How New Rules and New Rules Changed the Game of Blackjack

Blackjack is a card game played between one or more players and a dealer. The goal is to beat the dealer by getting a hand value of 21 or higher. It is played on a semicircular table that can seat 7 players (or seven “spots”). Players make their bets by placing chips in the betting box, called a pit. The cards are dealt from a deck of 52 playing cards. There are 13 different card values, including Aces, 2 through 10, Jacks, Queens and Kings. Aces can count as either 1 or 11, depending on which value will help the player’s hand most.

Traditionally, casino blackjack games have been based on the theory of probability. A computer analysis of all possible combinations of the dealer’s cards and a player’s hand shows that for each action a player can take (hit, stand, split or double) there is a mathematically optimal play that will result in the highest probability of winning. Knowing this, a smart player can reduce the house edge to near zero.

A few years ago, however, the game of blackjack began to change. New rules were introduced that made the game more exciting and more appealing to players. In addition to allowing players to double down and split their hands at no additional cost, these changes included allowing players to switch cards between two wagered hands (legally) and surrendering certain undesirable two-card hands at no additional cost.

The new rules also changed how the dealer played the game. The dealers now had to hit all hands if they were below 17 and stand on any hand that reached or exceeded that number. This reduced the dealers chances of busting and increased their chances of making a strong hand.

Another change was the introduction of the “insurance” bet. This is a side bet that pays out 2-1 if the dealer has an ace showing up. Typically, the dealer asks for insurance bets before anyone plays their hand. When all of the players who bought insurance have their bets in place, the dealer will check her hole card. If she has a ten underneath, the insurance bets will pay out.

While these changes made the game more entertaining and more fun, they also dramatically increased the house edge. Without basic strategy, a player’s house edge can exceed 5%. To lower the house edge, players should study basic strategy and try to stick to it.