Blackjack is a casino table game in which players compete against a dealer. Each player receives two cards, while the dealer gets one card face up and one card face down (these are known as his hole cards). The aim is to get a total of 21 or to be closer to it than the dealer without busting, and to win the hand. Face cards count as 10, and an ace may be counted as either 1 or 11. The game began in France and Spain, and it was referred to by several names, including vingt-et-un. It was likely influenced by the earlier games of baccarat and rummy.

Blackjack has a number of different side wagers that can be made in addition to the main blackjack wager. These side bets can be fixed or variable. They can be placed in a separate area on the table, or they can be combined with the blackjack wager in the same location. Typically, the player must place a bet on blackjack before they can make a side bet.

Whether you are an expert blackjack player or are just starting out, our friendly dealers at Leelanau Sands are ready to help you! The first thing to do before playing is familiarize yourself with the rules of blackjack. There is a lot of information available to you on this page and in our online strategy guide.

Once you understand the rules, it is important to decide what action you want to take during a hand. A player can stand if they are satisfied with their hand, or they can ask for an additional card (hit). The player must then make a decision based on the value of their hand and whether they want to stick with it or take a risk and hit again.

Some players will choose to split a pair of cards. This is a great option when the cards are of equal value, such as a pair of aces. They will then receive another card on each hand and play them separately. A player can also double down on a pair of cards, but this should only be done when the player is confident that an additional card will improve their hand.

After each player has decided what to do with their hand, the dealer will reveal his cards. The dealer will then draw cards until he either stands or busts. If the dealer has a blackjack, it will beat all other hands and pay out 1:1 to the winning bets.

The blackjack industry has seen several attempts to increase the profitability of the game by reducing its house edge. This was most recently accomplished with the introduction of the new 6:5 version of the game, which allows the dealer to recoup the loss on the 5:2 bets by paying out the remaining wagers on a multiple-card 22 hand. Despite these changes, the popularity of blackjack remains strong, particularly in Nevada, where competition from other games like sports betting and baccarat has not yet diminished its appeal.