How to play Single Deck Blackjack

Blackjack is a casino card game played against the dealer, in which you try to finish closer to 21 than the dealer without going over, here with virtual chips.

One deck, dealer hits soft 17, double on hard 9 to 11 only.

About Single Deck Blackjack

Single Deck Blackjack differs from Classic in five rules: one deck instead of six, the dealer hits soft 17, doubling only on a hard 9, 10 or 11, one split with no double after it, and any two ten-value cards count as a pair. A single deck holds just four aces and 16 ten-value cards, so every one dealt leaves noticeably fewer for the rest of the deck. Since a soft hand can never be doubled here, always hit an ace and a six, and stand on an ace and a seven against a dealer 2 to 8.

The dealer peeks for blackjack. You may split once, any two ten-value cards count as a pair, and you cannot double after a split. With only 52 cards, the deck is reshuffled once about 30 have been dealt. There is no surrender.

With doubling limited to hard 9, 10 and 11 and a dealer who hits soft 17, make the most of the doubles you have: double 11 against every dealer card, ace included, 10 against 2 to 9, and 9 against 2 to 6.

A split here is final and cannot be followed by a double, so a split pair is worth less than at the multi-deck tables. Never split a pair of fours; hit it as a hard 8. Splitting aces and eights stays right against any dealer card from 2 to 9.

Insurance comes closer to fair at one deck than at any other table here, and still falls short. Holding two cards under ten against a dealer ace, 16 of the 49 unseen cards are worth ten, just under the one in three it needs to break even, so it loses about 2 chips per 100. Holding two ten-value cards yourself leaves 14 of 49 and a loss of about 14 per 100.

The goal of Blackjack

Beat the dealer by finishing closer to 21 without going over. Number cards count their face value, jacks, queens and kings 10, and an ace 11, or 1 if 11 would take the hand past 21. An ace and a ten-value card as your first two cards is a blackjack.

How to set up Blackjack

You start with 1000 chips. Bet 5 to 500 chips, then deal: you get two cards face up, the dealer one. Except in European, the dealer also takes a face-down card and checks it for blackjack at once, ending the round before you act if it has one.

When the dealer shows an ace, you are offered insurance for half your bet. It pays 2 to 1 if the dealer has blackjack and is lost otherwise.

Blackjack rules

Hit to take another card, or Stand to keep your total. Double doubles your bet and gives you exactly one more card. Split turns a pair into two hands, each with its own bet and a new second card. Going over 21 is a bust and loses that bet.

When your hands are finished, the dealer completes its hand, drawing until it reaches 17 or more. Whether it also draws on a soft 17, a 17 with an ace counted as 11, depends on the variant.

The full Blackjack guide, with strategy tips and common questions