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How to Play Blackjack
Blackjack is a card game you play against the dealer. Get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over, and you win. Here are the full rules, as played in Perfect Pair Blackjack.
Card values
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
23…9 | Face value: 2 to 9 |
10JQK | 10 |
A | 1 or 11, whichever is better for the hand |
Suits don’t matter in the main game. They only matter for the Perfect Pairs and 21+3 side bets.
How a round works
- Bet. Place your main bet. You can add the optional side bets at the same time.
- Deal. You get two cards face up. The dealer gets one face up (the up card) and one face down (the hole card).
- Dealer checks for blackjack. If the dealer shows an Ace you’re offered insurance. If the dealer has blackjack, the round ends straight away.
- Your turn. Hit, stand, double down or split until you stand or go over 21.
- Dealer’s turn. The dealer turns over the hole card and draws until reaching 17 or more.
- Settle. Higher total wins. Going over 21 (a bust) loses straight away, even if the dealer busts afterwards.
Your options
| Move | What it does | When you can |
|---|---|---|
| Hit | Take another card | Any time until you stand or bust |
| Stand | Keep your total and end your turn | Any time |
| Double down | Double your bet and take exactly one more card | On your first two cards, including after a split |
| Split | Turn a pair into two hands, each with its own bet | When your first two cards have the same value. Up to four hands. Split Aces get one card each. |
| Insurance | A side bet that the dealer has blackjack, costing half your bet | Only when the dealer shows an Ace |
Not sure which to choose? The basic strategy chart gives the best play for every hand.
Soft and hard hands
A soft hand has an Ace counting as 11, such as A,6 (soft 17). It can’t bust on the next card, because the Ace can drop to 1. A hard hand either has no Ace or has an Ace that must count as 1, such as 10,6,A (hard 17).
The difference matters: you’d always stand on hard 17, but basic strategy says to hit or double a soft 17.
Payouts
| Result | Pays |
|---|---|
| Blackjack (Ace + 10-value card as your first two cards) | 3:2 |
| Win (higher total than the dealer, or dealer busts) | 1:1 |
| Push (same total as the dealer) | Bet back |
| Insurance, if the dealer has blackjack | 2:1 |
A 21 made from three or more cards, or after a split, is not a blackjack. It pays 1:1.
House rules in Perfect Pair Blackjack
- 6-deck shoe, reshuffled when fewer than 52 cards remain (1 to 8 decks in Settings)
- Dealer hits soft 17
- Blackjack pays 3:2
- Double on any first two cards, including after a split
- Split up to four hands. Split Aces get one card each.
- Insurance pays 2:1, and even money is offered on a blackjack
Blackjack words
- Bust
- Going over 21. You lose straight away.
- Push
- A tie with the dealer. Your bet comes back.
- Up card
- The dealer’s face-up card.
- Hole card
- The dealer’s face-down card.
- Shoe
- The box the cards are dealt from, holding several decks shuffled together.
- Soft hand
- A hand with an Ace counting as 11.
- Side bet
- An optional extra bet on the first cards dealt, such as Perfect Pairs or 21+3.
Blackjack rules FAQ
What is the aim of blackjack?
To finish with a hand closer to 21 than the dealer’s without going over. You are only playing against the dealer, not the other players.
What is the difference between blackjack and 21?
A blackjack is exactly two cards, an Ace and a 10-value card, and pays 3:2. Any other hand that totals 21, such as 7, 7 and 7, is just 21 and pays 1:1.
What happens if you tie with the dealer?
It is a push. Your bet is returned and you neither win nor lose.
Does the dealer have to hit on 16?
Yes. The dealer has no choices: they must hit on 16 or less and stand on 17 or more. In Perfect Pair Blackjack the dealer also hits a soft 17.