Blackjack or 21 as it’s also called, is a card game with a very clear-cut objective: You try to beat the dealer. Not your neighbor to the left. Not everyone else at the table. Just the dealer. And you have three - count ‘em, three - ways to win:
1. The dealer deals you a blackjack, any starting hand consisting of an ace and a 10 (10s and all face cards - jacks, queens, and kings), equaling 21 points. However, this is only a tie if the dealer also has a blackjack.
2. The dealer’s hand busts - or exceeds 21 points - and your hand doesn’t.
3. Your hand - which doesn’t exceed 21 - is higher than the dealer’s hand. For example, you have 19, and the dealer has 18.
The news gets even better - the dealer must stick to some restrictive rules that favor the players. (I explain these rules in “Drawing the dealer’s curtain” later in this chapter.) And following a number of simple strategies helps you to improve your odds of beating the house.
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