Objective

Blackjack is played against a dealer. The object is to score more points than the dealer without going over 21.

Scoring

• Points are totaled for each card in the hand.
• Face cards (Jack, Queen and King) count as 10 points.
• Aces may be counted as either 1 or 11.
• All other cards are counted according to their numeric value.

When Aces are present in a hand, the total displayed represents the highest score, not over 21, that could be made from those cards.

Game Play

Both the player and the dealer are dealt two cards. The dealer's first card is dealt face down while all other cards are dealt face up.

If the first two cards in a hand total 21, it's called a "blackjack" or "natural." The player wins with a blackjack unless the dealer also has a blackjack. If the dealer has a blackjack and the player doesn't, the player loses. If both have a blackjack, it is a tie ("push"). In any case, the round is over.

When neither the dealer nor the player have blackjack, the player may take additional cards, one at a time ("hit"), until he or she reaches 21 or goes over ("busts"). The player may stop at any time ("stay"). The player loses if he or she busts.

Otherwise, once the player stays, it is the dealer's turn and the dealer's down card is revealed. The dealer must hit if the point total is less than 17 and continue hitting until reaching 17 or more. If the dealer busts, the player wins.

If neither the player or dealer busts, the player wins if his or her total is higher than the dealer's. If they tie, it is a push.