Object of the game

Blackjack is one of the most exciting and one of the easiest casino card games around. The object of Blackjack is to get your hand as close to or equal to 21 without going over 21 (called 'busting'). In Blackjack, you play against the dealer who is also attempting to get as close to or equal to 21 without going over. While deciding to hit (ask for another card) or stand (no more cards) is entirely your call, the dealer must follow a specific set of rules outlining when he must hit and when he must stand.

ULTIMATEBET BLACKJACK RULES AT A GLANCE

Blackjack at UltimateBet emulates Blackjack as it is played in all major bricks and mortar casinos, including those in Nevada, New Jersey and Mississippi.

• UltimateBet Blackjack features a 6 deck shoe
• All cards are shuffled before each hand
• Double down after splits are allowed
• Dealer must hit on Soft 17
• Splitting Aces deals one card down
• Player may split up to 3 hands
• Insurance Pays 2 to 1
• Blackjack pays 3 to 2
• Insurance is 1/2 of initial bet or remaining balance - whichever is less
• Late surrender

TERMINOLOGY AT A GLANCE

• Hit - Take another card.
• Stand - You're happy with your hand. No more cards.
• Double Down - Double your initial wager. You'll receive one more card without the option of hitting again.
• Split - Double your initial wager and separate your two cards into two separate hands. To split, the cards must have the same value.
• Surrender - Take half your bet back and give the other half to the dealer. The hand will not be played out.
• Bust - Hand adds up to 22 or above.
• Blackjack - Hand is made up of an Ace and a card with a value of 10 (K,Q,J,10). This hand pays 3:2. A hand totaling 21 made up of 3 or more cards is not considered a Blackjack (ie. 10+8+3) and pays out at a ratio of 1:1 like all other regular winning hands.
• Push - Player and dealer have the same hand value. No money is gained. No money is lost.

How it works

Unlike poker, in Single Player Blackjack, you play against the dealer - not against other players. After you place your bet here's what will happen:

• You will be dealt one card face up
• The dealer will then deal himself one card face down
• You will receive one more card face up
• The dealer will finally deal himself another card face up

Both you and the dealer now have two cards each. While only one dealer card is visible, both of your cards are visible. At this time, it's important to determine your hand value.

Card Values

In Blackjack, the suit of the card is irrelevant. The only thing you need to concern yourself with is the value of the cards as noted below. Ace = 1 or 11
Jack, Queen, and King = 10
2 - 10 = Face value

The goal of the game is to make the value of your hand come as close to 21 without busting. You do this while knowing only one of the dealer's cards (the other card is still face down).

A note about Aces

It's important to understand that an Ace can be counted as either 11 or 1. For example, if your hand consists of an Ace and a 4, you are holding either 5 (1 +4) or 15 (11+4). This is known as a Soft 15. There is no danger in hitting (asking for another card) because it's impossible to go over 21. You also have the possibility of getting a 6, which would give you 21. Should your card be 7 and above, the ace would be considered a 1.

For example, assume you had an Ace and a 4 (5 or 15). You decide to hit and end up with a 9. Since 15 + 9 would take you over 21, the Ace is automatically counted as 1. Your hand now consists of 1, 4, and 9, giving you 14.
Best of all, you don't have to specify what value the Ace represents. The value of the Ace will automatically be whichever value gives you the best hand.

How the dealer plays his cards

Before we talk about your hand, it's important to understand how the dealer plays his cards as that will help determine how you play your cards.

Once the dealer flips over his second card, hitting or standing is not up to him. There are defined rules in Blackjack outlining when the dealer must hit and must stand.

• If the dealer's cards total 16 and lower, the dealer must hit
• If the dealer's cards total 17 or higher (Hard 17), the dealer must stand
• The dealer must hit on a Soft 17

What constitutes a Soft 17? When the dealer holds a hand such as (Ace,6), (Ace,2,4) or (Ace,5,Ace) for example, he has a Soft 17. This means that the value of the cards can equal either 7 or 17, depending on how the Ace is used.

Playing

Once you have received your two cards, it's up to you whether you want to hit (ask for another card) or stand (no more cards). You may also have the opportunity to surrender, split, double down or take even money - depending on your hand or the dealer's hand.

Blackjack

If you have an Ace and your second card is valued at 10 (K,Q,J,10), you've got a Blackjack. Congratulations! Assuming the dealer isn't showing an Ace or a 10, you'll automatically win at a ratio of 3:2. Please note that splitting Aces and hitting a 10 on one of the Aces does not constitute a Blackjack. Only your first two cards adding up to 21 equals a Blackjack. A hand totaling 21 made up of 3 or more cards (ie. 10+8+3) is not considered a Blackjack and pays 1:1 just like all other winning hands.

Surrendering

After you receive your first two cards, you have the opportunity to surrender your hand and take back half your bet. The other half of your bet will be surrendered to the dealer.

Hitting

If the value of your cards is lower than what you anticipate the dealer's hand to be (remember, you can only see one of his cards), you may consider hitting. This will give you an extra card. You can hit as many times as you want in an effort to get closer to 21. But be careful not to bust.

Standing

Once you are happy with your hand - either after receiving your first two cards or after hitting to increase your hand value - you can choose to stand. At this point, you'll see the dealer's cards and the game will play out if needed (based on the dealer's cards) to determine the winner.

Busting

If you choose to hit - and the value of your cards is greater than 21 (22 or higher) - you have 'busted'. This means that your hand is no longer in play and the dealer automatically wins.

Alternatively, if you choose to stand, and you bust the dealer (his card value is greater than 21), you'll win the hand.

Winning

After you have decided to stay, the dealer will flip over his other card. One of the following will happen, depending on the value of the dealer's cards:

• If the dealer's hand is equal to or greater than a Hard 17, but less than your hand, you win.
• If the dealer's hand is equal to or greater than a Hard 17, and also greater than your hand, the dealer wins.
• If the dealer's hand is equal to or less than a Soft 17, the dealer must hit. He will keep hitting until he reaches a Hard 17 or above or until he busts. If he busts, you will automatically win. Otherwise, whoever has the higher valued hand wins.
• If you hold the same hand value as the dealer, the result is a 'push'. No money is gained. No money is lost.

Insurance

What do you do when the dealer has an Ace? If his face-down card turns out to be a 10 -and you don't have a Blackjack - you'll lose your bet. In Blackjack, when the dealer's first card is an Ace, you have the opportunity to buy insurance.

The cost of insurance is 0.5 times the initial bet. So if you initially bet $10, insurance will cost $5.

Insurance pays 2 to 1. Should the dealer flip over a 10 (or any card valued at 10) and hit a Blackjack, you will lose your original bet however you will win your insurance bet.

Should the dealer not hit a Blackjack, the insurance bet is lost and the game will continue with the original bet still in play.

Even Money

Getting a Blackjack normally pays 3 to 2. But if you're dealt a Blackjack and the dealer shows an Ace, the hand isn't quite over yet. There's still a chance that the dealer has hit a Blackjack as well. If the dealer hits a Blackjack, the result is a push (no money lost, no money gained). To protect against a push, you have the opportunity to take even money. Even money pays the equivalent of your bet, just like a win without a Blackjack.

Splitting

If you're dealt two cards that hold the same value, you have the opportunity to split the cards into two separate hands. If you initially bet $10 on your hand, another $10 will be placed on the new hand.

For example, let's assume that you're dealt two 8s. You may now split them into two separate hands. You now have two distinct hands with one 8 in each hand. Let's ignore the second 8 for the time being.

You now have one 8 in the first hand. At this point, you can hit. Once you decide to stand on the first hand, you will then move onto the second hand. You'll continue to play the second hand, ignoring the result of the first hand as those card values are irrelevant.

Important notes about splitting:

• If you're dealt a third identical card when splitting two cards, you can split the card again.
• Despite hitting 21 after splitting, the result is not considered hitting Blackjack.
• If you split Aces, you will only receive one card. You will not have the opportunity to hit.