Blackjack is also sometimes called “Twenty-One.” Casino guests who look for a table game that involves a little bit of skill usually gravitate to the blackjack tables. All of the other table games will generate your outcome for you without requiring you to take any decisions, or think at all. But in blackjack, you skill is a factor in how much and how fast you lose your money. This makes it a more interesting game for most players.

Blackjack is also the only table game in which you might even be able to overcome the house edge and come out ahead in the long run. This house edge is the result of the inherent probabilities of the game, together with the important fact that the player goes first, and the dealer later. Thus, if the player “busts,” the dealer wins, even if he or she might have also “busted” if the hand were played out. Minor rule variations also contribute to the edge – either in your favor or against you.

Most commonly, casinos offer rules that create a slight positive edge for the house, and hence a slight negative edge for the player. In such circumstances, the only way you can turn the edge to positive is to count cards.

An experienced player who does not count cards but who also does not commit any tactical errors in playing blackjack, will have an expectation as close to even as a casino will willingly grant. The next few pages tell you how to play blackjack and then how to get settled into a blackjack game in a casino. After that, you should learn “basic strategy” (the best way to maximize your chips without counting cards). The last few pages on blackjack describe card counting.