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Blackjack: rules, payouts and basic strategy

Blackjack is a card game against the dealer. You want a hand closer to 21 than the dealer's without going over. Cards 2–10 are worth their number, face cards are worth 10 and an ace counts as 1 or 11 — whichever helps your hand.

You get two cards, the dealer shows one. You can hit for another card, stand to keep your total, or double to raise your bet and take exactly one more card. The dealer then draws until reaching 17 or more.

How to play Blackjack

  • Sign in and open Blackjack in the free lobby.
  • Set your bet in Hesiod Coins and deal.
  • Hit, stand or double based on your total and the dealer's card.
  • Going over 21 busts and loses the bet immediately.
  • The dealer draws to 17, then the hands are compared.

Blackjack payouts

Payouts are shown as the total returned relative to your original bet.

OutcomePayout
Blackjack (ace + 10-value, first two cards)3:2 — 2.5x returned
Win against the dealer1:1 — 2x returned
Win after doubling1:1 on the doubled bet — 4x the original bet
Push (equal totals)Bet returned — 1x
Loss or bust0x

Provably fair shuffling

The deck order is derived from the server seed, client seed and nonce before the first card is dealt, so it cannot react to your decisions. Rotate the seed to reveal it and verify any past hand.

Blackjack FAQ

What does blackjack pay?

A natural blackjack — an ace with a ten-value card on the first two cards — pays 3:2, so a 100-coin bet returns 250 coins in total.

When does the dealer stop drawing?

The dealer must draw until the hand totals 17 or more, then must stand.

What is basic strategy in short?

Always stand on 17 or more, always hit on 11 or less, double on 11, and stand on 12–16 when the dealer shows 2–6 but hit when the dealer shows 7 or higher.

Are the cards shuffled fairly?

Yes. The shoe is shuffled from the hashed server seed, your client seed and the nonce, so after a seed rotation you can reproduce the exact deal.

Play Blackjack free

Blackjack is played with free Hesiod Coins — no deposit, no cash-out, XP and level rewards for every hand.

Open Blackjack

Hesiod Coins have no monetary value and cannot be withdrawn. 18+. Play responsibly — responsible gaming.