How to play
Everyone starts with 1,000 play chips. They’re only points: there’s nothing to buy or win, and no real money anywhere. You all play the dealer, not each other, and after the last hand the player with the most chips wins.
Each hand starts with everyone betting 10 to 500 chips. You get two cards face up and the dealer gets one up and one down. Get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over. Number cards count their number, jacks, queens and kings count 10, and an ace counts 11 or 1, whichever helps.
On your turn you can hit (take a card), stand (stop), double (double your bet on your first two cards and take exactly one more) or split a pair into two hands with a second bet. You can split up to four hands; split aces get one card each. Everyone plays at the same time, since your choices don’t change anyone else’s hand.
Then the dealer turns over the hidden card and draws until they have 17 or more, standing on every 17. Beat the dealer and you win your bet; tie and you get it back. An ace and a ten-value card on your first two cards is blackjack, which pays 3 to 2. If the dealer shows an ace or a ten, they check for blackjack first and, if they have it, the hand ends there. Run out of chips and you’re out.
The game uses four decks, shuffled again when fewer than 60 cards are left. There’s no insurance or surrender.
Tips
Turn on Show the usual play to see the standard move for every hand. In short: always split aces and eights, never split tens or fives, double 11 and most 10s, stand on 17 or more, and with 12 to 16 stand when the dealer shows 2 to 6 and hit when they show 7 or higher. Even played perfectly the dealer keeps a tiny edge, so to finish with the most chips, pick your moments to bet big.