Blackjack- Rules

Blackjack is the most popular casino card game. The purpose of the game is to get a hand of cards, with a total value of 21, or as close to 21 as possible without going over. A hand with a value over 21 is called a "bust," and it is an automatic loser.

Your opponent in Blackjack is the dealer, and in order to win, the value of your hand must beat the value of the Dealer's hand. So whatever hand you get, it must must be equal to or less than 21, AND be higher than what the Dealer's hand.

The Dealer must "hit" or accept additional cards until the value of their hand equals or exceeds 17; "stay on 17 or higher". Once their hand exceeds 21, they also "bust" and automatically lose.

"Blackjack" is achieved when your first two cards have a total value of 21 (an "Ace" and any other "10 valued" card), this is the highest possible hand to have. If the Dealer also has "Blackjack" it is regarded as a tie or "push" and no one wins or loses.

Blackjack Breakdown
BLACKJACK
Blackjack is when your first two cards have a total value of 21,
and the payoff is 2 to 1 on your original bet.
TIES
All ties between a Player and the Dealer is called a "push"; no one wins, no one loses.
You may leave your bet for the next hand, increase it, or remove it.
PLAYER has a BLACKJACK and the DEALER has a BLACKJACK
This is considered a "push"; the Player does not win nor lose.
DOUBLE DOWN
A Player may "double down" on any hand.
When "doubling down", the Player is allowed to increase their bet by any amount they want, but not to exceed their original bet, and is then dealt only one additional card.

The optimum hands for "doubling down" are 9, 10 or 11.
SPLITTING
A Player may Split his hand if his two cards are of the same numerical value.
The Player then matches his original bet and plays his cards as two hands.
A Player may Split his hand more than once if he is once again dealt a card of the same numerical value.
SPLITTING ACES
Aces are considered extremely valuable cards and may be Split only once.
Because they are so valuable, Players are dealt only one additional card per Ace.
When Aces are Split and a Player is dealt a face card or a ten, the hand is considered 21 - not Blackjack - and the payoff is 1 to 1.
DOUBLE DOWN AFTER SPLIT
A Player may Double Down after Splitting his cards.
FIVE CARD CHARLIE
When the fifth card dealt to a Player brings the total of his cards to 21 or less, the Player automatically wins the hand (no matter what the Dealer's hand totals).
The payoff for a Five Card Charlie is 2 to 1.