How Do You Play Blackjack? | Beginner’s Guide to Blackjack & Fun Casino Hire London

If you’ve ever watched a blackjack table in a casino or at a party and thought, “That looks fun… but I’ve no idea what’s going on”, don’t worry, 99% of the other people watching are thinking exactly the same thing. After decades dealing blackjack in real casinos and Mock Vegas fun casino hire across London and the South East, I can assure you blackjack is actually one of the easiest casino games to learn.

It’s one of the best games for corporate events, weddings, birthday parties, Christmas parties and team building events because within minutes complete beginners are laughing, chatting, and confidently playing hands – that’s no exaggeration.

Blackjack works brilliantly at fun casino events because most people already know it even if they don’t realise. If you’ve ever played Pontoon or ‘21’, even when you were a kid with a grandparent perhaps, you’re already halfway there.

It’s not poker so you don’t need a poker face, the cards are dealt face up anyway. You don’t need to memorise lots of rules or be good at maths, we do that for you. That makes blackjack ideal for noisy party environments, networking and especially guests who’ve never played casino games before. In fact blackjack is a natural ice breaker. If the croupier is busy guests often ask each other how to bet, or should they take another card, or split their pair of 10’s (NEVER do that!), and suddenly strangers are chatting like friends.

Blackjack Rules Explained Simply

Step 1: Place your bet - put your chips neatly inside the betting box in front of you. Don’t scatter them around.

Step 2: Every player gets two cards face up. The dealer has one card in front of them too.

Step 3: Get as close to 21 as you dare.

You beat the dealer by getting closer to 21 than they have. You win even money (bet 10 and win another 10).

If you go over 21 you have ‘bust’ and you lose your hand and your bet immediately.

Number cards are face value, all the picture cards are 10, an ace is 1 OR 11.

A ‘blackjack’ hand, the very best you can have, is an ace and any 10-value card.

Blackjack pays 3 to 2, or 1.5 times your bet (bet 10 and you win 15)

However, if the dealer also gets blackjack too then it’s a tie, a ‘standoff’. This happens any time your hand is the same as the dealer’s. For example, if you have 19 and the dealer also has 19. You don’t win and you don’t lose, your bet simply stays there for the next hand.

After years dealing blackjack I have seen beginners usually making the same mistakes;

1. You can tell they’re thinking, “Got to get to 21, got to get to 21……”. No you don’t! If you have 18 and the dealer has 17, you win!

2. Taking too many cards - if you already have 17 or more, just leave it. The chances of improving that hand are minimal. Bear in mind there are more high cards than low cards in a deck.

3. Thinking you’re playing against everyone else - you’re not. Every player is trying to beat the dealer.

How do I ask for another card, or stop if I don’t want one?

First of all, a couple of don'ts;

Please don’t say, “Hit me”. That’s only for films and TV. You’d be laughed at in a real casino, and besides you’ll get fed up saying it.

Please don’t say ‘stick’ or ‘twist’. We are playing the grown-up version! Can you imagine James Bond playing blackjack in Casino Royale and saying, “Twist”? It just doesn’t fit, does it! In any case, it’s usually noisy in a party atmosphere, so ‘stick’ can sound like ‘hit’, the exact opposite of what you want to do.

So let’s make it simple and visual – if you want a card, tap the table behind your box. If you don’t want another card, wave your hand behind your box. It's pretty much how it's done in a real casino.

You can ‘double down’, or ‘split’ your cards if you have a pair, but I cover that in another blog.

A Mock Vegas fun casino hire is all about banter, laughs and atmosphere. You can take your time when playing blackjack, but sometimes guests take ages deciding whether to take another card, consulting with the player on their left, then the player on their right, and still can’t make up their mind. So I might take my phone out and say, “You’ve asked the audience, would you like to ‘phone a friend’?”. I could take a look at the next card out of the dealing shoe and hint very heavily whether it will help them or not. Amazingly, even when I clearly show it’s a fantastic card, some players STILL don’t want it!

Remember – we not are trying to cheat you out of your pretend money!

Blackjack etiquette – how to kid people you play in casinos all the time with James Bond levels of sophistication.

Stack your chips in a column – don’t push in a messy pile of chips. Again, that’s just for films and TV.

Don’t ‘drip bet’ - constantly changing your bet, adding a chip, then another…. Bet once then leave it alone.

Wait for the dealer to point to your cards before indicating if you want another or not - don’t jump the gun.

My top 3 tips for beginners would be;

Take your time. Nobody minds if you’re learning, most of them are learning too.

Don’t take a card if you have 17 or more. The chances of improving your hand without busting is minimal.

Look at the dealer’s card. If the dealer has 4, 5, or especially 6 they’re more likely to bust. If the dealer has a 10 or an ace you may need a stronger hand.

Blackjack Is great entertainment. It gives time to pause for interaction. We can chat, teach, joke with guests and create the atmosphere you want. When you hire a Mock Vegas fun casino, you’ll always have professional croupiers, friendly instruction and an authentic casino atmosphere without the pressure of real gambling.

If you’re looking for:

Blackjack hire in London

Fun casino hire in the South East

Roulette and blackjack tables for corporate events

Professional casino entertainment for weddings and parties

..........Mock Vegas can definitely help.

Call 0800 612 7737

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