What you need
A standard 52-card deck (two decks shuffled together for five or more players) and a pile of counters for each player: poker chips, buttons, matchsticks. Blackjack is a casino game, but it works perfectly well at the kitchen table with counters and no money. This page describes that home version; it is not a guide to playing in a casino or for stakes.
Card values
- 2 to 10: face value
- Jack, queen, king: 10
- Ace: 1 or 11, whichever suits the hand better
A hand that counts an ace as 11 is “soft” (A-6 is a soft 17); any other hand is “hard”. An ace plus a ten-value card as your first two cards is a blackjack (also called a natural), the best possible hand.
Setup
Choose a dealer. At home the deal rotates: the dealer changes after every round, or after each player has had a fixed number of rounds, so nobody keeps the dealer’s built-in advantage for long. Give everyone the same number of counters, for example 20.
Before each deal, every player except the dealer puts a stake of counters in front of them (one to three is plenty).
How to play
The dealer gives two cards face up to each player, and takes one card face up and one face down (the “hole card”).
If the dealer’s face-up card is an ace or a ten, the dealer checks the hole card. A dealer blackjack wins at once against every hand except another blackjack, which is a tie (“push”).
Player options
Starting on the dealer’s left, each player in turn decides:
- Stand. Keep your total and end your turn.
- Hit. Take another card. You may keep hitting until you stand or go over 21 (“bust”), which loses your stake immediately.
- Double down. Double your stake, take exactly one more card, then stand. Usually done on 9, 10 or 11.
- Split. If your two cards are the same rank, add a second stake and play them as two separate hands, each receiving a new second card. Split aces normally get just one card each.
The dealer’s turn
After every player has finished, the dealer turns over the hole card and must follow fixed rules: draw on 16 or less, stand on 17 or more. Agree beforehand whether the dealer hits or stands on a soft 17; most casinos print the rule on the table, and either is fine at home.
Scoring and winning
Compare each player’s hand with the dealer’s:
- Dealer busts: every player still in the hand wins.
- Your total is higher than the dealer’s: you win your stake back plus the same amount.
- Blackjack (not after a split): you win one and a half times your stake.
- Equal totals: push, your stake is returned.
- Lower total, or bust: you lose your stake.
Play a set number of rounds, or until an agreed time. The player with the most counters wins. If someone runs out, give them a fresh pile and carry on; it is a game, not a bank.
Common variants
- Insurance. When the dealer shows an ace, players may place a side stake of half their bet that pays 2 to 1 if the dealer has blackjack. Both sources advise against it; at home, leave it out.
- Five-card Charlie. A hand of five cards that has not bust wins automatically. A popular family rule.
- Surrender. Give up your hand and get half your stake back before taking any other action.
- Pontoon. The British cousin, with a “twist” instead of a hit and different payouts. A different game; see pagat.com.
- No stakes. For children, skip the counters: each round, every player who beats the dealer scores a point, and the dealer scores a point for each player beaten.
Tips for first games
- Stand on 12 to 16 when the dealer shows a 2 to 6; the dealer is likely to bust. Hit those totals when the dealer shows 7 or higher.
- Always split aces and 8s; never split 10s.
- Double down on 10 or 11.
- Rotate the dealer and keep the stakes tiny. The dealer wins slightly more often than the players, so the fun is in the decisions, not the pile of counters.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ace worth in Blackjack? One or eleven, whichever helps you more. A-7 is 18; A-7-9 is 17.
Does the dealer have to hit on 16? Yes. The dealer draws on 16 or less and stands on 17 or more, with a house choice about soft 17.
What happens on a tie? It is a push: nobody wins and your stake comes back to you.
Is a blackjack better than a three-card 21? Yes. An ace and a ten-value card as your first two cards beats any 21 made with more cards, and pays one and a half times the stake.
Can you play Blackjack without money? Yes, and at home you should: use counters, or play for points, and rotate the dealer so everyone gets the dealer’s edge in turn.
