Blackjack is a casino table game in which the player’s goal is to get a higher hand value than the dealer, without going over 21. The cards in a blackjack hand are worth their face value, with face cards (Jack, Queen, King) worth 10 and aces worth either 1 or 11. The game is played against the dealer, who is dealt two cards but only one is displayed. Players then decide whether to “hit” (receive additional cards) or “stand” (keep their current hand).

Before the cards are dealt, the player places a wager. The minimum and maximum bet amounts are posted on the table. Once the bets have been placed, the dealer deals each player two cards. The player can then choose to “hit” or “stand” depending on their cards and the dealer’s up card. If the player’s hand is higher than the dealer’s, they win. If the player busts, they lose. If the dealer busts, the player with the highest hand value wins.

In some blackjack games, the dealer will offer a side bet called insurance. This bet pays 2 to 1 if the dealer has a blackjack and costs the player half their original bet. Despite this high payout, many players choose not to take insurance as it increases the house edge by approximately 1.4%.

If a player has an ace and a 10-value card in their initial hand, they can split them into two separate hands by placing a bet equal to the original bet amount on the “split” circle located next to the stacked cards. Each hand then receives another card, and the player can choose to hit or stand based on their new hand’s total value. In most cases, a player may only receive one additional card when splitting.

Players can also double down when they are holding a hand with the rank of 7 or higher. This is done by increasing the bet size by a factor of 2, and the player can only receive one additional card. This blackjack strategy is typically only used when the dealer’s face-up card is a 7 or higher.

If the dealer has an ace up and the player has a blackjack, they can give up their hand for half their original bet. This is known as early surrender and is a good option for players who don’t believe they have a strong enough hand to beat the dealer. However, the practice is frowned upon by most dealers and should only be used by experienced players.