The aim of the game is to beat the dealer by scoring 21 points or a number close to this value. If the player's score exceeds 21, the player automatically loses the hand. Blackjack is played with six decks of 52 cards using a shuffle machine.
BASIC RULES
To participate in the game, the player must:
Be physically present at the table when “no more bets” is announced;
Place a minimum of one box of chips within the minimum and maximum limits of the table.
The aim of the game is to beat the dealer in one of the following ways:
Get 21 points on the player's first two cards — a “Black Jack” combination.
Get a final score higher than the dealer's without exceeding 21 points.
The dealer's score exceeds 21 — a “bust” situation.
STAGES OF THE GAME
After the initial deal, the player has 2 cards and can draw additional cards; kings, queens, and jacks are worth 10 points, an ace can be counted as 1 or 11 points (for both the player and the dealer); all other cards are counted at face value: 2=2, 3=3, and so on;
If the total number of points in the box is more than 21 (called a “bust” or “too many”), it means a loss;
The player wins if they have a “Black Jack” combination, the sum of points is greater than the dealer's, but does not exceed 21, or the dealer has a “bust”;
If the player has an Ace, which counts as 1 or 11 points, the hand is called a “soft hand,” meaning that the player cannot get a “bust” by taking an additional card.
11 plus the value of another card will always be less than or equal to 21 points. If the player does not have an Ace, the hand is called a “hard hand.”
The player cannot take an additional card if they have a “Black Jack” combination or the total points on the box is 21 (‘soft’ or “hard”).
The dealer must take cards until they have a total of 17 points or more.
The dealer loses when they score more than 21 points or when they have fewer points than the player (provided that the player does not have a “bust”).
If the dealer and the player have the same number of points, it is a “stand off” situation — a tie, meaning that the bet is neither lost nor won.
The maximum and minimum bets allowed are displayed on the information board on the table.
INSURANCE AND EVEN MONEY
Players will be offered insurance if the dealer's first card is an Ace; in this case, players who receive a “Black Jack” are offered a payout equal to the ANTE bet — even money;
When the dealer's first card is an Ace, any player may place an additional insurance bet, which must be at least half the minimum bet on the table and no more than half the bet on the box;
If the dealer's second card is worth 10 and therefore forms a “Black Jack” in combination with an Ace, all insurance bets will be paid at 2 to 1.
If the dealer's second card is not a 10, the insurance bet loses and is collected immediately.
Winning insurance bets are paid after losing bets are collected from the boxes.
Insurance will only be offered to players after the initial deal, when the dealer announces “Insurance.” Players who choose this option must place their bets on the insurance line to the left of their cards, after which the dealer announces “Insurance is closed.” After that, no more bets will be accepted and the deal will continue.
Alternatively, players who receive a “Black Jack” can collect a win equal to their bet — even money — when the dealer's first card is an Ace. In this case, the dealer must pay the player 1 to 1 immediately and remove the cards, then continue dealing.
Players who receive “Black Jack” cannot collect “even money” if the dealer's face-up card is a 10.
SURRENDER
The player has the option to refuse to continue playing on the first two cards dealt — to “Surrender”; in this case, the player loses half of their bet.
The dealer offers “Surrender” on any of their cards except an Ace. Players cannot “Surrender” if the dealer's first card is an Ace.
Players can only make a “Surrender” before the third card is dealt to the first player.
BLACK JACK
If the player has “Black Jack” and the dealer's card is not a 10 or an Ace, the dealer pays the bet at a rate of 3 to 2, collects the player's cards, and places them in the used card corner.
During the final calculation, if the player did not place an insurance bet and the dealer's combination is “Black Jack,” the player's bet neither loses nor wins.
If the dealer does not have “Black Jack,” the player's bet is paid at 3 to 2.
NEXT HAND
Starting with the first box, from left to right on the table, the dealer asks each player for their decision; these decisions can be as follows:
Stand — “Stay” is indicated by a “waving” hand gesture and accompanied by a verbal command;
Take a card by pointing at the cards or tapping the table next to the box and accompanying this with the verbal command “Card”;
Double the bet — the player adds chips equal to or less than the initial bet (but not less than the minimum bet for that table), announcing “Double”; “Double for less”;
Split — the player divides their cards into two “hands” by placing chips equal to the initial bet next to the initial bet, announcing “Split.”
* If the player takes a card and, as a result, the total number of points becomes 22 or more, the bet is lost.
DOUBLING — “DOUBLE”
The player can double the bet on any of their first two cards, except for “Black Jack”.
If the player decides to double their bet:
The player must place chips equal to the original bet next to the box and announce “Double”;
After the dealer has verified that the player wants to double the bet, the chips are placed behind the original bet;
After making a “Double,” the player receives only one card.
SPLITTING A PAIR — “SPLIT”
Players can split any pair of identical cards into two (or more) separate “hands” as follows: the player must place chips equal to the amount of the initial bet next to the box and announce “Split”; the dealer then divides the player's two cards, the first to the left side of the box and the second to the right;
When splitting aces, each “hand” receives only one card, and the maximum possible point total is 21. “Blackjack” is considered to be only a combination of an ace and a 10, dealt to one box as the first two cards in the initial deal.
WINNING AND LOSING BETS
All winning bets are paid at 1 to 1, except when the player receives a “Black Jack” — in this case, the payout is 3 to 2;
A bet on a box with fewer points than the dealer loses.
If the dealer has Blackjack, any bet with a score of 21 points or less loses.
TIE — STAND OFF
A situation where the player's box has the same number of points as the dealer's is considered a tie.
A situation where both the player and the dealer have “Black Jack” is also considered a tie.
* In any disputed situations at the tables, the casino manager's decision is final.