Blackjack is a fairly simple game which can be learned online reading a blackjack blog this is a big part of why it is so popular. However there are quite a few decisions that a player has to make when it comes to playing their cards. Usually these decisions have to be made after the first two cards are dealt. The choices that you make will have a major impact on the odds that you are facing during the game.

The first option that you have after you receive your initial cards is to do nothing and stand on the two cards that you were dealt. This is the best option in a lot of cases. There are a lot of cards with a value of ten in the deck so if you are dealt one the chances that you will go over twenty one if you take another card are pretty good. If you do not think that you have a very strong hand you also have the option to hit. This will give you another card to increase your total. You can hit as many times as you like but it is extremely rare that you would want to hit more than twice.

Another option that you have after you are dealt your first two cards is to double down. This allows you to double your bet however it requires that you take one and only one additional card. This is usually a good option if one of the cards that you were dealt was an ace. Since it can count as an eleven or a one the chances of your going bust are pretty small.

If you are dealt a pair with your first two cards you have the option to split them and play them as separate hands. When you do this you will be dealt a second card for each of the new hands. And you will play them like you would any other hand. You do however have to make the same bet for both hands. Depending on the casino that you are playing at you may or may not be able to split your hand again if you are dealt another pair after you have split the first time. The same applies to doubling down; it may or may not be possible depending on the casino.

One last option that you have in most casinos is that you can surrender your hand. If you decide that the first two cards will give you little chance of winning you can withdraw from the hand and lose only half of your bet. This can be a good way to limit your losses if you are dealt a weak hand. This is another of those options that varies from one casino to another so you will need to make sure that you understand the rules where you are playing.