THE PLAYFORCHIPS GUIDE
Blackjack: 10 beginner questions
Ten common blackjack questions, with plain answers and examples. Learn what the cards, table terms, and available moves mean.
How do you play blackjack?
Place a bet, receive two cards, and try to finish with a higher total than the dealer without passing 21. You can take another card or keep your total. Going over 21 is a bust and loses the hand.
After the players finish, the dealer plays under fixed rules. An unbusted hand wins if the dealer busts. At PlayForChips, you start with 1,000 virtual chips and play against the dealer, including when computer guests join you.
Example
You finish on 19 and the dealer finishes on 18: you win. Another guest having 20 does not change your result.
How much are the cards worth in blackjack, including an ace?
Cards from 2 to 10 count as their number. Jacks, queens, and kings are worth 10 each. An ace counts as 11 unless that would take the hand over 21; then it counts as 1. Suits do not affect the total.
The ace’s value can change when another card arrives. The game calculates this for you, so you do not need to choose between 1 and 11.
Example
A–4 is 15. Add a 9 and the ace becomes 1, making 14. Two aces total 12, rather than 22.
What do hit and stand mean in blackjack?
Hit means take one additional card. Stand means keep your current cards and finish your turn on that hand. After hitting, you can usually choose again unless you reach 21 or bust.
Your total and the dealer’s visible card both matter when choosing an action. A strategy chart must match the table’s rules. Standing does not guarantee a win: the dealer may still finish with a higher total.
Example
With 9–5, a hit that brings a 6 makes 20. You can then stand. A king instead would make 24 and bust.
What does double down mean, and how does it work?
Doubling down adds a second wager equal to your first, gives you exactly one more card, and ends your turn. It doubles the amount at stake, including the amount you can lose.
At PlayForChips, Double is available on an eligible two-card hand when you have enough chips. You can double after splitting a non-ace pair, but cannot double after taking a hit or on split aces.
Example
A 25-chip bet becomes 50 chips. If the doubled hand wins normally, 100 chips return to your balance: the 50-chip stake plus 50 chips won.
How do you split a pair in blackjack?
Splitting separates your first two matching cards into two hands. You put an equal bet on the new hand, receive another card on each, and play the hands separately against the dealer.
Our table requires the same rank: Q–Q qualifies, but Q–K does not. You can split once, making two hands. Split aces get one more card each and then stop; other split hands can hit, stand, or double when eligible.
Example
Splitting 8–8 with a 20-chip wager creates two hands starting with an 8, each carrying its own 20-chip bet. One can win while the other loses.
What do soft and hard mean in blackjack, and what is soft 17?
A soft hand has an ace currently worth 11. A hard hand has no ace worth 11, even if it contains an ace worth 1. Soft 17 is a total of 17 with an ace counted as 11, such as A–6.
S17 means the dealer stands on soft 17; H17 means the dealer hits it. PlayForChips uses six decks and S17. That dealer rule does not require you to stand on your own soft 17.
Example
A–6–10 is hard 17: the ace must count as 1 to avoid busting.
What is a natural blackjack, and is it different from 21?
A natural blackjack is an ace with a 10, jack, queen, or king in your original two cards. It outranks an ordinary 21 made with more cards. A two-card 21 after splitting is also an ordinary 21 at our table.
A winning natural pays 3:2 here. A winning ordinary 21 pays 1:1. If both you and the dealer have naturals, the hand is a push and your original wager returns.
Example
A–Q in the opening deal is blackjack. A hand of 7–6–8 totals 21, but does not earn the blackjack bonus.
What does push mean in blackjack?
A push is a tie that returns your wager without a profit or loss. Matching unbusted ordinary totals push, and a natural blackjack against another natural also pushes.
The natural-blackjack exception matters: a dealer natural beats your ordinary 21. Busting first is a loss, even if the dealer later busts too; two busts do not make a push.
Example
You bet 30 chips and both you and the dealer finish on 18. You get those 30 chips back, with no extra chips added.
What does blackjack pays 3:2 mean?
A 3:2 payout gives you 3 chips in winnings for every 2 chips wagered, plus your original stake back. It applies to a winning natural blackjack, not every hand that reaches 21.
To calculate the winnings, multiply your bet by 1.5. To calculate the total returned, multiply it by 2.5. A normal winning hand pays 1:1 here. Other tables may use different blackjack payouts, so check their rules.
Example
A winning natural on a 40-chip bet earns 60 chips. Including the original 40, the total returned is 100 chips.
What is insurance in blackjack?
Insurance is a separate side bet that the dealer has blackjack when an ace is showing. It usually costs up to half your original bet and pays 2:1 if the hidden card is worth 10. It does not insure every way your main hand can lose.
PlayForChips does not offer insurance or surrender. Surrender is a different option, available at some tables, that ends your hand in exchange for returning half your wager.
Example
With a 40-chip main bet, a 20-chip insurance bet would lose if the dealer’s hidden card were a 7. The main hand would then continue separately.
Sources
These answers use the references below and the rules of the PlayForChips table. House rules elsewhere can differ.