Blackjack is probably the best known card game in the world, with hundreds of thousands if not millions of players loving a little action, it's no wonder the blackjack tables stretch as far as the eye can see in Vegas.

If you're new to the game of blackjack this is the spot for you. If you already know what you're doing, then you might want to check out an in depth page like Blackjack Info.net. But don't go just yet, because you might learn something from the basics you'd forgotten.

The Blackjack table seats a dealer and one to seven players.

The first seat on the dealer's left is referred to as First Base, the first seat on the dealer's right is referred to as Third Base. The blackjack betting square is printed on the felt table in front of each player seat (these don't have to be squares, sometimes they are represented with circles or other things, at the Bellagio blackjack talbes in Vegas it is a large scripted letter B). Immediately in front of the dealer is the chip tray. On the blackjack dealer's left is the deck or shoe and beside that should be the minimum bet sign, which you ought to read before sitting down to play. On the dealer's immediate right is the money drop slot where all currency and tips are deposited. Next to the drop slot is the discard tray.

The blackjack play begins after the following ritual: the dealer shuffles the cards (often an auto-shuffler these days), the deck is "cut" by a player using the marker card, and the dealer "burns" a card. Burning a card is common in casino blackjack and is simply the act of taking the top card from the shoe and putting it aside, to prevent card counters from having too accurate a count. Before any cards are dealt, the players may make a wager by placing the desired chips (value and number) into the blackjack table's betting box. Occasionally a player may sit out a hand or two for various reasons. If you attempt to sit out too many hands especially if there are people waiting to play at your table, you may be asked to leave the blackjack table until you are ready to play.

Once all the bets are down, two cards are dealt one at a time from the first base to the third. In many Vegas casinos, players get both cards face down. In Atlantic City and most everywhere else the blackjack player's cards are dealt face up. Should the cards be dealt face up, don't make the faux pas of touching them! They are dealt face up for a reason, primarily to prevent a few types of player cheating. The dealer receives one card down and one card up.

The numerical values of the cards in blackjack are: 10, Jack, Queen, King = 10; Ace = 1 or 11; other cards = face value (i.e. a 3 = 3). Since a casino can be very noisy, hand signals are usually the preferred method of signaling hit, stand, etc. In fact you can't use your hands at all at many blackjack tables, since it presents a possibility for cheating. If the cards were dealt face down and you want a hit, lightly flick the cards across the felt two times. Don't lose your hair over this.
If the cards were dealt face up, point at the cards with a quick stabbing motion, or scratch the table with your finger. You may also want to nod your head yes while saying "hit". The best way to indicate to the blackjack dealer that you want to stand regardless of how the cards were dealt is to move your hand from left to right in a level attitude with your palm down. Your hand should be a few inches or so above the table. Shaking your head no at the same time helps, while saying "stay" or "stand" Blackjack Guide Is Continued >> HERE

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