Blackjack, also known as twenty-one and Pontoon ranks amongst one of the most popular casino games online. It is a table game in which the aim of the player is to achieve a hand whose points total nearer to 21 than the banker's hand, but without exceeding 21. In blackjack, the cards are valued as follows:

• An Ace can count as either 1 or 11.
• The cards from 2 through 9 are valued as indicated.
• 10, Jack, Queen, and King are all valued at 10.

The highest hand in blackjack is an ace and any 10 point card and is called a blackjack. Much of the popularity of this game is due to the fact that it showcases a right mix of chance with elements of skill and decision making.

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Rules of Blackjack:
In Blackjack, the cards are counted at their face value. Kings, Queens and Jacks count as 10. Aces count as 1 or 11 at your option. Winning hands are paid at even money. If the first two cards you are dealt total 21 (any 10 value card and an Ace), you have Blackjack. Blackjack pays one and a half times your bet. You cannot lose, but you could tie if the dealer also has Blackjack. If you are dealt with any combination other than Blackjack, you can either "stand" (take no more cards) or signal for a "hit" (draw additional cards).

After all the Players have acted on their hands (either by hitting or standing), the dealer will expose his "hole card" (down card) and take additional cards or stand according to the house rules. If the dealer busts (exceeds 21), all of the players still in the game win. If the dealer does not bust and your card count is closer to 21 than the dealer's hand, you win! If it is less, you lose. If you tie the dealer, it is called a "push" and you neither win nor lose and the dealer will leave your original wager in the betting circle.

How to play:
A round of blackjack begins with each player placing a bet in the circle or logo directly in front of the dealer. Then the dealer gives each player and himself two cards. Cards of the players are usually dealt face up. One dealer card is dealt face up (the up card) and the other face down (the hole card). If the dealer has a ten or an ace as the up card, it is possible that he has a blackjack. In such a case, all player hands will lose except with another blackjack.

When the initial card combination totals less than twenty-one, the player can ask for additional cards in an attempt to get closer to twenty-one without going over. Receiving an additional card is called a hit. Refusing additional cards is a stand. Players who exceed twenty-one automatically lose. This is called a bust or a break.

A winning blackjack is paid 3:2. If both player and dealer have a blackjack, the bet is a push. The player wins if his hand has more points than the dealer, without exceeding 21. Thus a 21-point hand is the highest and that is why the game is sometimes called 21.

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