- 1. The game starts with players making bets.
- 2. The dealer deals two cards to the players and two to himself (1 card face up, the other face down).
- 3. All cards count as their face value. Picture cards count as 10 and an ace counts as either 1 or 11.
- 4. The total of any hand is the sum of the card values in the hand.
- 5. Players must decide whether to stand, hit, double down, or split. See Below.
- 6. The dealer acts last and must hit on 16 or less and stand on 17 through 21.
- 7. Players win when their hand totals higher than dealer’s hand, or they have 21 or less when the dealer busts (i.e., exceeds 21)
Terms
- Stand - The player is satisfied with the total of the hand and wants to stand with those cards. It’s now the dealer’s or next player’s turn.
- Hit - Add another card to the hand.
- Double Down - A player doubles his initial bet and receives one more card. It can only be used on the player’s first hit.
- Spilt- If the player has two like cards (e.g., a pair of 6s or aces), the player can split them. The player must make another bet equal to your original bet. The player then plays each card as a separate hand and can hit as many times as he or she wants.