If the dealer holds two 9s, for instance, that is a value of 18, and the dealer may not draw any more cards. A player facing the dealer’s 18 must hold cards valued at 19, 20 or 21 in order to win, such as a pair of Jacks, or an Ace plus an 8, or a 4+5+10. Beating the dealer pays even money: one unit won for every unit bet.
As mentioned, an Ace plus a face card or 10 creates a natural 21—a so-called “blackjack”—which is the best two-card hand possible. When it wins, blackjack pays 3-to-2, or 1.5 units for every unit bet. Other combinations of three or more cards may also total 21, such as three 7s or a 6+7+8 or a 2+4+5+10, etc. However, when they win, they pay only one unit per unit wagered.
If the values of the dealer’s cards and the player’s cards are identical, the hand is declared a “push” (tie or draw). The bet is neither won nor lost.
Any combination of cards which totals more than 21, such as a 5+8+9, is called a bust. The player who busts is out for the rest of the hand and the wager is immediately lost.
When a player “doubles down” to take just one more card, all of the units bet are lost if the hand busts. If the hand wins, it is paid out at one unit for every unit wagered. Some house rules allow doubling down on any two cards. Some allow doubling down for less than two times the initial wager. Others permit doubling only on cards valued at ten or eleven.
