Planning a trip to a casino? Then you’ll definitely want to try your hand at the most popular game! Blackjack is a fun, relatively simple casino game that anyone can learn to play. Yet the odds are challenging enough for it to be entertaining. That’s what makes it so universally adored. Casinos all over the world feature Blackjack on their floors.
Here are the top five reasons that Blackjack is a massive favorite for gamers, no matter their level of experience.
1. Scoring Is Straightforward
Casino Blackjack is played with a standard 52-card deck of cards—or rather several decks. Six to eight standard decks are typically used at a time.
The value of most cards corresponds to the number on the card. This is the case for cards numbering 2 through 10, where 2 is 2 and 3 is 3 and so on. Face cards (Kings, Queens and Jacks) are worth 10 apiece. Aces are unique, in that they can be worth one of two different values, depending on your strategy: either 11 or 1.
To score your hand, you simply add up your cards!
2. Gameplay Is Simple and Fast-Paced
The rules of Blackjack follow a simple pattern: the goal is to have cards that add up to 21 without going over. Fun fact: another name for the game is simply “21.” In Blackjack at a casino, you play “against” the dealer, who is also trying to “hit” 21 without going over.
To start a hand, the dealer deals one card face up to each player and to themselves. They then deal a second card face up to each player. However, the dealer’s second card is dealt face down.
After totaling their cards, players have four options:
- Hit—ask the dealer for another card to try to get closer to 21
- Stand—not take any additional cards
- Double—hit and double their bet
- Split—matching cards can be split to play as two hands
If a player is dealt an Ace plus a 10 or face card, this equals 21 and is considered a “natural” Blackjack. With this combination, players automatically stand. When this isn’t the case and they hit, if at any point a player’s cards total over 21, the player goes “bust,” meaning they lose that hand and their bet.
In casino Blackjack, the dealer follows an automatic set of rules: After serving all players, they flip over their face-down card. If the total of their cards is 16 or under, they must take another card until the hand totals over 17. Once the total reaches 17, the dealer must stand.
If the dealer goes bust, they pay each player in the hand. If the dealer stands at 21 or less, they pay all players who are still in and have a higher score than the dealer’s. When the dealer has a natural Blackjack, they take the bets of all players who do not have a natural.
These fun, simple rules make Blackjack an ongoing favorite.
3. You Can Bet Amounts That Work for You
Casinos typically have several tables, if not dozens or even hundreds in major casinos, like you might find in gambling epicenters like Las Vegas, Monte Carlo or Macau. Other than the clear popularity and name recognition of the game, a big part of the reason for this is that casinos like to offer tables that are workable for your budget, reason for playing and what you hope to achieve.
Each Blackjack table has set minimum and maximum bets. Minimum bets typically run between $10 and $100, while maximum bets can go as high as $1,000. When you sit down at a table to play a few hands, you choose the stakes that suit you best. Then in each hand, you choose exactly how much risk you want to take. It really is a game for anyone!
4. Side Wagers Can Make the Game More Exciting
A simple game of Blackjack is a lot of fun for everyone, but the option to make side wagers, or additional bets, can make it even better. Side wagers are made separately from the primary outcome of the game, and win or lose, they can make a hand even more rewarding. There are different types of Blackjack side wagers, and each is placed before the cards are dealt. Side wagers are paid according to the posted pay table.
At Valley View Casino, all of our Blackjack tables offer the option of a Buster Blackjack side wager. If you choose to take this wager, it allows you the chance to win when the dealer busts. Your payout depends on how many cards are left in the dealer’s hand. The greater the number of cards in the dealer’s busted hand, the higher your payoff!
Stop by multi-deck Blackjack tables to try your hand with the Lucky Lucky side wager. In this case, the outcome of the wager is based on the dealer’s face-up card and the first two cards you are dealt. If these cards combine to make up a certain value or combination, you win! Some of the winning hands could be three 7 cards, a hand of 6, 7 and 8 or if the three cards combine to make a total of 19, 20 or 21. This is a side wager based completely on chance, so even inexperienced Blackjack players can try it out.
When you try out our side wagers, you’ll really see why Valley View Casino is the luckiest casino in Southern California!
5. You Can Play Alone or With Friends
Casino Blackjack is the perfect game, whether you’re looking to sit down by yourself or play alongside the other members of your party. Tables typically accommodate 5 to 12 players at a time and everyone has the option to come and go as they please. So, you can sit down with a few strangers, make some new acquaintances or take a seat with all your friends beside you.
While it can be great fun to experience the thrills of other activities at a casino, Blackjack lets everyone play at their own level of skill and for the amount of money they want to bet. For the best casino experience, look no further than Valley View Casino & Hotel. Located in the gorgeous San Diego area, our award-winning casino offers a rewarding experience for every visitor. Stop in for a few spins on the slot machines or for fine dining you won’t soon forget, and be sure to sit down for a hand or two of everyone’s favorite game of Blackjack!
