The objective of the game is to reach 21 or come as close as possible to 21, without exceeding this number. If a player goes over 21 it is then called a bust and the player is out. In the game of blackjack, players compete only against the dealer to see whose hand was closest to 21. However, at the end of a round, players will usually compare their hands with those of the other players to see who had which cards.

Players are first dealt two cards from the 52 card deck. Throughout the round each player will decide whether to hit, stand, double down, split, or surrender. These moves are made according to the values of the cards in the payers’ hand – face cards (Kings, Queens and Jacks) each have a value of 10 points and an Ace has a value of wither 1 or 11 – depending on which value would be suit the players’ hand. All the other cards stand for the numerical value depicted on the face of the card.

The dealer will continue to hit, until his card have a value of 17 and players who have not busted and have a total higher than that of the dealers’, will win.

Blackjack’s true origin is unknown unfortunately, but it’s believed the game was first called twenty-one and was referenced in a book written by Miguel de Cervantes who wrote a short story in the 16^th century. Cervantes himself was a gambler and wrote about his gambling adventures in his book Rinconete y Cortadillo.