American blackjack can be played with a shoe consisting of up to eight decks of cards, depending on the version of software used by a particular online casino site. In American blackjack, there is a dealer who multiple players can compete against during each round of action.

Rules

The rules have been designed for the purpose of scoring each hand based on how close each player can get to 21 without going higher. Numbered cards are scored based on their visible value (for example, 7 is 7 and 9 is 9). Face cards (J, Q, K) are 10 and aces can be designated as 1 or 11. To clarify, blackjack occurs when the player or dealer receives an ace with a face card to win the round.

Each player must place an acceptable bet before the hand can begin, at which point they receive two cards that are facing down, while one of the dealer’s cards will face up. If the dealer’s up-card is an ace, the player can choose to accept the offer of “insurance”, which is a side bet of potentially 2/1 if the dealer’s hidden card is worth 10.

Bets

After receiving two cards, a player has the option to stand and do nothing, which is a decision that is often made on 15 or 16, depending on the cards. Alternatively, if there is room to run, the player might choose to hit and receive a third or multiple cards until they stand. Double is an option where the player can double their bet and receive only one more card.

Another option is for the player to split their cards and double their bet to create two separate hands if they receive a pair or else two cards worth 10 points. Finally, there is an option to surrender by giving up the hand and keeping half of the wager.