Blackjack card values: In blackjack, the cards are normally worth their face value, or their pip number. A 4 counts as four points, an 8 is equal to eight points, and so on. The only exceptions are that 10s and face cards all are worth 10 points, and an ace can count as either 1 or 11 points, depending on how you want to use it. The ace is also the most important card in the deck — the combination of an ace and any ten-point card (10, jack, queen, or king) on your original two cards results in a natural, or a blackjack.

Anyone looking for a game that is both simple and exciting, blackjack seems the natural choice. Also known as Pontoon or Vignt Un, this is a popular game at traditional casinos as well as at online casino sites. There are many versions of blackjack, although the basic game comprises of the same idea - for the player to reach as close to the number 21 as possible, without going over that amount.

Blackjack is played against the dealer and the other players at the table are of no importance to the outcome of the player's hand. It is important to note that because of the differing rules and regulations between casinos, and the variants of the game of blackjack, players should take time to read the instructions of each game carefully before playing for real money.

If you are the kind of player that enjoys games with rules that are easy to learn, but difficult to master, then Blackjack is certainly your kind of game. While the rules are very quickly learned, there are many influences that a player must understand before achieving any type of proficiency with this timeless classic.

The first item that you must understand is that the odds in Blackjack favor the house. For example, it's not uncommon for both the dealer and the player to go over twenty-one, or "bust." If this happens to you will lose your wager.

Another commonly misunderstood bet is the "insurance" bet. This is a side bet that you can make outside the typical wager. This bet comes in to play when the dealer is showing an Ace card face up (players are dealt two cards, initially, with one of the cards being placed face up and the other face down). An insurance bet can then be made. This is a bet that if the dealer has a ten card, and ends up getting a Blackjack, the player will lose their initial wager, but if they made the insurance bet they win that bet. The insurance bet pays two to one and the player breaks even. For many this might sound like a good bet to make but as a player you must realize the likelihood of a dealer getting Blackjack, which is very unlikely with the first two cards. It is typically regarded as somewhat of a fool's bet, but to novice players appears to be sound thinking. Some experts have even gone so far as to say that this bet should never be made unless a player is counting the cards. Many casinos regard card counting as cheating and a player should never engage in any activity that would be considered unethical.

Another Blackjack strategy that might have you confused is that of "doubling down." The art of doubling down is a viable strategy and one that must be understood prior to doing it in actual game play. A player is allowed to double down on two cards and increase their initial wager by two. For example, if a player is dealt a six card and a five card, a total of eleven, that player can choose to double down. The dealer will then allow you to increase your bet and then deal you one more card. If you are dealt a ten card at this point you have proven yourself very wise.

These are just a few things to consider before getting too far into Blackjack. Blackjack's simplicity can be very deceiving and you should learn all you can.