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Common blackjack game rules to look for

 

Of all casino card games, blackjack is among the most popular. This is because the casino blackjack game is quite easy to understand. In blackjack, you are basically playing against the dealer. In order to win, your hand must be higher in value than the dealer’s hand without going over 21.

However, there are a number of rule variations for blackjack, which often adds to the casino’s house advantage. In other words, these rules generally work in favor of the casinos. Knowing some of the more common blackjack rule derivatives can help you in planning your strategy when playing a casino blackjack game.

Dealer Action on Soft 17

As played in casinos, the blackjack dealer will automatically “hit” – that is, add another card – when his hand is lower than 17, or otherwise “stand” when the hand equals 17 or more. The exception is on soft 17 – a hand totaling 17 with an ace valued at 11. Blackjack tables may differ on the dealer’s action on soft 17 and this is usually posted on the table as either S17 (stand on soft 17) or H17 (hit on soft 17). Playing on S17 blackjack tables is generally more advantageous as the odds for beating the dealer is slightly higher than when the dealer has the option to hit on soft 17.

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Multiple Decks or Single Deck

Playing blackjack on a single deck of cards is easy enough as most people can mentally keep track of how many high or low cards have been played already. To offset this card counting strategy, most casinos resort to using multiple decks of cards. As the number of decks increase so does the difficulty to count cards. Players should therefore look for blackjack tables using the fewest number of decks whenever possible.

Surrender Option

Another common casino blackjack game rule is the option to surrender. This action allows a player to give up 50% of the bet outright. This is therefore reserved for really bad hands that have very little chance of winning. Used judiciously, the decision to surrender can reduce your losses when playing a casino blackjack game.

 

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