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BLACKJACK
AND
MULTI-USER
BLACKJACK RULES
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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