Blackjack Beginner Guide

Blackjack is a card game where you try to get your hand as close to 21 as you can without going over, and to beat the dealer’s hand. This beginner walkthrough follows one hand from the bet to the result, then covers card values, your options, a simple strategy and the main variations. 18+ only. Gamble responsibly: SA Responsible Gambling Foundation counselling line 0800 006 008 (24/7).

Blackjack is one of the most common table games in land-based and online casinos, and it is one of the easier card games to learn. Once you know the goal, the rest is a short list of choices. For more blackjack articles, see our blackjack guides.

Where Blackjack Comes From

Blackjack grew out of an older game called twenty-one, named after the total you aim for. The first written reference is in a short story by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes, written around 1601 to 1602, where two characters cheat at the Spanish version, ventiuna.

The name “blackjack” is said to come from a bonus that casinos in the United States paid for the ace of spades together with a black jack.

How a Hand Plays Out, Step by Step

1. The dealer shuffles between one and eight standard 52-card decks.
2. You place your bet in the betting space. Online, you can generally play up to five separate bets at once, and each bet gets its own hand.
3. You are dealt two cards for each bet.
4. The dealer takes two cards: one face up and one face down.
5. If the dealer’s face-up card is an Ace or a 10-value card, the dealer checks the face-down card for a blackjack. If the dealer has one, the card is turned over at once and all bets lose, unless you also have a blackjack. If not, play continues.
6. You choose what to do with your hand (see the options below).
7. Once you are done, the dealer turns over the face-down card and can hit to try to beat your hand.

Your aim is a total of exactly 21, or as close as possible. If you go over 21, your hand is bust and you lose.

Card Values

• Cards 2 to 9 count at face value.
• Tens and face cards count as 10.
• An Ace counts as 1 or 11.

The value of a hand is the sum of its cards. A blackjack is a 10-value card plus an Ace. It is the best hand: it outranks any other 21 and wins, and it usually pays 3 to 2.

Your Options: Hit, Stand, Double, Split and Surrender

• Stand: keep your two cards as they are.
• Hit: take another card.
• Double: not always offered. It doubles your bet and gives you just one extra card.
• Split: if your two cards have the same value, you can separate them into two individual hands.
• Surrender: where the casino allows it, you give up half your wager and end the hand. You can’t surrender once you have taken a hit card.

Stand and Hit are the two basic choices. Try them first and add the others as you get comfortable.

Simple Beginner Strategy

Work through your choices in this order:

1. Can you surrender, and does it make sense? Check this first.
2. If not, do you have a pair? Then think about splitting.
3. If not, is a double available? Doubling can bring bigger wins on some hands.
4. If none of those apply, decide between hit and stand.

For hit or stand, a rule of thumb is to look at the dealer’s face-up card:

• Dealer shows 7 to 10: keep drawing until you have 17 or more.
• Dealer shows 4, 5 or 6: stop drawing once you reach 12 or more.
• Dealer shows 2 or 3: stop drawing once you reach 13 or more.

Basic strategy charts are easy to find online. Played perfectly, basic strategy cuts the casino’s edge to about 0.5%, but it does not remove the edge, and no strategy guarantees a win. Only play with money you can afford to lose.

Blackjack Variations

The variations below keep the basic aim of the game but add their own twists. Learn the classic version first.

Spanish 21

Players get generous rules, such as doubling down on any number of cards and bonus payouts for 21s made with five or more cards. A player blackjack or player 21 always beats the dealer’s, where classic blackjack would be a push. The catch: a Spanish 21 deck has no 10 cards.

Double Exposure Blackjack

Plays like the classic game, but both of the dealer’s cards are dealt face up. Blackjacks pay even money, players lose all ties, and Insurance and Surrender are not offered.

Double Attack Blackjack

Follows the general rules of Spanish 21 with extra twists, such as side bets and splitting pairs into three or four hands. A blackjack pays even money. The dealer’s face-up card is dealt first, and then you can make the “Double Attack” bet, which doubles your initial wager.

Where to Practise

Blackjack follows the same rules online and in land-based casinos. A good way to start is with a few hands that use only hit and stand, then add double and split. Our free game recommendations let you learn without risking money. If you want the feel of a real table later, see our overview of live dealer casinos.

18+ only. Gamble responsibly: SA Responsible Gambling Foundation counselling line 0800 006 008 (24/7).