Blackjack facts for kids

Blackjack (also called Twenty-one or Pontoon) is a popular card game often played in casinos. The main goal of the game is to get your cards to add up to a total closer to 21 than the dealer's cards, without going over 21.

In Blackjack, you play against a dealer, not against other players. The dealer uses one to eight decks of cards. They deal cards from a special box called a 'shoe' or sometimes hold the cards in their hand.

Here's how card values work:

• Number cards (2 through 10) are worth their face value.
• Face cards (King, Queen, Jack) are each worth 10 points.
• An Ace can be worth either 1 or 11 points, depending on what helps your hand the most.

The best hand in Blackjack is called a Blackjack. This is when your first two cards are an Ace and any card worth 10 points (like a King, Queen, Jack, or 10). A Blackjack usually wins you extra chips!

If your cards add up to more than 21, it's called a "bust," and you lose. If both you and the dealer bust, the dealer wins. If your hand is equal to the dealer's hand, you usually keep your bet.

Players get to choose if they want more cards.

• To stand means you don't want any more cards. You might wave your hand back and forth to signal this.
• To hit means you want another card. You might wave your hand towards you.

You can ask for as many cards as you want, as long as you don't bust. The dealer also has special rules about when they must take more cards or stop. These rules are set by the casino and don't change during the game.

Blackjack involves some skill because the chances of winning change as cards are dealt. Keeping track of which cards have been played, especially 10s and Aces, can help players make better decisions. This is known as 'card counting'. It's a mental skill, not cheating, but many casinos prefer players not to do it.

History of Blackjack

The exact start of Blackjack is a bit of a mystery, but most people think it began in French casinos around the 1700s. It was called Vingt-et-Un, which means "twenty-one" in French. It probably came from other French card games popular at that time.

The game spread to North America with French settlers and became popular across the continent. When gambling became legal in Nevada in 1931, the game was still called '21'.

The name 'Blackjack' came about because some casinos offered a special bonus. If a player got an Ace of Spades and either the Jack of Spades or the Jack of Clubs as their first two cards, they would get a big payout. Even though this special bonus isn't usually offered anymore, the name 'Blackjack' stuck!

How a Blackjack Game Works

Let's look at an example of a Blackjack game. Imagine four players, named by their chip colors: White, Brown, Blue, and Black.

The dealer gives two cards to each player and two cards to themselves. One of the dealer's cards is face-up for everyone to see, and the other is face-down. In our example, the dealer's face-up card is an Ace.

• Black gets an Ace and a 2 (total 3 or 13). Black asks for another card (a "hit") and gets a King (worth 10), making their total 13. Black hits again and gets a 3, making their total 16. Black decides to "stand" (take no more cards).
• Blue gets a King and a Jack (total 20). This is a very strong hand, so Blue chooses to "stand" right away.
• Brown gets a 10 and a 4 (total 14). Brown asks for a "hit" and gets a 2, making their total 16. Brown hits again and gets a 10, which makes their total 26. This is over 21, so Brown "busts" and loses their chips immediately.
• White gets two 5s (total 10). White decides to "double down" (double their bet) and "split" the cards, treating each 5 as a separate hand.

* For the first 5, White gets a 5 and then a 9, making that hand 21. * For the second 5, White gets a 7 and then a 6, making that hand 18.

Now, the dealer turns over their face-down card. It's a 6. So, the dealer's hand is an Ace and a 6, which totals 17. The dealer must "stand" on 17 (meaning they cannot take any more cards).

Here are the results:

• Black had 16. The dealer had 17. Black loses their chips.
• Blue had 20. The dealer had 17. Blue wins and is paid the same amount of chips they bet.
• Brown already lost their chips when they busted earlier.
• White had two hands.

* One hand was 21. This hand wins, and White is paid double the amount they bet for that hand. * The other hand was 18. The dealer had 17. White wins and is paid the same amount they bet for that hand.

Variations

There are many different ways to play Blackjack around the world!

• In American Blackjack, the dealer gets one card face-up and one card face-down at the start. If the dealer's face-up card is an Ace or a 10, they might check their hidden card to see if they have a Blackjack right away.
• In European Blackjack, the dealer only takes their second card after all the players have finished their turns.

Other popular versions of the game include Blackjack Switch, Spanish 21, and Pontoon.

Images for kids

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  Doubling down. The third card is placed at right angles to show the player cannot get more cards.

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  A "soft 17" in blackjack (an ace and any combination of 6).

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  A video blackjack machine at Seven Feathers Casino.

See also

In Spanish: Blackjack para niños