How to play blackjack

Card values and soft hands

Number cards count at face value. Jacks, queens, and kings each count as 10. An ace counts as 11 when that keeps the hand at 21 or below, and as 1 otherwise.

For example, A–6–9 totals 16, not 26: the ace becomes 1. A hand is called soft only while an ace can still count as 11 without busting.

How a round works

1. Place a bet

   Start with 1,000 free chips. Choose a wager from 5 to 500 chips in multiples of 5, up to your available balance.

2. Receive your cards

   You and the dealer each receive two cards. One dealer card is hidden. The dealer checks for a natural blackjack before player actions, so you will not double or split into a dealer natural.

3. Play your hand

   Hit, stand, double, or split when those actions are available. A hand that goes over 21 busts and loses, even if the dealer later busts.

4. The dealer plays

   After the players finish, the dealer reveals the hidden card and draws on totals below 17. The dealer stands on every 17, including A–6, and on higher totals.

5. Settle each hand

   A higher total than the dealer wins. If the dealer busts, your unbusted hand wins. Equal ordinary totals are a push and return your wager. A natural blackjack beats a non-natural 21.

Your four actions

Hit

Take one more card. You can continue while your hand is below 21 and not otherwise restricted.

Stand

Keep your total and end your turn on this hand.

Double

On a two-card hand, add an equal wager, receive exactly one more card, and stand. You need enough remaining chips to cover the extra wager.

Split

Turn two cards of the same rank into separate hands, placing an equal wager on the second hand. Each receives another card, and you play them separately.

Splitting: the details at this table

• Only equal ranks can split. K–K can split; K–Q cannot, even though both cards are worth 10.
• One split is allowed, for a maximum of two hands. You cannot re-split.
• You may double after splitting non-ace pairs if you have enough chips.
• Split aces receive exactly one additional card each and then stand.
• A two-card 21 after a split is an ordinary 21. It pays 1:1 when it wins, rather than the 3:2 natural-blackjack payout.

There is no insurance or surrender at this table.

Payouts, with a 20-chip example

If both you and the dealer have a natural blackjack, the result is a push. If only the dealer has a natural, any other hand loses—including a 21 made with more than two cards or after splitting.

Playing with computer guests

Choose zero to four guests before starting. Everyone draws from the same six-deck shoe, but each player places separate bets and compares their own hands with the dealer. There is no shared pot, and a guest winning does not take chips from your payout.

You can restart from the lobby or settings to choose a different guest count, get a fresh shoe, and return to 1,000 chips. Your theme, avatar, and sound preferences remain available. All play is single-player and uses chips with no cash value.