The Rules of Blackjack Thesis

Introduction

1. A famous player and author Laurence Revere once said, “Blackjack is the only casino game an amateur can learn to play and at which he can definitely win” (Revere, 9). This remarkable game can definitely fascinate players and make them use their intelligence and imagination.
2. Today, I would like to show you that one can easily learn and apply the rules of this game.
3. Many people believe that blackjack is only a game of chance; however, sometimes people forget that it requires analytical thinking, composure, and tenacity.
4. First, I would like to identify the main goal of players and card values. Secondly, it is necessary for me to explain the main elements of this game. Finally, I will speak about the major terms related to black jack.

Body

1. There are many variants of this game; however, the most popular and widespread version is casino blackjack.
   • In this case, the major objective of the player is to gather cards with larger points than your opponent or the dealer.
     1. At this point it is necessary to demonstrate the main card value in black jack.
        • Aces – 1 or 11 points. The value of these cards depends only on the player’s preference.
        • Queens, Jacks, and Kings – 10 points.
        • Other cards (from 2 to 10) have their face value¹ (Hagen & Weiss, 87).
   • However, the player must remember that the total number of points must not exceed 21; otherwise he/she will automatically lose.
   • As a rule, blackjack is intended for six players who may use six, seven, or eight decks of cards.
     1. Each player is given two cards which are laid face up. These cards are normally called a hand.
        • Provided that the player’s card value is 21, he/she can immediately receive the win which exceeds the initial bet by 30 percent.
        • If the card value is less than 21, the player can either stand with the cards or ask for an extra card.
        • If the dealer gets 21, the rest of the players lose except those ones who also managed to accumulate a blackjack.
   • As it has been said before there are many variants of black jack; yet, there are several terms which are very likely to occur in every variant of this game.
     1. Surrender – the decision of a player to withdraw a part of the bet
     2. Split is the decision of a player to divide his/her initial bet into two parts.
        • It is possible only if the player’s cards are of the same value.
        • In many forms of blackjack a player is not allowed to split two aces.
     3. Insurance is the amount of money which a person can add to the initial bet if he/she believes that the dealer is likely to have a blackjack.
2. Although amateur players believe that blackjack is an unpredictable game, however, there are many techniques which enable a person get a legal advantage over the dealer.
   • One of them is card-counting. However, this method requires good memory and some knowledge of probability theory.

Conclusion

1. This demonstration shows that the rules of blackjack are easy to understand and apply.
2. This paper has touched upon the card values in this game, its main rules, and key terms.
3. Gambling is not only a way of wasting money but it is also a good exercise of you mental abilities, determination, and self-mastery.

References

Hagen, Tom and Weiss, Sonia. The everything blackjack strategy book: surefire ways to beat the house every time. NY: Everything Books, 2005. Print.

Revere, Lawrence. Playing blackjack as a business: a professional player’s approach to the game of “21”. London: Lyle Stuart, 2000. Print.

Footnotes

1. The picture presented in the Appendix can help players better memorize the value of cards.