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The Rules of Blackjack
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The
Blackjack game originated
in France approximately
300 years ago and has
since then become the
most popular casino game
worldwide. A player can
master the basic rules
quickly and fairly easily.
The objective in blackjack
is to have a hand which
totals 21, or beats the
dealer's hand by coming
as close to 21 as possible
without going over, or
'busting'. If your first
two cards are an ace and
a ten (or picture card),
that's blackjack or 'a
natural' 21. Blackjack
always beats a hand that
totals 21 by adding the
values of more than the
first two cards.
A picture card is counted
as 10, a card from 2-10
is counted at its face
value, and an ace can
be counted as either 1
or 11. A 'hard hand' is
a hand that does not contain
an ace or contains an
ace that can only be counted
as 1 so as not to bust.
In our Blackjack game
you are competing either
against a dealer (the
house) as the Player or
you can play the role
of the Dealer and play
against a Player. Our
game is unique in that
you choose to play against
other live players as
Player or as Dealer. In
BeTheDealer Casino every
game is naturally a Multi-player
game since players play
against each other. We
feature private as well
as public tables. On a
public table there are
up to two players simultaneously,
one playing as the 'Player'
and another playing as
the 'Dealer'. In the private
tables players play against
an automated System dealer.
There are six decks and
the rules are: Dealer
hits soft 17, up to 3
splits allowed (when splitting
Aces the player receives
only one additional card
for each hand, and if
the additional card is
a face card the hand is
not considered as Blackjack),
doubling down after split
is not allowed, double
down on any first two
cards, no surrender option.
Our Blackjack game has
a dealer and one player
(as described above).
The dealer deals from
a shoe containing six
decks of playing cards.
Before the cards are dealt,
the players place their
bets by clicking on either
the $1 chip, $5 chip,
$25 chip or the $100 chip
to reach the desired bet.
Once the cards are dealt
the bets may not be changed.
Buttons located on the
lower right side of the
screen will appear in
order to facilitate betting.
The minimum and maximum
initial bets can be seen
prior to entering the
blackjack table.
Each player receives two
cards face up and the
dealer receives one card
face up and one card face
down (the 'hole card').
The player may request
as many cards until he/she
busts. If a player is
dealt a Blackjack, which
is a 10 or face card along
with an Ace, he/she immediately
gets paid 1.5 times the
placed bet unless the
dealer also has Blackjack
in which case it is a
'push' (you neither win
nor lose your bet).
After all the player's
bets are completed, the
dealer turns over his/her
hole card and plays according
to the rules of the game.
If the dealer has sixteen
or less, he/she must draw
a card (hit), until he/she
reaches seventeen or more.
If the dealer's cards
total exceeds 21 (bust),
he/she must pay all players
who are still in the game.
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Playing
the Game of Blackjack
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There
are different playing
and betting methods:
Hit
You receive another
card. For example, if
your 2 cards equal 10
you have nothing to lose
by requesting another
card, since your total
could not exceed 21.
Stand
This means that
you have decided that
your hand is good enough
and you don't want to
be dealt another card.
Double Down
After you have
received your first two
cards you have the option
to double the initial
wager. Once you have chosen
to do this, click on the
'Double' button and you
will be dealt a third
card and that's it. Your
hand will only consist
of these 3 cards.
Split
If you are dealt
two cards of identical
value you can then split
them (i.e. 8, 8 or 10,
J). You would now be playing
two separate hands of
one card each. You will
be dealt a second card
to one of the hands. After
this hand is played out,
the second hand will be
dealt a second card and
continued until that hand
is played out (when splitting
Aces the player receives
only one additional card
for each hand). You may
split your hand twice
and a new wager equal
to the initial wager will
be placed for each split
hand.
A split hand resulting
in Blackjack pays out
at a ratio of 1-1 rather
than the normal 3-2. If
it is possible to split
two cards the 'Split'
button will be highlighted
to allow the player to
split the cards. Simply
click on the 'Split' button
to facilitate the splitting
of the cards.
Insurance
If the dealer's
first card is an Ace,
there is a possibility
of a Blackjack. If you
believe the dealer has
Blackjack you can buy
insurance to protect yourself.
If you choose to insure
yourself, you have to
pay an amount equal to
half your wager. If the
dealer gets Blackjack,
the insurance will pay
2 to 1, which corresponds
to your original stake.
If you have insured yourself
and the dealer does not
obtain Blackjack then
you lose your insurance
but retain your original
wager.
Insurance is considered
a game of its own within
Blackjack, and gives you
a chance to protect yourself
from the dealer's Blackjack
Push
A Push refers
to when the sum of the
dealer's hand is equal
to the sum of the player's
hand. In this event the
play is a draw, and no
one wins nor loses.
Notes :
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When
a playing round begins
a 'Timer' will appear
(round circle in the bottom-right
side of the screen). Should
a player fail to place
his/her bet within the
Timer's time limit he/she
will not take part in
the current round. If
the player fails to make
his/her decisions (Hit,
Stand, Split etc.) before
the Timer ends, then his/her
hand will continue without
his/her participation
as if he/she has decided
to Stand.
Examples:
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Your
beginning hand is: Ace,
6. This hand can be either
7 or 17. If you stop there,
you'll have 17. Let's
say that you decide to
'Hit' and receive a '3'
.You now have: Ace, 6,3.
Your total hand is now
20, counting the Ace as
11. Let's backtrack and
assume that you had instead
drawn a third card which
was an '8'. Your hand
is now: Ace, 6, 8, which
totals 15. Notice that
now the Ace must be counted
as only 1 to avoid going
over 21.
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If
you split a pair of Aces,
and then draw a ten-valued
card on one of the Aces,
this is not a Blackjack,
but rather a total of
21. The distinction is
important, because a winning
Blackjack pays the player
odds of 3 to 2.
A bet of $10 wins $15
if the player makes a
Blackjack. A player's
Blackjack beats any dealer
total other than a dealer's
Blackjack, including a
dealer's regular 21. If
both a player and the
dealer make Blackjack,
the hand is a tie or push.
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A
good example of Doubling
Down is when you hold
a total of 11 (a 5, 6
or a 9, 2) against a dealer's
upcard of 6. In this case,
you have a good chance
of winning the hand by
drawing one additional
card, so you might as
well increase your bet
in this advantageous situation.
You have to place an additional
bet next to the original
bet. The dealer will deal
one additional card to
your hand and you will
not be able to take any
more cards until the current
round has ended.
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Gameplay
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Table
Limits
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| Table
Type |
Minimum
Bet |
Maximum
Bet |
| I |
$2 |
$20 |
| II |
$5 |
$50 |
| III |
$25 |
$350 |
General
Text Boxes
Message - This
indicates whether 'You
are the Player' or whether
'You are the Dealer'.
Opponent - This
tells you the name (or
nickname) of your current
opponent.
Last Round - This
tells you how much you've
won or lost in the previous
round.
Credit Points -
This is your current Credit
Points balance. As Player,
you accumulate 1 Credit
Point on every dollar
you place as a bet. As
Dealer, 1 Credit Point
is deducted for every
1 dollar bet against you
(see example below).
Fun Balance / Balance
- This is your current
Fun / Real-Money Balance
(in US dollars).
Commission - When
playing as Dealer, you
pay a commission of 1.5%
on the total bets placed
against you (when playing
as Player you do not pay
commissions), see example
below.
General Options
Back - Pressing
'Back' returns you to
the Options Screen.
'?' (Help) - Pressing
'Help' opens the Help
screen relevant to the
room you're currently
in. In this case, Blackjack.
'$' (Cashier) -
Pressing '$' opens the
Cashier screen.
Timer - This is
the circle at the bottom-right
corner of the screen.
On every round, you have
45 seconds to make your
decisions when playing
as Player, and 35 seconds
to make your decisions
when playing as Dealer.
The Timer indicates how
much time you have left
before reaching the time
limit. If you haven't
finished making your decisions
during the specified time
limit, you will exit the
table.
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Playing
as Player
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BeTheDealer
Casino lets you play
either as Player or
as Dealer. Playing as
Dealer is optional and
is not mandatory. If
you do not wish to play
as Dealer, you can play
the traditional role
of the Player, knowing
you can rely on the
fairness and credibility
of BeTheDealer Casino.
Blackjack
Text Boxes
Card Labels
- These labels appear
to the left of the playing
cards and inform you
what is the current
sum of the cards.
Bet Labels -
These labels appear
to the left of your
bet and inform you how
much money you have
placed on the table.
Won / Lost Labels
- These labels appear
above the cards and
indicate whether you
have won or lost (bust).
Game Options
Game Chips :
$1, $5, $25 and $100
With the Game Chips
you make your bet on
the table by creating
a "Chip Tower". You
may remove chips from
the Chip Tower by clicking
on the left mouse button
while placing the cursor
on the Chip Tower.
Deal
Once you've placed your
bets on the table press
'Deal' to deal the cards.
Hit
When you press 'Hit'
you receive an additional
card. You can Hit as
long as you didn't bust
your hand.
Stand
Press 'Stand' when you've
decided that you don't
want to be dealt any
more cards.
Double
Press 'Double' if you
want to receive one
additional card only.
After you have received
your first two cards
you have the option
to double the initial
wager. Once you have
chosen to do this, click
on the 'Double' button
and you will be dealt
a third card and that's
it. Your hand will only
consist of these 3 cards.
Split
If you are dealt two
cards of identical value
you can then split them
(i.e. 8, 8 or 10, J).
You would now be playing
two separate hands of
one card each. You will
then be dealt a second
card to one of the hands.
After this hand is played
out, the second hand
will be dealt a second
card and will continue
until that hand is played
out.
You may split your hand
twice and a new wager
equal to the initial
wager will be placed
for each split hand.
A split hand resulting
in Blackjack pays out
at a ratio of 1-1 rather
than the normal 3-2.
If it is possible to
split two cards the
'Split' button will
be available to allow
the player to split
the cards. Simply click
on the 'Split' button
to facilitate the splitting
of the cards
Insurance
If the dealer's first
card is an Ace, there
is a possibility of
a Blackjack. Two buttons
('yes' and 'no') will
appear and you will
be asked if you wish
to take insurance. If
you believe the dealer
has Blackjack you can
buy insurance to protect
yourself. If you choose
to insure yourself,
you have to pay an amount
equal to half your wager.
If the dealer gets Blackjack,
the insurance will pay
2 to 1, which corresponds
to your original stake.
If you have insured
yourself and the dealer
does not obtain Blackjack
then you lose your insurance
but retain your original
wager. Insurance is
considered a game of
its own within Blackjack,
and gives you a chance
to protect yourself
from the dealer's Blackjack.
Disconnections
Communication
problems over the Internet
may cause sudden disconnections.
We have designed our
software to cope with
such incidents in a
manner that our clients
will be protected from
unjustifiable loss,
while eliminating the
possibility of intentional
disconnections and/or
system abuse.
Should a disconnection
or timeout occur after
the Player placed his/her
bet and before the Player
pressed the 'Deal' button,
the Player's bet will
be returned to his/her
Balance.
Should a disconnection
or timeout occur after
the Player placed his/her
bet and the total sum
of the Player's cards
equals 12 or more, the
round will continue
as if the Player has
decided to 'Stand'.
Should a disconnection
or timeout occur after
the Player placed his/her
bet and the total sum
of the Player's cards
equals 11 or less, the
round will continue
as if the Player has
decided to 'Hit'. Additional
cards will be dealt
to the Player until
the total sum of the
Player's cards equals
12 or more, in which
case the round will
continue as if the Player
has decided to 'Stand'.
Should a disconnection
or timeout occur after
the Player 'Split' his/her
cards, all split hands
will be treated according
to the rules explained
above. For example,
it the total sum of
the Player's first hand
equals 12 or more and
the Player's second
hand equals 11 or less,
the first hand will
be played as if the
Player has decided to
'Stand' and the second
hand will be played
as if the Player has
decided to 'Hit' until
the total sum of the
cards equals 12 or more,
in which case the round
will continue as if
the Player has decided
to 'Stand'.
After connection is
re-established the Player
can enter the "History"
page and see the results
of the last round ("History"
is available for Money
mode only).
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Playing
as Dealer
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BeTheDealer
Casino offers you the
unique option of playing
the role of the Dealer.
This option increases
your chances of winning,
since you gain some of
the favorable odds reserved
for the casino. At the
end of every round the
casino takes a commission
of 1.5% of the total bets
bet against the Dealer.
Example
A Dealer chooses to play
in Table III. This means
that the Dealer meets
the minimum requirements
for playing in this table
type: a minimum of 1100
Credit Points and a minimum
balance of $1100. The
system then matches a
Player to the Dealer and
after the Dealer 'Approves'
the next round, the Player
places his/her bets on
the table. Notice that
the view of the table
has changed to that of
the Dealer's. Let's say
the Player places $137
and receives a 'K' and
a '3' and the Dealer's
upcard is a '7'. The Player
decides to 'Hit' his/her
hand and receives a 'J',
and therefore busts. The
Dealer's hole card is
then revealed to show
a '5'. The Player loses
his/her bet and since
the bet against the Dealer
was $137 the casino takes
a commission of
1.5%*137 = $2.06, which
means the Dealer wins
137-2.06 = $134.94 on
this round.
The casino's edge in Blackjack
with these rules is approximately
2% (bear in mind that
this percentage depends
on the knowledge of the
player in Blackjack. Also,
this 2% is how the casino
makes a profit on Blackjack)
so as the Dealer you actually
gain an edge of about
0.5%.
Minimum Credit
Points and Balance
You can play
as Dealer once you have
accumulated enough Credit
Points and in addition
you need to have enough
money in your Balance,
according to the game's
limits described in the
Game Options page.
The Minimum Balance required
is a bit higher than the
total winnings of the
Player in a given round,
which are: 3 * (Maximum
Bet) + (Casino commission
= 1.5%) * (3 * (Maximum
Bet) )
Game
Options
"Approve" Button / 'Auto-Approve'
Feature
When playing as Dealer,
before each round commences
you must 'Approve' the
next round. After you
approve the round, the
Player can place his/her
bets and play the round.
The 'Auto-Approve' feature
lets you automatically
approve the next rounds,
without having to approve
every round individually.
Disconnections
Communication
problems over the Internet
may cause sudden disconnections.
We have designed our software
to cope with such incidents
in a manner that our clients
will be protected from
unjustifiable loss, while
eliminating the possibility
of intentional disconnections
and/or system abuse.
Should a disconnection
occur after the Dealer
pressed the 'Approve'
button, play will continue
until the Player has finished
his turn. This has no
effect on the Dealer,
since the Dealer is played
automatically according
to the rules of the game.
After connection is re-established
the Dealer can enter the
"History" page and see
the results of the last
round ("History" is available
for Money mode only).
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