Printable Blackjack rules

Blackjack in one page

2–8 players · 1 deck · chips or matchsticks

In blackjack, each player plays only against the dealer. Everyone gets two cards, and the dealer shows one card and keeps one face down. Players hit or stand to get close to 21 without busting. Then the dealer draws until reaching 17 or more, and higher totals win even money, with an ace-and-ten blackjack paying 3 to 2.

In brief

• Beat the dealer without going over 21
• 2–10 face value; J, Q, K = 10; ace = 1 or 11
• Bet first; 2 cards each, dealer shows 1
• Hit = take a card; stand = stop
• Double down: double bet, exactly 1 more card
• Split a pair into two hands; split aces get 1 card each
• Over 21 = bust, you lose right away
• Dealer hits 16 or less, stands on 17+
• Win pays 1 to 1; blackjack pays 3 to 2
• Tie = push, bet returned
• Insurance (dealer shows ace): half bet, pays 2 to 1
• Rotate the deal clockwise at home

Setup

1. 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.
2. Hand out an equal stack of chips to each player. Matchsticks, pennies, or candy work fine; nobody needs to play for money.
3. 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.
4. 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).
5. 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.

On your turn

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Double down: on your first two cards, double your bet, take exactly one more card, and stand.
5. 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.
6. If your total goes over 21, you bust and lose your bet right away, even if the dealer busts later.
7. 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.

Scoring

Winning

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.