In blackjack, the ace is worth either 1 or 11 points depending on how the player plays the hand. The objective of the game is to get as close to 21 points as possible while avoiding going over and beating the dealer. Players can beat the dealer in a few different ways: getting a blackjack (an ace and a card that counts as 10), having more points than the dealer (called busting them) or having less than the dealer (called winning). The player can also win by having more cards than the dealer, but this is rare.
The rules of blackjack are simple. Each player gets two cards face up and the dealer gets one card face down. The first ace that is dealt to the dealer can be counted as an 11, if this would not give the dealer or player a total of more than 21. Subsequent aces can be counted as 1 unless they would make the hand too high, such as an A and a 10, or they would make the player go over 21, in which case they must be counted as 1.
When a player has an ace and a card of value other than ten in their hand, this is called a soft hand. This is because the ace can be counted as a 1 or 11, and the player can choose whether to draw more cards. Players can also split their hands if they have matching card values. This allows them to have two separate hands, but they must place a bet equal to their original stake on each hand.
If a player’s first two cards are an ace and a card that counts as 10, this is known as a “blackjack.” This is the best possible hand in blackjack, and if the player has this hand they must immediately place a bet of 3:2 of their initial stake. The dealer will pay out the bet of any player who has a blackjack, even if the player has a hand that is lower than the dealer’s.
There are some other special rules that should be considered when playing blackjack. A player can only double their bet when they have a hand that is worth at least 15 points, and they can only do this if the dealer has an ace or a 10. The rules of splitting are very similar to those for doubling, but you must pay attention to the dealer’s upcard before making any decisions about how to split.
Bet sizing is the process of adjusting the amount that you wager based on your strategy. This is often done to compensate for the edge that the dealer has over you, but it can also be used as part of a card counting system. In general, higher bet sizes are better for more advanced players. The Kelly Betting System, which is sometimes referred to as the Kelly Criterion, is a betting formula that helps advanced players determine the optimal bet size in blackjack.