BlackJack

There are four versions of this venerable game:

• European rules
• Vegas Strip
• Perfect Pairs
• Progressive Jackpot game

We'll talk about the Progressive game later; for now, we'll focus on the first three.

The three games are very similar. They all have a minimum bet of $2, and a maximum bet of $200. Players can play up to five hands against the dealer; it's possible to lose one or two hands, but still come out ahead. Each hand can have a different amount wagered on it. To place a wager, simply click on one of the chips at the edge of the table (they are labeled $2, $5, $25, and $100), and then click on one of the betting circles on the table. Once you have placed all of your bets, two buttons will appear in the lower right corner of the casino screen: one marked "Clear," and one marked "Deal." Clicking "Deal" will start the game.

When you choose to have a game dealt, each wager you've placed will receive one card, face up, and the dealer will receive one card face down. Every hand's second card, including the dealer's, is dealt face up. Once the dealing is completed, the player is prompted to play each hand.

On each hand, the player gets the following choices: to stand, to take a hit, to double, or, if he has a pair, to split. To stand is to leave the hand as is; to take a hit is to request another card, dealt face up, to try and get the hand's point total as close to 21 as possible. To double is to double the bet, and take one hit only. Basically, if you choose to double, you're betting that hand on the next card.

After you have drawn or stood on each hand, the dealer does the same for his hand, and the results are calculated. A tie with the dealer, a "push," returns your wager; BlackJack will usually pay 3 to 2, and winning hands pay 1 to 1. Some of BlackJack games offer an insurance bet, if the dealer's up card is an ace, face, or 10; if you take an insurance bet, it will pay 2 to 1.

As with any BlackJack game (strip blackjack is not an exception), the player can pull in some good winnings with the right strategy. Just remember that the dealer must always stand on 17. So go on, and take a hit at the BlackJack tables!