
the table will be noted by your name under which your total balance
and current bet are shown.
Each player begins a hand by placing a bet on the
table as described in regular blackjack rules. Click on “bet”
once for each dollar you’re wagering. If you do not bet
within 30 seconds from the beginning of your turn, you will be
automatically excluded from that particular hand. Note that if
you join a table in the middle of a hand, you must wait until
the round is over and after that you will be able to bet on the
next hand. Each player will then receive two cards face up. The
dealer will receive one card face up and one face down.
When it is your turn and based on the cards you hold
and the one visible from the dealer’s hand, you can select
plays similar to those listed above, for regular blackjack play.
If you want to take a break and just watch, hit the “stand
up” button and you will be moved to observer status.
Chatting
In the better casinos, a chat window automatically pops up every
time you enter a multi-player game such as Blackjack. You may
chat with others at the table by clicking on your ID name, typing
in a message in the chat window and pressing Send.
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