Blackjack is a game of chance and skill. The objective is to beat the dealer by getting a higher total on your two cards than he/she does without going over 21. If you have a higher total than the dealer, you win and are paid out equal to your initial wager. If your hand is closer to 21 than the dealer’s, you win a push (a tie). You also lose if you go over 21, which is known as busting.
Initially, you and the dealer are dealt two cards each. If your first two cards add up to 21 (an Ace and a card valued at 10) you have a Blackjack, which is the best possible hand in blackjack. This is generally paid 3:2 at most casinos, but some have lowered this payout to 6:5.
The rest of the game involves players and dealers making decisions on what to do with their two initial cards. A player may ask for another card (hit) or they can decide to stay with their current hand and not receive any additional cards (stand). The dealer must hit until their cards reach a total of 17 or more.
There are a number of secondary bets that can be made to increase your payouts and odds of winning. These include doubling down and insurance. These bets should only be made if you have an advantage over the dealer, which is often possible with the right strategy.
When playing blackjack, it is important to know the difference between a hard and soft hand. A hard hand is a hand with one or more cards that total 7 or less. A soft hand is a hand with more than one card that totals 11 or less.
After the dealer checks his/her hole card, any players who bought insurance can make a decision on whether to take it or not. If the dealer has a ten underneath, he/she has a blackjack and the players who bought insurance will win their original bet back. Otherwise, the dealer will collect the bets, shuffle and deal again.
Insurance is a side bet that you can place when the dealer shows an ace. You place a bet of half your original wager and if the dealer has blackjack, you will be paid out 2 to 1. If the dealer does not have a ten underneath, you will lose your insurance bet.
Buying insurance is not a good idea in blackjack because the dealer’s odds of having a blackjack are much lower than the player’s. In addition, the house edge on insurance is quite high, and if you play an infinite number of hands, you will lose more money paying for insurance than you will win in winning insurance bets.