The progression of a blackjack hand is very simple to follow and to help illustrate an example please refer to the graphics in this section.
- First, the player makes a bet. In this example, they wager $25.
- Each player at the table receives two cards, face up. The dealer also receive two cards, one face up, the other face down. In this example, the player received a Jack and Queen, while the dealer is showing a 3.
- The player adds up their cards for a total of 20 and decides to stand. The dealer flips over their down card for a total of 13. A dealer must hit on anything up to 16 and stand on 17, 18, 19 or 20.
- With only a 13 showing, the dealer draws two more cards for a total of 26 and BUSTS. The player’s total of 20 wins and their $25 bet is rewarded with a $25 chip.
- In some cases, a dealer’s post-deal hand might show an Ace card up. In this case, the player can make a side insurance bet to protect themselves against a two-card dealer blackjack. The player is paid out ONLY if the dealer’s down card is a 10 or face card. If it’s any other card, the player loses the insurance side bet.
- There are also opportunities for the player to “double down” or double their original bet. This typically happens when their initial two-card hand adds up to 10 or, more likely, 11. If a player elects to double down, they receive ONLY one more card from the dealer.
