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This page will give you all the information you need to improve your game and skills to play blackjack better than others.

For a knowledgeable player, blackjack offers the best chance of leaving the casino as a winner. And, when you become an expert at the game, you can actually turn the tables on the casino, and you'll have the advantage. Let's get started!
Learning how to play blackjack has never been easier than it is today. GoldenPalace is pleased to provide you with an introduction to the game, and a free version of our blackjack software to help you practice. Everything you need to learn to play like a pro is here, and it's free.

To get started, we will discuss the process of how a blackjack session progresses from start to finish. The learning process will be made much simpler if you play along with our free-play blackjack game. To download this game, simply click on the "download now" button near the top of this page.

A blackjack session begins when the player places his wager. To place your bet in our software, simply click once on the chip you wish to bet. You can click again and the software will stack another chip on top for you.

At this point, all you have to do is hit the deal button and you will receive your first two cards. The dealer will also deal himself two cards, and expose one of them. The visible card is known as the dealer's up-card, while the other is known as the dealer's hole-card.

One fundamental thing that many people do not learn when they first learn how to play blackjack is the true object of the game. Many people falsely believe that the object of the game is to have a hand that is as close to 21 as possible without going over. While this is part of the rules, it is almost, but not quite your true goal as a player. Your true goal is nothing more than to beat the dealer; it just happens to be easier to beat the dealer with a hand that is close to 21. But don't fall into that trap. You win just as much if you beat the dealer with a 14 as you do if you beat them with a 20. This is when studying your blackjack strategy comes in particularly handy.

Now that you have your cards and the dealer has his, you can decide how you wish to proceed. You have a number of options, including the two most called for, 'hit', or 'stand'. To 'hit' your hand is to take another card, to 'stand' is to leave your hand 'as is' in hopes that it will beat the dealer.

Other options include 'splitting' and 'doubling down'. You are allowed to split two cards if they are the same value. Doing so means you are literally taking each card and making it the first card of two new hands. Say you are dealt two 8's. Since two eights on their own only gives you 16 (not a very strong hand), splitting them to two hands with an 8 to start is the smart move. This way you have two decent chances at 18. When you split, you are required to place a second bet equal to your original bet for your second hand. This is done automatically by the software.

If you have split your eights, the dealer will push your cards to two separate hands and give you a second card for the first hand. The dealer will then prompt you to make a decision on this hand, and continue to do so until the hand has busted or been asked to stand. The dealer will then proceed to your second hand, deal a second card, and ask for your decision once again.

Your other option, in addition to hitting, standing, or spitting, is called doubling down. After you have been dealt your first two cards, if you have a hand with a total of 9, 10 or 11, you can choose to double your bet on the table. The reason you would want to do this is if you believe you have a good chance of having a strong hand after one more card is dealt to you. The catch is, even if you're dealt a two on a ten, you only get one more card, so you're stuck with a 12. The time to choose to double down is when your first two cards total 10 or 11, and you can expect a 20 or 21 if the next card dealt to you has a value of 10. It is important to take note of the dealer's up-card when deciding to double or not. If the dealer is showing busting cards (up-card of 4, 5, or 6 indicating that they are likely to have 14, 15, or 16 and will likely bust) you're making a smarter decision by choosing to double down.

START PLAYING
The player will place his/her wager in the center of the betting circle. The dealer will then deal two cards, face up, to each player and two to him/herself, one face up and one face down. Kings, Queens, Jacks, and 10's each count as 10. Aces count as 1 or 11, as a player wishes. All other cards 2-9, count at their face value.

If the first two cards drawn are an Ace and a 10 value card, that player has Blackjack and will be paid one and one-half times the wager (3 to 2) unless the dealer also has Blackjack. The Player not having Blackjack may continue to draw cards attempting to total as close to 21 as possible without exceeding 21, in which case that player "breaks" and loses the wager.

Dealer must hit on all totals of 16 or less. Dealer must stand on all total of 17 or more.

BLACKJACK TERMINOLOGY

HIT
The taking of an additional card.

STAY
Take no additional cards

SPLIT
The Player will match the original wager and split the first two cards into two separate hands. The two cards must be of the same point value (i.e. a pair of 8's, King and Queen, etc.) In splitted hands an Ace and ten equal to "21" and not blackjack.

DOUBLE DOWN
The player will match the original (or double down for less) on the first two cards dealt and receive only one additional card. Double down wagering is not permitted on a Blackjack.

INSURANCE
When the dealer's up card is an Ace, a Player may buy insurance, an additional amount equal to half of that Player's original wager. A Player may purchase insurance when he/she believes that the dealer's down card is a ten value card. If the Dealer has Blackjack, the insurance wager pays 2 to 1. If the dealer does not have Blackjack, the insurance wager loses and the game continues as usual. A Blackjack will beat a point total of "21".

Basic Blackjack Strategy TIPS
Instructions for playing casino style games.

Blackjack strategy is a world made up of two halves. One half is comprised of those who believe that 'basic strategy' is all you need to know, while the other half believe it leaves something to be desired. Basic strategy is the standard name for the strategies that were discovered with a little computer help in the 1980's. Computer programmers realized that once you know all of the variables governing game-play, the specific rules for a table, and the number of decks in a shoe, you could program a computer to play blackjack for you. Having the computer play for them allowed the researchers to assess every possible situation a player could be presented with (two card total vs. a specific dealer's up-card) and determine which would be more statistically profitable for the player in the long run. This information is usually provided in the form of a table or chart that allows you to look up your two-card hand against the dealer's up-card. The chart indicates whether you should hit, stand, double, or split.

It's rather difficult to dispute the reliability of a blackjack strategy that was built on pure mathematics. Playing perfect strategy, depending on the game you're up against, helps bring the house edge into check, possibly lowering it to the point where the house has less than half a percentage point edge on the player. Advocates of basic strategy know their best chance at the table is to follow the laws of basic strategy to the letter. While people play with the best of intentions, they often fail to follow the strategy suggestions exactly. The reason for this is rather simple, but deceptively destructive.

Imagine yourself at the table, with your basic blackjack strategy firmly in mind, and you are dealt two fives against a dealer up-card of 7. Imagine also, that you're near the end of your session and your bankroll isn't as high as it once was. A common mistake often takes place under these circumstances. Many players see that basic strategy in this situation recommends that you double down and hope your next card is a ten, for a nice strong total of 20. A player who is on a downswing for their bankroll though, is not as willing to bet big, unless they are chasing their losses, which is never a good idea. This is where a very common blackjack strategy mistake is made. When basic strategy suggests one should double down, it's a mistake to think "that means I'll likely win anyway, so I don't truly need to double my bet, I'd rather risk less right now and be happy with my smaller winnings". While there is some inherent logic in this approach, because it's true that if basic strategy is suggesting you double down you have a better chance of winning than normal, actually holding back from doubling your bet limits the advantage that playing with basic strategy provides. You've probably heard that playing perfect basic blackjack strategy may help lower the house edge to less than 1%, but this simply is not the case if you don't take full advantage of every instance where it is advantageous to double down.

Consider this logically. The approximate house edge for a session of play can be worked out by watching your bankroll, seeing how much you have left, and seeing how much the house has taken. Not maximizing your wins on a double down situation will leave you winning just as often, but not winning as much. This has a direct effect on the house edge: it increases it. To keep the house edge at it's lowest you always need to double down when it is suggested by basic blackjack strategy.

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