In the casino, the players attempt to beat the casino house, represented by the dealers, by obtaining a hand total that is equal to or less than 21 so that his total is higher than the dealer's.

Each card has the same value as its index except for the ace and the picture cards. All 10's and cards with pictures are counted as 10. The ace can be counted as either 11 or 1, up to the the player's option. The suits have no value in blackjack.

The game has one dealer and usually from one to seven players, all sit on one gaming table except the dealer, we call the table as blackjack table.

Generally from one to eight decks are used. Single and double deck games are dealt by hand with high value bets. When more than 2 decks (usually 6 decks) are used, a device called a card shoe is used to hold the undealt cards.

When a player is dealt an ace and a 10-valued card as his first two cards it is called a "blackjack" or "natural" and generally is paid one and one-half times his original bet. If the player and the dealer both have blackjacks, the player pushes with the dealer and no money is won (or lost if the dealers' cards were facing up).

Each player is dealt two cards in sequence, one at a time, either face up or face down, depending on the house rules, in a clockwise direction. The dealer also receives two cards, one face up and one face down (or both face up).

If it has not been determined that the dealer has a blackjack, the players are allowed to take certain actions on their hands. If the player wants another card, he can inform the dealer for a hit. In a face up game where the players do not touch the cards, the player shoud do this by scratching the surface of the felt with his finger(s). In a face down game where the players hold their initial two cards, the player should use his cards to scratch the felt. The player may take as many hits as he wants as long as he doesn't "bust". If the player does not want anymore cards he should inform the dealer that he wishes to stand. In a face up game the player does this by waving his hand in a lateral motion with palm down. In a face down game the player would put his first two cards under his bet.

A player may double the amount of his initial bet after looking at his first two cards. This is referred to as "Double Down" and once this is done the player receives one additional card only. In face up games the player informs the dealer that he wishes to double down by placing an additional bet equal to his initial bet in the betting circle and announce his "Double Down". In a face down game the player would also turn his first two cards over. The dealer would then deal only one card to the player (face up in a face up game, face down in a face down game) and then move on to the next hand. Many casinos place restrictions on when a player may double down. Some casinos only allow double down on hand values of 10 or 11, some do not allow double down on soft hands, some do not allow double down after splitting. The less restrictions placed on double down, the more advantages it is for the players.

If a player's initial two cards are identical in value, he may split them by betting an amount equal to his original bet on the second card. He then draws additional cards on each of the split pairs, playing each hand (from his right to his left) in turn. Most casinos place a limit on the number of times a hand may be split, usually from 1 to 3. When aces are split, a player is normally permitted to draw only one additional card on each ace.

Some casinos allow the player to surrender his first two cards. When a player surrenders his hand, he immediately gives up half his bet without playing his hand out. On early surrender, the player gives up half his bet regardless of whether the dealer has a blackjack or not. On late surrender if the dealer has a blackjack the player loses his entire bet.

If a player's hand ever exceeds a total of 21, he has busted and loses the hand regardless of the dealer's total. When a player busts, his cards and his bet are immediately collected by the dealer.

If a player and the dealer have the same total, and this same total is 21 or under, the hand is a tie, or a push and no money is won or lost. The only exception to this rule is that a blackjack always beats a hand value of 21.

Once all the players have acted on their hands, the dealer flips her unexposed (hole) card over and draws cards until she has a total of 17 or above. Some casinos require the dealer to also hit soft 17s, which is to the player's disadvantage.

When the dealer's exposed card (upcard) is an ace, the players are allowed to make an insurance bet equal to half of the amount of their initial bet. If the dealer has a blackjack, the players will be paid at 2-to-1 on their insurance bet. If the dealer does not have a blackjack, the insurance bet is lost.

In some cases, you need to wait until the shoe is finished before you start to play. Most of the players don't care, but some did.