♦️Classic Blackjack

Basic Rules

Blackjack hands are scored by their point total. The hand with the highest total wins as long as it doesn't exceed 21; a hand with a higher total than 21 is a lost hand. Cards 2 through 10 are worth their face value, and face cards (jack, queen, king) are also worth 10. An ace's value is 11 unless this would cause the player to bust, in which case it is worth 1.

The goal of each player is to beat the dealer by having the higher, unbusted hand. Note that if the player busts, he loses, even if the dealer also busts.

If the player and the dealer have the same point value, it is called a "push". Each player has an independent game with the dealer, so the dealer can lose to one player but still beat the other players in the same round.

MINIMUM BETS

Minimum bets will vary from table to table, ranging from 0.05 SOL to 10 SOL. Bigger tables will be accessible upon request. In addition, players can opt to bet higher than the minimum for any given hand (i.e., a player sits on a 0.05 SOL table but bets 0.2 SOL).

GAME PLAY

Each round starts with all players betting the set limit and receiving their 2 cards. The dealer also gets dealt 2 cards, one face up and one face down.

All players then play their hands, and then the dealer plays theirs.

WIN CONDITIONS

• The player automatically loses if the dealer has blackjack and the player doesn't.

• The player automatically wins if the player has blackjack and the dealer doesn't.

• If the player and dealer have blackjack, then it's a push.

• If neither side has blackjack, each player plays out their hand, one at a time.

• When all the players have finished, the dealer plays his hand.

PLAYER OPTIONS

• Hit: Take another card.

• Stand: Take no more cards.

• Double down: Double the wager, take exactly one more card, and then stand.

• Split: Double the wager and have each card be the first card in a new hand. This option is available only when both cards have the same value.

PUSH AND BLACKJACKS

If the player and dealer end up at 17, 18, or 19, the player loses their bet. However, if the player and dealer both end up at 20 or 21 without hitting a Blackjack (A + 10/J/Q/K), the bet is considered a "push", meaning the player neither wins nor loses their bet.

If the player hits a Blackjack and the dealer hits 21 without a Blackjack, the player wins 2:1 (as with any normal win).

If the player hits a Blackjack and the dealer hits anything below 21, the player is paid 2.5:1.

INSURANCE

If the dealer's up card is an Ace, the player is offered the option of taking Insurance before the dealer shows their face-down card.

The player who wishes to take Insurance can bet an amount up to half his original bet. The Insurance bet is placed separately on a special portion of the table.

The player taking Insurance is betting that the dealer's 'hole card' is a 10-value card, i.e. a 10, a Jack, a Queen, or a King. Because the dealer's up card is an Ace, the player who takes Insurance is essentially betting that the dealer was dealt a blackjack, and this bet by the player pays off 2:1 if it wins.

Example: The player bets $10, the cards are dealt, the player's hand is 19, and the dealer shows an Ace. The player takes Insurance by betting an additional amount of $5. The dealer checks her hole card and sees that it's a 10-valued card. The player loses his $10 bet on his blackjack hand, but he wins the insurance bet, so the player gets 2:1 on his $5 Insurance wager and receives $10 (on top of the $5, which is returned to him). Note that the player came out even on that round (i.e. did not lose any money).

Conversely, a player may win his original bet and lose his Insurance bet. Let's say we have the same situation as above, except this time, the dealer's hole card is not a ten but rather a seven. In this case, the player instantly loses his $5 Insurance wager. (All Insurance wagers are settled as soon as the dealer turns over her 'hole card', before all else.) But the player wins his $10 bet. Note that the player made a net profit on that round.

Of course, a player may lose both his original bet and his insurance bet.