Complete Beginner's Guide to Blackjack: Master the Basics in 15 Minutes

For the last few years I’ve been interested in learning how to get better at blackjack but I’ve noticed that most guides either oversimplify things or throw way too much strategy at beginners. If you’re looking to learn blackjack quickly without getting overwhelmed, I’m going to walk you through exactly what you need to know to sit down at a table with confidence.

This is also why I created Blackjack Trainer and the mobile app to go with it, but if you’re reading this you probably know about that already.

What blackjack actually is

First things first, blackjack (also called “21”) is pretty straightforward. You’re not playing against other people at the table, you’re only playing against the dealer. The goal is simple, get your cards as close to 21 as possible without going over, and beat whatever the dealer ends up with.

I like to tell people it’s basically a math game where you’re trying to get the highest score without busting (going over 21). The dealer has to follow strict rules, but you get to make choices about your hand. That’s where the skill comes in.

The card values are also dead simple. Number cards are worth their face value, all face cards (Jack, Queen, King) are worth 10, and Aces can be worth either 1 or 11.

How a hand actually works

When you sit down, you’ll place your bet first. Then everyone gets two cards face up while the dealer gets one card face up and one face down (that hidden card is called the “hole card”).

Here’s where it gets interesting. If you get an Ace plus any 10-value card on your first two cards, that’s called “blackjack” and you win immediately unless the dealer also has blackjack. This pays better than regular wins, usually 3 to 2 odds instead of even money.

Most of the time though, you’ll need to decide what to do with your hand. You’ve got four main choices:

Hit means take another card. I tap the table or scratch behind my cards to signal this. You’ll hit when your total is low and you want to improve it.

Stand means you’re happy with what you have. I wave my hand over the cards or slide them under my bet. You’ll stand when you think your total is good enough or the risk of busting is too high.

Double down is where you double your bet, get exactly one more card, and then you’re done. This is great when you have a strong hand like 11 against a weak dealer card. Place another bet next to your original one to signal this.

Split only works if you have a pair. You divide them into two separate hands with equal bets. I always split Aces and 8s, and I never split 10s or 5s. Point with two fingers to signal a split.

We’ll get into basic strategy in a later post to help you know exactly what to do depending on the cards you and the dealer has.

Reading the dealer’s hand

The dealer doesn’t get to make choices like you do. They have to hit on 16 or lower and stand on 17 or higher. This is actually huge for your strategy because it means you can predict what they’ll likely do.

When the dealer shows a weak card (2 through 6), they’re in trouble. They’ll often end up having to take cards and might bust. When they show a strong card (7 through Ace), they’re probably going to end up with a decent hand.

I learned this the hard way when I first started playing. I used to hit every hand that wasn’t great, but once I understood the dealer’s restrictions, I realized sometimes it’s better to stand on a mediocre hand and let them bust themselves.

The decisions that matter most

For absolute beginners, if your total is 11 or under, always hit, you literally can’t bust. If you’re at 17 or higher, always stand.

The tricky part is when you have 12 through 16. This is where reading the dealer’s upcard matters. If they’re showing 2 through 6, I usually stand and let them take the risk of busting. If they’re showing 7 or higher, I hit because they probably won’t bust and I need to improve my hand.

Here’s a quick example that comes up all the time. You have 16 and the dealer shows a 10. Most beginners want to stand because they’re afraid of busting, but the math says you should hit. Why? Because 16 almost never wins anyway, the dealer likely has 20. You’re probably going to lose either way, so you might as well take a chance on improving.

Soft hands are your friend

One thing that confused me early on was “soft” hands. These are hands with an Ace that can be counted as 11 without busting. For example, Ace-6 is called “soft 17” because the Ace can be 11 (making 17) or 1 (making 7) if you need to hit.

The beauty of soft hands is that you can’t bust with one hit because the Ace can always change value. If you have Ace-6 and hit a 9, your Ace automatically becomes 1 and you have 16 instead of busting with 26.

This means you should be more aggressive with soft hands. I hit soft 17 and even soft 18 sometimes, depending on what the dealer is showing. It took me a while to get comfortable with this, but it’s one of those things that makes sense once you practice it.

Common mistakes I see beginners make

The biggest mistake I see is people taking insurance bets. Don’t do it, it’s basically a side bet that the dealer has blackjack, and the math is terrible.

Another thing is splitting 10s. I get it, you see two 10s and think “I could have two good hands!” But you already have 20, which is an excellent hand. Don’t break it up.

People also tend to play scared with soft hands and get too aggressive with hard hands. It should be the opposite, be more aggressive when you can’t bust (soft hands) and more careful when you can (hard hands).

Table etiquette that actually matters

Most casino etiquette is pretty intuitive, but there are a few things worth knowing. Use hand signals instead of just saying what you want, the cameras need to see your decisions clearly. Don’t touch your cards in games where they’re dealt face up, and definitely don’t touch your bet once the cards are out.

The dealers are generally helpful if you’re polite and upfront about being new. I always tell beginners to let the dealer know it’s their first time, they’ll help with signals and might give you a few seconds extra to think.

Getting started

Honestly, the best way to learn blackjack is to find a low-minimum table and just start playing. I recommend starting with $5 tables if you can find them, or online practice games if you want to get comfortable first.

The key is understanding that you’re going to make mistakes at first, and that’s totally fine. I definitely made my share when I was learning. Focus on the basics I’ve covered here, and you’ll be making reasonable decisions pretty quickly.

If you want to practice before hitting a real table, there are some decent apps out there. I actually built BJTrainer specifically for people who want to practice basic strategy without risking real money.

Final thoughts

Learning how to play blackjack for beginners really comes down to understanding the basic math and dealer rules. Once you get comfortable with when to hit and stand based on the dealer’s card, you’ll be playing better than a lot of people at the table.

The game is designed to be learnable quickly but take time to master. These blackjack rules will get you started, but the more you play, the more comfortable you’ll get with reading situations and making quick decisions.

If you end up trying it out, feel free to reach out. I’d love to hear how your first session goes.