1Object of the game
Beat the dealer's hand without going over 21. You win if your total is higher than the dealer's, or if the dealer busts while you're still under 22. You aren't playing against the other players at the table, so their hands don't affect yours.
2Setup
- Pick a dealer. At home, the host can deal the whole game if everyone agrees; otherwise pagat.com recommends rotating the deal clockwise, after every hand or every few hands, so nobody banks the whole night.
- Hand out an equal stack of chips to each player. Matchsticks, pennies, or candy work fine; nobody needs to play for money.
- Each player puts a bet in front of them before any cards are dealt. At home, agree on a minimum and maximum bet, such as 1 to 5 chips.
- The dealer shuffles and deals one card at a time clockwise, starting at their left: one card face up to each player, one to the dealer, then a second face-up card to each player and a second card to the dealer. One dealer card is face up (the upcard) and one is face down (the hole card).
- Card values: 2 through 10 count their number, jacks, queens, and kings count 10, and an ace counts 1 or 11, whichever helps the hand. A hand with an ace counted as 11 is soft; any other hand is hard.
3The play
- If the dealer's upcard is an ace, the dealer offers insurance before anyone plays. You can bet up to half your original bet that the dealer has blackjack; insurance pays 2 to 1 if the hole card is a 10-value card.
- If the upcard is an ace or a 10-value card, the dealer peeks at the hole card. With blackjack, the dealer turns it up and every player loses, except a player who also has blackjack, which is a push.
- Starting on the dealer's left, each player acts on their hand. Hit to take another card, and keep hitting as long as you like. Stand to keep your total and end your turn.
- Double down: on your first two cards, double your bet, take exactly one more card, and stand.
- Split: if your first two cards are a pair, add a bet equal to your first and play them as two separate hands. Split aces get one card each. Most casinos let you re-split up to four hands total.
- If your total goes over 21, you bust and lose your bet right away, even if the dealer busts later.
- After every player has finished, the dealer turns up the hole card and plays by fixed rules: hit on 16 or less, stand on 17 or more. The dealer never doubles, splits, or chooses.
4End of a hand
When the dealer finishes drawing, bets are settled one player at a time. If the dealer busts, every player still in the hand wins. Otherwise, a higher total than the dealer's wins, a lower total loses, and an equal total is a push, so your bet comes back. Cards go to a discard pile, and players bet for the next hand.
5Scoring
Blackjack pays by bet, not by points. These are the standard casino payouts that Bicycle, pagat.com, and Wizard of Odds all describe, and they work the same with chips at the kitchen table.
| For | Points |
|---|---|
| Blackjack (ace plus a 10-value card on the first two cards) | Pays 3 to 2 |
| Winning hand (higher than the dealer, or dealer busts) | Pays 1 to 1 (even money) |
| Tie with the dealer (push) | Bet returned |
| Bust (over 21) | Lose your bet |
| Lower total than the dealer | Lose your bet |
| Insurance, dealer has blackjack | Pays 2 to 1 |
| Insurance, dealer doesn't have blackjack | Insurance bet lost |
| Double down | Bet doubled, exactly one more card |
| Card values | 2–10 face value; J, Q, K = 10; A = 1 or 11 |
A 3-to-2 payout means a 10-chip bet on a blackjack wins 15 chips. An ace and a 10 made after a split count as an ordinary 21, not blackjack, so they pay even money. Casinos vary on soft 17 and on the blackjack payout; see House rules.
6Winning
Each hand is settled on its own, so there's no final score. At a home game, decide beforehand how long you'll play, such as a set number of hands or a fixed time. Whoever holds the most chips at the end wins the night. If the deal rotates, give every player the same number of turns as dealer.
7A worked hand
A home game with Maya dealing. Luis bets 4 chips, Jen bets 2, and Sam bets 4. Maya's upcard is a 7, so there's no insurance and no peek. Luis has 10 and 6, a hard 16. He hits and draws a 5 for 21, then stands. Jen has an ace and a 6, a soft 17. She doubles down, adding 2 more chips for a 4-chip bet, and gets exactly one card: a 3. The ace still counts as 11, so she has 20. Sam has an ace and a king, a blackjack. Maya turns her hole card, a 9, for a total of 16. She must hit on 16, draws a 2 for 18, and stands. Settling up: Luis's 21 beats 18, so he wins 4 chips at even money. Jen's 20 beats 18, and her doubled 4-chip bet wins 4 chips. Sam's blackjack pays 3 to 2, so his 4-chip bet wins 6. Maya pays out 4 + 4 + 6 = 14 chips. Had she drawn a 6 instead of the 2, she'd have busted at 22, and all three would still win the same amounts. Odd bets on a blackjack leave half chips, so many home tables use even bet sizes.
8House rules
The rules above are the version most US players use. These are the variations you are most likely to run into; settle them before the first deal.
- Dealer hits soft 17
- Wizard of Odds notes that at some tables the dealer hits a soft 17 (an ace plus cards totaling 6) instead of standing. Pagat.com also lists this variation. Decide before the first hand.
- Blackjack pays 6 to 5
- Wizard of Odds reports that more tables pay 6 to 5 on a blackjack instead of the full 3 to 2. At home, most groups keep 3 to 2.
- Surrender
- Some casinos let you give up your hand and take back half your bet. Pagat.com says it's usually offered only after the dealer checks for blackjack (late surrender).
- Double after split
- Pagat.com notes that house rules decide if you may double down on a hand you just split. Agree on it before you start.
- Fixed dealer
- If the host wants to deal all night, pagat.com says that's fine when everyone agrees in advance. Otherwise, rotate the deal clockwise every hand or every few hands.
9Mistakes people make
- If you bust, you lose even if the dealer busts later. Players act first, and that's the dealer's built-in edge.
- The dealer has no choices. The dealer must hit 16 or less and stand on 17 or more, whatever the players are showing.
- An ace and a 10 after splitting is 21, not blackjack. It pays even money, not 3 to 2.
- When you double down, you get exactly one more card. You can't keep hitting after that card.
10Playing better
- Know when your hand is soft. An ace and a 6 is 17 or 7, and you can't bust by taking one more card.
- Watch the dealer's upcard. Sixteen of the 52 cards are worth 10, so a dealer showing a 10 or a face card often ends up with a strong hand.
- Bicycle's tips: always split aces and 8s, never split 10s, and consider doubling down on 10 or 11.
- When you deal at home, follow the dealer rule exactly. Hit 16 or less, stand on 17 or more, with no judgment calls, so every player faces the same odds.
- Say your decisions out loud or use clear hand signals. Tap the table to hit and wave your hand flat to stand, so there's no argument about what you meant.
- Reshuffle before the deck runs low. Running out of cards mid-hand at a big table causes disputes.
Blackjack: questions people ask
- What are the card values in blackjack?
- Number cards 2 through 10 count their face value, and jacks, queens, and kings count 10. An ace counts as 1 or 11, whichever is better for your hand. Suits don't matter.
- Does the dealer hit on 16 or 17 in blackjack?
- The dealer must hit on 16 or less and stand on 17 or more. Some casinos make the dealer hit a soft 17, which is an ace plus cards totaling 6. The dealer never gets a choice.
- How much does blackjack pay?
- A blackjack, an ace plus a 10-value card on your first two cards, pays 3 to 2 under standard rules. A 10-chip bet wins 15. Other winning hands pay even money, and a tie returns your bet. Some casino tables pay only 6 to 5 on blackjack.
- What happens if you tie the dealer in blackjack?
- A tie is a push, and your bet is returned. You don't win or lose anything. If you and the dealer both have blackjack, that's also a push.
- When can you split in blackjack?
- You can split when your first two cards are a pair. You add a second bet equal to the first and play two separate hands. Split aces usually get only one more card each, and most casinos allow up to four hands.
- What does double down mean in blackjack?
- Doubling down means doubling your bet after seeing your first two cards and taking exactly one more card. After that card, you must stand. Bicycle suggests doubling on a total of 10 or 11.
- How does insurance work in blackjack?
- When the dealer's upcard is an ace, you can bet up to half your original bet that the dealer has blackjack. If the hole card is a 10-value card, insurance pays 2 to 1. If not, you lose the insurance bet and play the hand normally.
- How do you play blackjack at home?
- Use one standard deck and chips, matchsticks, or candy instead of money. Pick a dealer and follow the casino rules: dealer hits 16 or less and stands on 17. Pagat.com suggests rotating the deal clockwise so everyone takes a turn as dealer.
Sources
Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.
- How to Play Blackjack, Bicycle Cards. Read September 29, 2026.
- Blackjack, pagat.com. Read September 29, 2026.
- Blackjack basics, Wizard of Odds. Read September 29, 2026.