Card 21 is a popular card game. The object of the game is to beat the dealer by having a hand value of 21 or as close to 21 as possible without passing.
In the game, players are dealt two cards and can choose to "hit" and receive additional cards in an attempt to improve their hand, or "stand" and keep their current hand. The dealer must follow a set of rules for drawing additional cards, and the player's hand is compared to the dealer's hand to determine the winner. Cards 21 is played with a standard deck of 52 cards, and the value of each card is as follows: 2-10 are worth their face value, Jacks, Queens, and Kings are worth 10 points and Aces are worth either 1 or 11 points (the player can choose which value to use). The game is easy to learn but can be challenging to master, as it involves strategy and decision-making.
How to play
- Shuffle the deck and deal two cards to each player, including the dealer. The dealer will deal one card face up and one card face down (also known as the "hole" card).
- Look at your cards and add up their values. Aces are worth either 1 or 11 points, face cards (Jacks, Queens, and Kings) are worth 10 points and all other cards are worth their face value.
- If you have an Ace and a face card, you have a "natural" 21 and automatically win the round (unless the dealer also has a natural 21, in which case it's a tie).
- If you don't have a natural 21, you'll need to decide whether to "hit" (ask for another card) or "stand" (keep your current hand). The goal is to get as close to 21 as possible without going over or beating the dealer's hand.
- If you choose to hit, the dealer will deal you another card. You can continue hitting until you decide to stand or until you go over 21, at which point you'll lose the round (also known as "busting").
- Once all players have finished their turns, the dealer will reveal their hole card and follow a set of rules for drawing additional cards. The dealer must hit if their hand value is below 17 and must stand on 17 or higher.
- If the dealer busts (goes over 21), all remaining players win the round. If the dealer's hand value is higher than the player's hand value, the dealer wins. If the player's hand value is higher, the player wins. If the player's hand value is equal to the dealer's hand value, it's a tie.
- The game continues until all players have finished their rounds or until the deck runs out of cards. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
