BLACKJACK

also called B.J., Twenty-one, Vingt-et-un, Van John, and Pontoon the most popular bank card game. Its origin is disputed, but it is certainly related to the French Ferme and Chemin de Fer and the Italian Seven and a Half. Players hope to get a total card value of 21 or to come closer to it, without going over, than the dealer, against whom all betting is done. In the noncasino private game, a 52-card deck is used. The dealer, who may be chosen in several ways in a preliminary round of play, declares his limit on bets. Aces count as 1 or 11, at the option of the holder; face (court) cards count 10 each; all others take their number value. The dealer shuffles the deck, and any other player has the right to cut it. The deck is then placed upon an upturned joker, which serves as an indicator card, or, if no joker is available, the dealer exposes the top card and burns it by placing it face up at the bottom of the deck; if the top card is an ace, he reshuffles and tries again. Depending on the version of private play, bets may be placed before the deal; after each player has been dealt one card face down; or after each player has received two cards face down and the dealer has exposed one of his cards. If a player's first two cards total 21 (one must be an ace, the other a 10 or face card), he has a natural, or blackjack, and wins double his bet. If the dealer has a blackjack, he collects the bets, or in some cases double the bets, of every player, except a player with another blackjack, who usually has his bet returned but in some versions of the game must also pay the dealer. After settling any natural blackjack bets, the dealer offers additional cards to each other player in turn. If a player stands, it means he wants no more cards. If he says hit me, he receives cards one at a time until he stands or he goes over 21. If the latter occurs, the player loses and pays the dealer immediately. The dealer, who plays last, also stands or draws additional cards. If he goes over 21, all remaining players are paid their bets. If the dealer stands on, say, 18, he announces pay 19, because the dealer wins on ties as well as on hands that total less than his. Bets are settled; the collected cards go face up at the bottom of the deck; and a new hand is dealt. The deal passes to the first player not the dealer to receive a blackjack. Because of the betting advantage in having the deal, casinos assign a permanent dealer to each table, and the players oppose the house. Casino rules differ from those described above: players place bets before receiving cards, blackjacks are paid one and a half times the bet, ties are a standoff, and the dealer stands on counts of 17 or more and draws on 16 or less. The players receive two cards face down; the dealer may use a single deck from the hand or two or four decks from a holder called a shoe.