Blackjack is a game of skill. This is the first tip on our tips page, and the most important concept you’ll need to wrap your head around to become a good blackjack player. To get started though, you’ll need to read the basics of game-play and blackjack rules.

Blackjack is a card game commonly played against the house. As with online keno, this means that multiple people can participate, but they are not competing against one another, everybody is competing against the house, or dealer. The object of the game is to beat the dealer’s hand. In doing so, you are not allowed to exceed a total of 21 with your cards.

Card values are defined as follows. Low cards are worth their face value, so a 3 is worth 3 and a 10 is worth 10. Face cards are worth ten with the exception of the Ace, which is worth either 1 or 11, whichever is better for your hand.

When you sit down to a game of blackjack, the rules are the same whether you’re playing online or at a land-based casino. You start by placing your wager in the betting area in front of you. If you’re unsure of where to place your bet, rest assured the dealer will let you know, and playing at an online casino, the software will let you know.

Once the bets are made, blackjack rules dictate that the dealer starts with the player closest to their left and deals a single card to everyone, ending with themselves. They then deal a second card to everyone. One of the dealer’s cards will be visible to you (the up-card) and one will remain hidden from you (the hole-card). Depending on the style of play, your cards will either both be face up or both be face down. At this point you have all of the information in front of you that you need to make your decisions.

If the goal is the beat the dealers hand without exceeding 21 yourself, you need to gauge what you have in your hand, what you think taking another card (the act of ‘hitting’) might do to your chances, and what you think the dealer may have based on their up-card.

The options you have open to you include: hitting, standing, splitting, doubling down, and taking insurance.

The only case in which you don’t have to choose an option, is when you are dealt what is known as a ‘natural blackjack’. Most blackjack rules indicate a disproportionate payout for this hand, usually 3 to 2.

The dealer plays their hand only after all of the players have made their decisions and completed their final hand. At this point the dealer turns over their hole-card and plays out their hand according to these rules. If the initial two-card total was 16 or less, the dealer must take additional cards until the total is 17 or more. If the dealer's two-card hand totals 17 to 21, they must stand. The dealer will also bust if his additional cards cause his card total to go over 21.

In future articles, you will learn all about hitting, standing, splitting, doubling down and taking insurance. Note also, that we'll be covering additional gambling topics such as free slots and online keno in future articles.