In a game of blackjack, a player competes only against the dealer—who represents the casino or bank, as the case may be. A player is not ever competing against other players. It can not be overstated that the goal of a player is to beat the dealer, without exceeding 21.
A game of blackjack begins once you place your wager on the table, upon which you are dealt your first two cards. In conjunction, the dealer also deals himself two cards, and reveals one of them. The visible card is known as the dealer's up card while the other, unexposed card is the dealer's hole card.
As soon as you have your first pair of cards and the dealer has his, it is your turn to make your first move. You have a choice of making any of the following moves in blackjack:
Hit. To "hit" means to take a third card—as in, "Hit my hand with another card." One of the two most basic moves in blackjack, hitting is your likely move if you believe your hand is still too low to have a fighting chance against the dealer's hand, and at the same time, low enough to afford a third card without going over 21.
Stand. To "stand" means to leave your hand as is, without taking a third card. The other of the two most basic moves in blackjack, standing is your sensible move if you believe your hand, as it is, already has a good chance of beating the dealer's hand.
Split. To "split" means, literally, to make two new hands out of your first two cards. Splitting is allowed on two cards of equal value, by taking each one and making it the first card of a new hand. For example, the first two cards you are dealt are both an 8—giving you 16, which can be a tricky hand as it seems too high for hitting yet too low for standing. Your wise option is to split your 8's into two new hands, similarly with an 8 to start. This way, you have two chances at making a possible winning hand of 18, which puts you at better odds than having one hand that is 16, had you chosen not to split your 8's.
When splitting, you must place a second bet for your second hand, which must be equal to your original bet for your first hand. The way a split proceeds is that the dealer first deals you a second card for your first hand, and you continue to play that hand until it has busted (gone over 21) or been asked to stand. At this point, the dealer turns to your second hand by dealing your second card for that hand, and again, you continue to play it until the hand has busted or been asked to stand.
Double Down. To "double down" means to double your bet on the table after having been dealt your first two cards. If you have seen your first two cards and believe one more card is all you now need to make a winning hand, then doubling down is your smart move. In other words, doubling down is having a chance mid-play to increase your bets now that you know the odds are high that you are going to win, after all.
The catch is, once you double down, you only get a third card on top of your first two cards. So this move is best made when your starting two-card hand is of the right value to await a possible 10 as your third card. For example, if your first two cards amount to 10 or 11, then the third card you receive by doubling down can bring your hand up to as high as a winning 20 or 21. Additionally, it is wise to double down when the dealer's up-card is hinting at a bust. Say, if the up-card is a 4, 5, or 6, then the dealer's hand will potentially come up to 14, 15, or 16, putting you at better odds to win; hence, a good reason to double down.
Natural Blackjack. To have a "natural blackjack" means to have your first two cards totalling a value of 21. It is not a move in blackjack but a hand, one that automatically wins you the game —as it is the highest possible hand value your two cards can reach. A natural blackjack is also known as a "natural", or simply "blackjack". You have a natural blackjack if your first two cards are an Ace and any of a 10, J, Q, K.
Generally stated, after you make your first move, the way a game of blackjack proceeds is that, in one way or another, you are hit with additional cards until (a) your hand has busted, in which case you lose, or (b) you ask to stand, in which case whoever between you and the dealer has the higher hand wins the game.
