2 Person Blackjack Rules

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If the six-deck shoes offer better rules such as re-splitting aces and double down on any two cards, that would be a good choice. Don't expect to win very often if the casino pays 6 to 5 on a blackjack instead of the standard 7.5 to 5. Simple 2 player blackjack rules are one of the reasons this game is so popular. The game can use a variety of decks, from the standard, in which there are kings, jacks, ladies, to the extended one. If the standard deck of cards is used, then the jack is 2 points, the queen is 3 points, and the king is 4 points.

• I would estimate that 10% of '21' tables in Las Vegas now pay less than 3 to 2. In my opinion, only games that pay 3 to 2 deserve to be called 'blackjack,' the rest fall under '21' games, including Super Fun 21 and Spanish 21. Regardless of the other rules, you should demand nothing less than 3 to 2 blackjack.
• Blackjack is a casino banked game, meaning that players compete against the house rather than each other. The objective is to get a hand total of closer to 21 than the dealer without going over 21 (busting). At the start of a Blackjack game, the players and the dealer receive two cards each.

Here are some pretty enjoyable variations of card games for two which will enable you to play with just one more card enthusiast like you, a friend or a family member… while drinking a homemade lemonade with your slippers on and in the comfort of your home. Priceless!

Table of Contents

You can actually play different 2 player card games but here we have thoughtfully sorted out some of the best card games for two:

Popular Card Games for Two

1. Double Solitaire

Being a variation of classical Solitaire, it's one of the most elegant card games for two players. The main object is putting down all your cards after rearranging the deck by suiting and ranking the cards in a series of moves. Most of the rules are the same as in the classical version, excluding the competitive twist- one of the players decreases pile while making the opponent pile bigger. It's also widely recognized with the name Patience. Already guessed why? Right, it's definitely the best time killer of all times.

Read more

2. 66

It's a pretty interesting 2 player card game most popular in Germany. It involves a dosage of strategy and can be undoubtedly considered as a trick-taking card game. Math skills are definitely a must should you desire to be the ultimate winner in this game. This card game for two boasts a very engaging and smart gameplay. It can be played for ages especially if you are that sort of brain-teasing lover.
Full Rules

3. Rummy

Rummy is an enjoyable and well-known option if you like card games for two people. It can be considered as a family game and is most popular in the United States. When two people play, the winner of each hand deals the next. When more than two people are involved, the deal passes to next the player on the left. Each player has the goal to shape matched sets consisting of groups of 3 or 4 of a kind, or sequences of 3 or more cards of the same suit.

Read the complete rules of Rummy

4. Durak

In this game the difference is that there is no winner. Only the loser is defined, even the game is played by 2 or more persons.
If you have Russian friends, ask them about their experience with Durak, an original Russian card game that can be the perfect option to appreciate different 2 person card games and choose the ones you can't stop playing!

Rules

5. Go Fish

If you are looking for a very easy and really funny game 🙂 stop at Go Fish and learn very fast how to play it and show it to your family!

In Go Fish card game are used 54 standard deck cards (including 2 Jokers). Each player receives 7 cards. All remaining cards are separated and placed disordered between both players.

The game goal is to make more 'books' – combinations of 4 cards having the same value.

The player in turn asks his opponent for a special card value. The only requirement is to ask for the card values that the player in turn has already some of them in his hands. There are 2 possible situations:

-If the card(s) from the same value exists then they should be given to the asking player.
-If another player has not any then the opponent says 'go fish' or 'fish' and the player in turn is taking a card from the disordered pile which also is named 'pool'.

When somebody obtains a 'book' the cards are placed face up and if all books are collected the game stops. The player with more books is the winner.

For more details you can check the game variations and also the options to play Go Fish with 3 players.

6. Spit

Now, this is one very classic and dynamic 2 players card game, all about speed and fast reflexes. It's a jungle of fun, yet helping you push your concentration and counting skills to the limits. The winner is the one who gets rid of their cards first. What's the best about it- it's more relaxing than brain teasing so it's brilliant for a quality chill out with a friend of yours and a glass of frozen mojito.

Learn more

7. The Bidding War

Yes, a bit childish you would say, but admit it- it's tons of fun after all. The ultimate goal is as easy as that- it simply requires to war over the card of your opponent to never run out of cards. This practically makes the gameplay kind of endless. In general, this game is not a brain-teaser but relaxing and engaging way to spend some quality family time with your kid, so never underestimate this card game for two. Better give it a try!

Find out more

8. Egyptian Rat Screw

It's a speed matching card game which boosts adrenaline and provokes fast reactions. Being a card game for two or more players, the objective requires taking as many cards as you can to become the winner. It slightly reminds of the old game named Beggar-Thy-Neighbor but what makes it stand out from the other similar two player card games, is the following rule: The players may only slap the cards if they are firstly gathered in special combinations.

Rules

9. Pinochle

Often referred to also as binocle, Pinochle is a classic and one of the best 2 player card games originated from the US. It's a trick-taking card game using a 48-card deck. The players strive to win tricks, score the value of cards and meld certain card combinations thanks to the values in points.

Complete Rules

10. Poker

Poker is the total blockbuster in the card games collection. As they say, it may take a day or a year to learn it but a lifetime to master it! Amongst the innumerable variations Texas Hold'em is the most popular poker types of all. If wondering, you can sure play poker as a card game for 2 people only. Firstly, make sure to explore the certain rules for playing 2 player poker that might apply.

Full rules of Poker

Now we have shortlisted for you 3 of the very best and most lovable two player card games ever. Dip into the mechanics of these emblematic card games for 2 people and learn how to play to become the ultimate master.

11. Spades

Introduction of the game

It is one of the most admired card games of all times. Usually played by two partnerships, but very appropriate for 2 players as well. It's played with a standard 52-card deck where the Ace is high; the 2 is low. The winner is deemed to be the first player to reach 500 points. The deck is standard 52 – card deck and 1 or 2 Jokers may be added.

Cards

Highest to lowest: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.

Spades Dealing

The first dealer is chosen by a draw for 'first spade' or 'high card', and then after each hand, the deal passes to the dealer's left. The dealer shuffles and the player to the right is to 'cut' the cards to avert the dealer from stacking the deck. The entire deck is then faced-down in clockwise order with one card at a time. The players then take their cards, count to ensure the right number received and if all is properly set, arrange them by suit and rank.

Bidding in Spades

Players bid the number of tricks expected to be taken. The one standing at the left side of the dealer starts the bidding which goes in a clockwise direction, ending up with the dealer. A bid of 'zero' is called 'nil'; the player must bid at least 1, not to bid 'nil'.

What is the Gameplay

Each hand includes a number of tricks (the 4-handed game contains 13 tricks using all 52 cards). The player on the dealer's left makes the opening lead by playing a single card of their choice. Players in clockwise direction play a card with the obligation to follow suit if they can. If not they can play any card, including a trump Spade. A general rule, taken from Hearts states that a player may not lead Spades until a Spade has been played to trump another trick. This stops a player who holds a large number of Spades from leading Spades one after the other at the beginning of the hand to deplete other hands, blocking the opponents from using them as trumps.

The action of playing the first Spade in a hand is called 'breaking Spades', rooting from its original rule, 'Breaking Hearts'. When a player leads with a spade (after Spades have been broken), the other players must follow suit.

Another common rule, also been borrowed from Hearts, says that a player is not allowed to lead Spades in the first trick. The trick is considered to be won or taken by the player who played the highest card of the led suit – or if trumps were played, the highest trump card wins. The winner of the trick gathers the cards up into a face-down arrangement aiming to allow players to count the number of tricks taken. The number of tricks a player has won cannot be disguised; if asked each player must count out their tricks until everyone agrees on their 'trick count'. The player who wins any given trick leads the next. Play continues until all players have run out of their hands, which should occur on the same (last) trick. Otherwise, it is alleged as a misdeal.

Full Rules of Spades

12. Whist

Introduction of Whist

This is a two-player version of Scandinavian Whist, also recognized as Norwegian Whist. We should state it differs quite a lot from the most popular two-player game called German Whist. What makes it unique is the rule that each player plays 2 cards to each trick.

Game Cards

A standard 52-card pack is needed. The cards are ranked from high to low A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2.

Dealing in the game

Turn to deal alternates. The dealer shuffles, the non-dealer cuts. 26 cards are dealt to each player, one at a time starting with dealer's opponent and alternating. In the beginning, each player is dealt 8 cards face down on the table in a 4×2 rectangle, after another 8 cards face up on top of the face-down ones, then a hand of 10 cards follows. This means that each player has 10 cards that only they can see (in the hand), there are 16 cards down that can't be seen by any of the players and then 16 more face-up cards that can see by both players.

Whist Bidding

To start with – the non-dealer bids 'high' or 'low'. If high, it's then called a high game and the dealer has no say. However if low, the dealer should bid 'high' or 'low'. If the dealer defines it as high, it's a high game. If both say low, it's a low game. In a high game the goal is winning tricks, and in a low game to the contrary- avoiding winning tricks.

Gameplay

When the game is low- the non-dealer leads to the first trick. In case of a high game, the first lead is by the player who did not bid high. Therefore the only case where the dealer leads first is when the non-dealer bids high. Each trick includes 4 cards, 2 from each player. At your turn, you can play a card from your hand or one of the cards in your face up layout. Right after a card from the layout is played, if this uncovers a face-down card, the latter is immediately turned face up, before any other cards are played by either player. Any card can be led. The rest 3 cards played should possibly follow the suit. So if the leader's opponent has any cards of the same suit as the led card, either in hand or face-up on the table, he is obliged to play the card. Then the leader is obliged to play a second card, also following suit to the card led if possible, and in the end, the opponent plays a second card, also possibly following suit to the original lead. The four-card trick is won by the highest card of the suit led and the player who wins the trick leads to the next.

Whist complete rules

13. Blackjack

Introduction

To avoid any mischief information, you should have in mind that in the UK there is another card game called Black Jack but it's entirely different one, more or less similar to Crazy Eights. The popular Blackjack card game, also known as 21, originates from North America and we can call it the ruby of casino games not only in the States but all across the globe. Beaten only by the poker, it's the best gambling card games by popularity. It can be perfectly played as a 2 player card game. At the start of each new game, the players and the dealer are dealt two cards each. The players' cards are normally dealt face up, the dealer has one face up and one face down. The best Blackjack hand is an opening deal of an ace with any ten-point card.

Deck

A standard 52-card pack is involved, but a predominant part of casinos use to shuffle several decks of cards together which makes it a six-deck game – 312 cards. The players attempt to beat the dealer by getting a count as close to 21 as possible. That's the overall objective of the game. The cards are duly shuffled by the dealer and then a random player cut the pile. Face cards are 10 and any other card is its pip value. The player is the one to choose the worth of an ace – either 1 or 11.

Blackjack Rules Chart

Dealing in Blackjack

When all the bets are registered, the dealer gives one card face up to each player in a clockwise manner, and then one card face up to himself. Another round of cards is then dealt face up to each player where the dealer takes his second card face down so everyone except him receives two cards face up while he receives one card face up and one face down.

How Bidding works

The bets widely vary from $2 to $500 in general, since there are minimum and maximum limits set.

Gameplay Basics

The player to the left goes first and should choose whether to 'stand' (not asking for another card) or 'hit' (asking for another card to try to get closer to a count of 21 or even hit 21 exactly). Therefore, a player may keep the originally dealt cards, or ask the dealer for extra cards, one at a time, until he either decides to stand on the total (if 21 or under), or goes 'bust' (if over 21). In case of the second scenario, he loses and the dealer collects the bet and serves the next player to his left in the same way. 'Soft hand is called the combination of an ace with a card other than a ten-card, because the player can count the ace as a 1 or 11, and either draw cards or not depending on the current cards count and what he considers to be a better move for his strategy.

Blackjack rules

Conclusion

In a nutshell, we should admit that the card games for 2 can be a fantastic way to chill and have fun, simply having a deck of cards and just one opponent to share the joy. So which of the mentioned 2 player card games is your pick for tonight?

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• Appendices
• Miscellaneous
• External Links

Rules

I overhear a lot of bad gambling advice in the casinos. Perhaps the most frequent is this one, 'The object of blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possible, without going over.' No! The object of blackjack is to beat the dealer. To beat the dealer the player must first not bust (go over 21) and second either outscore the dealer or have the dealer bust. Here are the full rules of the game.

1. Blackjack may be played with one to eight decks of 52-card decks.
2. Aces may be counted as 1 or 11 points, 2 to 9 according to pip value, and tens and face cards count as ten points.
3. The value of a hand is the sum of the point values of the individual cards. Except, a 'blackjack' is the highest hand, consisting of an ace and any 10-point card, and it outranks all other 21-point hands.
4. After the players have bet, the dealer will give two cards to each player and two cards to himself. One of the dealer cards is dealt face up. The facedown card is called the 'hole card.'
5. If the dealer has an ace showing, he will offer a side bet called 'insurance.' This side wager pays 2 to 1 if the dealer's hole card is any 10-point card. Insurance wagers are optional and may not exceed half the original wager.
6. If the dealer has a ten or an ace showing (after offering insurance with an ace showing), then he will peek at his facedown card to see if he has a blackjack. If he does, then he will turn it over immediately.
7. If the dealer does have a blackjack, then all wagers (except insurance) will lose, unless the player also has a blackjack, which will result in a push. The dealer will resolve insurance wagers at this time.
8. Play begins with the player to the dealer's left. The following are the choices available to the player:
   • Stand: Player stands pat with his cards.
   • Hit: Player draws another card (and more if he wishes). If this card causes the player's total points to exceed 21 (known as 'breaking' or 'busting') then he loses.
   • Double: Player doubles his bet and gets one, and only one, more card.
   • Split: If the player has a pair, or any two 10-point cards, then he may double his bet and separate his cards into two individual hands. The dealer will automatically give each card a second card. Then, the player may hit, stand, or double normally. However, when splitting aces, each ace gets only one card. Sometimes doubling after splitting is not allowed. If the player gets a ten and ace after splitting, then it counts as 21 points, not a blackjack. Usually the player may keep re-splitting up to a total of four hands. Sometimes re-splitting aces is not allowed.
   • Surrender: The player forfeits half his wager, keeping the other half, and does not play out his hand. This option is only available on the initial two cards, and depending on casino rules, sometimes it is not allowed at all.
9. After each player has had his turn, the dealer will turn over his hole card. If the dealer has 16 or less, then he will draw another card. A special situation is when the dealer has an ace and any number of cards totaling six points (known as a 'soft 17'). At some tables, the dealer will also hit a soft 17.
10. If the dealer goes over 21 points, then any player who didn't already bust will win.
11. If the dealer does not bust, then the higher point total between the player and dealer will win.
12. Winning wagers pay even money, except a winning player blackjack usually pays 3 to 2. Some casinos have been short-paying blackjacks, which is a rule strongly in the casino's favor.

Now, this is one very classic and dynamic 2 players card game, all about speed and fast reflexes. It's a jungle of fun, yet helping you push your concentration and counting skills to the limits. The winner is the one who gets rid of their cards first. What's the best about it- it's more relaxing than brain teasing so it's brilliant for a quality chill out with a friend of yours and a glass of frozen mojito.

Learn more

7. The Bidding War

Yes, a bit childish you would say, but admit it- it's tons of fun after all. The ultimate goal is as easy as that- it simply requires to war over the card of your opponent to never run out of cards. This practically makes the gameplay kind of endless. In general, this game is not a brain-teaser but relaxing and engaging way to spend some quality family time with your kid, so never underestimate this card game for two. Better give it a try!

Find out more

8. Egyptian Rat Screw

It's a speed matching card game which boosts adrenaline and provokes fast reactions. Being a card game for two or more players, the objective requires taking as many cards as you can to become the winner. It slightly reminds of the old game named Beggar-Thy-Neighbor but what makes it stand out from the other similar two player card games, is the following rule: The players may only slap the cards if they are firstly gathered in special combinations.

Rules

9. Pinochle

Often referred to also as binocle, Pinochle is a classic and one of the best 2 player card games originated from the US. It's a trick-taking card game using a 48-card deck. The players strive to win tricks, score the value of cards and meld certain card combinations thanks to the values in points.

Complete Rules

10. Poker

Poker is the total blockbuster in the card games collection. As they say, it may take a day or a year to learn it but a lifetime to master it! Amongst the innumerable variations Texas Hold'em is the most popular poker types of all. If wondering, you can sure play poker as a card game for 2 people only. Firstly, make sure to explore the certain rules for playing 2 player poker that might apply.

Full rules of Poker

Now we have shortlisted for you 3 of the very best and most lovable two player card games ever. Dip into the mechanics of these emblematic card games for 2 people and learn how to play to become the ultimate master.

11. Spades

Introduction of the game

It is one of the most admired card games of all times. Usually played by two partnerships, but very appropriate for 2 players as well. It's played with a standard 52-card deck where the Ace is high; the 2 is low. The winner is deemed to be the first player to reach 500 points. The deck is standard 52 – card deck and 1 or 2 Jokers may be added.

Cards

Highest to lowest: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.

Spades Dealing

The first dealer is chosen by a draw for 'first spade' or 'high card', and then after each hand, the deal passes to the dealer's left. The dealer shuffles and the player to the right is to 'cut' the cards to avert the dealer from stacking the deck. The entire deck is then faced-down in clockwise order with one card at a time. The players then take their cards, count to ensure the right number received and if all is properly set, arrange them by suit and rank.

Bidding in Spades

Players bid the number of tricks expected to be taken. The one standing at the left side of the dealer starts the bidding which goes in a clockwise direction, ending up with the dealer. A bid of 'zero' is called 'nil'; the player must bid at least 1, not to bid 'nil'.

What is the Gameplay

Each hand includes a number of tricks (the 4-handed game contains 13 tricks using all 52 cards). The player on the dealer's left makes the opening lead by playing a single card of their choice. Players in clockwise direction play a card with the obligation to follow suit if they can. If not they can play any card, including a trump Spade. A general rule, taken from Hearts states that a player may not lead Spades until a Spade has been played to trump another trick. This stops a player who holds a large number of Spades from leading Spades one after the other at the beginning of the hand to deplete other hands, blocking the opponents from using them as trumps.

The action of playing the first Spade in a hand is called 'breaking Spades', rooting from its original rule, 'Breaking Hearts'. When a player leads with a spade (after Spades have been broken), the other players must follow suit.

Another common rule, also been borrowed from Hearts, says that a player is not allowed to lead Spades in the first trick. The trick is considered to be won or taken by the player who played the highest card of the led suit – or if trumps were played, the highest trump card wins. The winner of the trick gathers the cards up into a face-down arrangement aiming to allow players to count the number of tricks taken. The number of tricks a player has won cannot be disguised; if asked each player must count out their tricks until everyone agrees on their 'trick count'. The player who wins any given trick leads the next. Play continues until all players have run out of their hands, which should occur on the same (last) trick. Otherwise, it is alleged as a misdeal.

Full Rules of Spades

12. Whist

Introduction of Whist

This is a two-player version of Scandinavian Whist, also recognized as Norwegian Whist. We should state it differs quite a lot from the most popular two-player game called German Whist. What makes it unique is the rule that each player plays 2 cards to each trick.

Game Cards

A standard 52-card pack is needed. The cards are ranked from high to low A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2.

Dealing in the game

Turn to deal alternates. The dealer shuffles, the non-dealer cuts. 26 cards are dealt to each player, one at a time starting with dealer's opponent and alternating. In the beginning, each player is dealt 8 cards face down on the table in a 4×2 rectangle, after another 8 cards face up on top of the face-down ones, then a hand of 10 cards follows. This means that each player has 10 cards that only they can see (in the hand), there are 16 cards down that can't be seen by any of the players and then 16 more face-up cards that can see by both players.

Whist Bidding

To start with – the non-dealer bids 'high' or 'low'. If high, it's then called a high game and the dealer has no say. However if low, the dealer should bid 'high' or 'low'. If the dealer defines it as high, it's a high game. If both say low, it's a low game. In a high game the goal is winning tricks, and in a low game to the contrary- avoiding winning tricks.

Gameplay

When the game is low- the non-dealer leads to the first trick. In case of a high game, the first lead is by the player who did not bid high. Therefore the only case where the dealer leads first is when the non-dealer bids high. Each trick includes 4 cards, 2 from each player. At your turn, you can play a card from your hand or one of the cards in your face up layout. Right after a card from the layout is played, if this uncovers a face-down card, the latter is immediately turned face up, before any other cards are played by either player. Any card can be led. The rest 3 cards played should possibly follow the suit. So if the leader's opponent has any cards of the same suit as the led card, either in hand or face-up on the table, he is obliged to play the card. Then the leader is obliged to play a second card, also following suit to the card led if possible, and in the end, the opponent plays a second card, also possibly following suit to the original lead. The four-card trick is won by the highest card of the suit led and the player who wins the trick leads to the next.

Whist complete rules

13. Blackjack

Introduction

To avoid any mischief information, you should have in mind that in the UK there is another card game called Black Jack but it's entirely different one, more or less similar to Crazy Eights. The popular Blackjack card game, also known as 21, originates from North America and we can call it the ruby of casino games not only in the States but all across the globe. Beaten only by the poker, it's the best gambling card games by popularity. It can be perfectly played as a 2 player card game. At the start of each new game, the players and the dealer are dealt two cards each. The players' cards are normally dealt face up, the dealer has one face up and one face down. The best Blackjack hand is an opening deal of an ace with any ten-point card.

Deck

A standard 52-card pack is involved, but a predominant part of casinos use to shuffle several decks of cards together which makes it a six-deck game – 312 cards. The players attempt to beat the dealer by getting a count as close to 21 as possible. That's the overall objective of the game. The cards are duly shuffled by the dealer and then a random player cut the pile. Face cards are 10 and any other card is its pip value. The player is the one to choose the worth of an ace – either 1 or 11.

Blackjack Rules Chart

Dealing in Blackjack

When all the bets are registered, the dealer gives one card face up to each player in a clockwise manner, and then one card face up to himself. Another round of cards is then dealt face up to each player where the dealer takes his second card face down so everyone except him receives two cards face up while he receives one card face up and one face down.

How Bidding works

The bets widely vary from $2 to $500 in general, since there are minimum and maximum limits set.

Gameplay Basics

The player to the left goes first and should choose whether to 'stand' (not asking for another card) or 'hit' (asking for another card to try to get closer to a count of 21 or even hit 21 exactly). Therefore, a player may keep the originally dealt cards, or ask the dealer for extra cards, one at a time, until he either decides to stand on the total (if 21 or under), or goes 'bust' (if over 21). In case of the second scenario, he loses and the dealer collects the bet and serves the next player to his left in the same way. 'Soft hand is called the combination of an ace with a card other than a ten-card, because the player can count the ace as a 1 or 11, and either draw cards or not depending on the current cards count and what he considers to be a better move for his strategy.

Blackjack rules

Conclusion

In a nutshell, we should admit that the card games for 2 can be a fantastic way to chill and have fun, simply having a deck of cards and just one opponent to share the joy. So which of the mentioned 2 player card games is your pick for tonight?

Receive our newsletters

• Appendices
• Miscellaneous
• External Links

Rules

I overhear a lot of bad gambling advice in the casinos. Perhaps the most frequent is this one, 'The object of blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possible, without going over.' No! The object of blackjack is to beat the dealer. To beat the dealer the player must first not bust (go over 21) and second either outscore the dealer or have the dealer bust. Here are the full rules of the game.

1. Blackjack may be played with one to eight decks of 52-card decks.
2. Aces may be counted as 1 or 11 points, 2 to 9 according to pip value, and tens and face cards count as ten points.
3. The value of a hand is the sum of the point values of the individual cards. Except, a 'blackjack' is the highest hand, consisting of an ace and any 10-point card, and it outranks all other 21-point hands.
4. After the players have bet, the dealer will give two cards to each player and two cards to himself. One of the dealer cards is dealt face up. The facedown card is called the 'hole card.'
5. If the dealer has an ace showing, he will offer a side bet called 'insurance.' This side wager pays 2 to 1 if the dealer's hole card is any 10-point card. Insurance wagers are optional and may not exceed half the original wager.
6. If the dealer has a ten or an ace showing (after offering insurance with an ace showing), then he will peek at his facedown card to see if he has a blackjack. If he does, then he will turn it over immediately.
7. If the dealer does have a blackjack, then all wagers (except insurance) will lose, unless the player also has a blackjack, which will result in a push. The dealer will resolve insurance wagers at this time.
8. Play begins with the player to the dealer's left. The following are the choices available to the player:
   • Stand: Player stands pat with his cards.
   • Hit: Player draws another card (and more if he wishes). If this card causes the player's total points to exceed 21 (known as 'breaking' or 'busting') then he loses.
   • Double: Player doubles his bet and gets one, and only one, more card.
   • Split: If the player has a pair, or any two 10-point cards, then he may double his bet and separate his cards into two individual hands. The dealer will automatically give each card a second card. Then, the player may hit, stand, or double normally. However, when splitting aces, each ace gets only one card. Sometimes doubling after splitting is not allowed. If the player gets a ten and ace after splitting, then it counts as 21 points, not a blackjack. Usually the player may keep re-splitting up to a total of four hands. Sometimes re-splitting aces is not allowed.
   • Surrender: The player forfeits half his wager, keeping the other half, and does not play out his hand. This option is only available on the initial two cards, and depending on casino rules, sometimes it is not allowed at all.
9. After each player has had his turn, the dealer will turn over his hole card. If the dealer has 16 or less, then he will draw another card. A special situation is when the dealer has an ace and any number of cards totaling six points (known as a 'soft 17'). At some tables, the dealer will also hit a soft 17.
10. If the dealer goes over 21 points, then any player who didn't already bust will win.
11. If the dealer does not bust, then the higher point total between the player and dealer will win.
12. Winning wagers pay even money, except a winning player blackjack usually pays 3 to 2. Some casinos have been short-paying blackjacks, which is a rule strongly in the casino's favor.

Wizard's Simple Strategy

I've been preaching for years that to play blackjack properly requires memorizing the basic strategy. However, after pitching the basic strategy for 20 years, I've learned that few people have the will to memorize it. In my book, Gambling 102, I presented a 'Simple Strategy,' which is seven simple rules to playing blackjack. The cost due to incorrect plays with the Simple Strategy is 0.53%, under liberal Vegas Strip rules.

Ever since my book was published it has bothered me that the cost in errors to my Simple Strategy was too high. So in September 2009 I developed the following 'Wizard's Strategy.' The cost due to imperfect plays is 0.14% only, relative to liberal Vegas Strip rules. That is the cost of one hand for about every 12 hours of play. Compared to the 250 cells in the Basic Strategy, the Wizard's Strategy has only 21, as follows.

Let me be perfectly clear that this strategy is not right 100% of the time. I continue to get Emails saying that when this strategy was used with my practice game, the player was corrected for following it. For example, my simple strategy says to stand on 12 against a 2, when it is mathematically better to hit. If you want to learn a strategy that is correct all the time you should use the appropriate basic strategy for the set of rules you are playing.

Here are some comments of clarification.

• A 'hard' hand is one that either has no aces, or has aces that are forced to count as point, lest the hand bust. A 'soft' hand is one with at least one ace, which may still count as one or eleven points.
• With a hard 10 or 11, double if you have more points than the dealer, treating a dealer ace as 11 points. Specifically, double with 10 against a 2 to 9, and with 11 against 2 to 10.
• If the strategy says to double, but you have three or more cards, or table rules don't allow soft doubling, then hit, except stand with a soft 18.
• If the strategy says to surrender (16 vs. 10), but you can't for whatever reason, then hit.
• If the strategy says to 'not split,' then treat the hand has a hard total of 8, 10, or 20, according to the pair in question.

A reader named Jeff provided another table of my simple strategy, with exceptions in small print. Details about the Wizard's Simple Strategy can be found in my Blackjack appendix 21.

Basic Strategy

House Edge

See my Blackjack House Edge Calculator to determine the house edge under 6,912 possible rule combinations.

Rule Surveys

Rule Variations

Following is a list of some common rule variations and the effect on the player's expected return compared to standard U.S. rules (8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, double after split allowed).

Rule Variations

Blackjack Rules 101

Beware Short Pays on a Blackjack

More and more tables are showing up that pay less than the full 3 to 2 on a blackjack. Most of these tables pay 6 to 5, but some even money and 7 to 5 tables are known to exist. I would estimate that 10% of '21' tables in Las Vegas now pay less than 3 to 2. In my opinion, only games that pay 3 to 2 deserve to be called 'blackjack,' the rest fall under '21' games, including Super Fun 21 and Spanish 21. Regardless of the other rules, you should demand nothing less than 3 to 2 blackjack. You should always check the felt to be sure, and if the felt doesn't say, look for a sign. If nothing says the win on a blackjack, then ask.

Basic Blackjack Rules

• Taking a hit: New blackjack odds further tilt advantage toward the house, Las Vegas Sun, Nov. 13, 2003.
• Tighter blackjack rules would hurt players' bankroll, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Feb. 4, 2011.

2 Person Blackjack Rules Card Game

Bad Strategies

Three popular bad strategies encountered at the blackjack table are: never bust, mimic the dealer, and always assume the dealer has a ten in the hole. All three are very bad strategies. Following are my specific comments on each of them, including the house edge under Atlantic City rules (dealer stands on soft 17, split up to 4 hands, double after split, double any two cards) of 0.43%.

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Never bust: For my analysis of this strategy I assumed the player would never hit a hard 12 or more. All other decisions were according to correct basic strategy. This 'never bust' strategy results in a house edge of 3.91%.

Mimic the dealer: For my analysis of this strategy I assumed the player would always hit 16 or less and stand on17 or more, including a soft 17. The player never doubled or split, since the dealer is not allowed to do so. This 'mimic the dealer' strategy results in a house edge of 5.48%.

Assume a ten in the hole: For this strategy I first figured out the optimal basic strategy under this assumption. If the dealer had an ace up, then I reverted to proper basic strategy, because the dealer would have peeked for blackjack, making a 10 impossible. This 'assume a ten' strategy results in a house edge of 10.03%.

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2 Person Blackjack Rules How To Play

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Blackjack Rules For Dealer