How to play Blackjack

Blackjack hands are scored by their point total. The hand with the highest total wins as long as it doesn't exceed 21; a hand with a higher total than 21 is said to bust. Cards 2 through 10 are worth their face value, and face cards (jack, queen, king) are also worth 10. An ace's value is 11 unless this would cause the player to bust, in which case it is worth 1. A hand in which an ace's value is counted as 11 is called a soft hand, because it cannot be busted if the player draws another card. A two-card hand of 21 (an ace plus a ten-value card) is called a "blackjack" or a "natural", and is an automatic winner.

The play goes as follows:

• If the dealer has blackjack and the player doesn't, the player automatically loses.
• If the player has blackjack and the dealer doesn't, the player automatically wins.
• If both the player and dealer have blackjack then it's a push.
• If neither side has blackjack, then each player plays out his hand, one at a time.
• When all the players have finished the dealer plays his hand.

The player's options for playing his or her hand are:

• Hit: Take another card.
• Stand: Take no more cards.

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