Betting

Players may increase their bets in one of two ways. The first is to "double down," meaning the player will double his or her bet and take exactly one more card. Players should always double down on 11; doubling down on any total higher than 11 is never advised. The decision to double down on totals of 10 or less is determined by the dealer's up card; see the blackjack chart below. Doubling down can only be done after the first two cards have been dealt; after a hit is taken, the player can no longer double down.

The second way to increase the bet is to split the hand. This can be done only when the player has received two cards of the same value. In order to split, the player in alljackpots must match his or her original bet. The dealer will then give the player one more card on each original card, and the hands are played separately; it is possible to win on one hand and lose on the other. The player should always split on 8's and aces, and should never split 10's. See the chart below for other splitting options.

Players may also buy "insurance" if the dealer has an Ace face up on the initial deal. Insurance requires a player to pay half of the initial bet; if the dealer has blackjack, the player receives 2-1 on the insurance amount, but loses the initial bet. This means the player breaks even on the hand. If the dealer does not have blackjack, the player loses the insurance amount and play continues normally.

Rule Variations

Some rules vary from one casino to the next. Some casinos place restrictions on splitting, such as allowing a player to split only once per hand, or to take only one card when splitting aces. Some casinos do not allow doubling down after a split. Others require the dealer to hit a "soft" 17 (an ace and a 6), which is a disadvantage to the player.

At your home game, use whatever rules you like, but be sure the rules are posted or stated up front to avoid the possibility of disputes.