To play the game, players must place a bet in their box. When everyone is ready, the dealer hands out cards from left to right. Each box with a bet gets two cards which are visible to all the other players. The dealer deals two cards to himself, the first of which is open and the second of which is hidden.
A player wins if he or she has more points across all the cards in their hand than in the dealer's hand, but no more than 21 points. The player must take a decision during their turn. If they get more than 21 points, this is called a 'bust', and all the player's bets go to the house. After all players have made their actions, the dealer deals himself a card until bust or 17 points or more. The dealer cannot double the bet, split the hand or give up. If the dealer goes bust, all the remaining players win. If the dealer's total points don't exceed 21, all the remaining bets with a stronger hand win and the weaker ones lose. In the case of a draw, players remain with their bets. However, if the dealer gets a Blackjack (the first two of the dealer's cards equal 21), then his hand beats any player's hand even if that hand's points amount to 21 (as a result of the player getting more cards). If the dealer and a player get a Blackjack at the same time, a draw is declared. Winnings are paid out based on a 1 to 1 calculation or depending on the bet, or in the case of a Blackjack (if the player's first two cards equal 21) – 3 to 2 or one and a half times higher than the bet.
Cards from 2 to 10 possess the value shown on them; jacks, queens and kings (so-called 'face cards') are worth 10 points; aces are valued at 1 or 11 points depending on the total sum of points (for example 5 + A = 16, but 10 + 8 + 2 + A = 21).
After receiving their first two cards, the player can take 4 standard decisions: 'Hit', 'Stand', 'Double' or 'Split'.
'Hit': Ask the dealer for one more card.
'Stand': Don't take any more cards and end actions with your box.
'Double': Double your initial bet in exchange for precisely one additional card. The additional bet is placed in the box next to the additional bet. After this action, you cannot do anything else with your hand.
'Split': If the first two cards in your hand are identical in value, you can split them into two hands by making a second bet equal to the initial bet. The dealer splits the cards into two hands, deals one card to each and continues the game with two bets. The player plays the two separate hands in turn. These hands are viewed independently with the possibility of losing or winning either bet separately. After the split, even if the player receives 21 points with their first two cards in one of the hands, it will not be considered a Blackjack, and if the player wins, the payout will be calculated as if with a normal sum of points amounting to 21.
If the dealer's first open card is an ace, the player will be offered 'insurance' before the dealer checks the hidden card. Insurance is an additional bet in case the dealer gets a Blackjack and is considered independent of the main bet. If the dealer's second card earns the dealer 10 points (any face card or a ten), the player gets an insurance payout of 2 to 1. Since the probability is high that the dealer's second card will result in a Blackjack, insurance can help the player win the round without losing chips.
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