Beat the dealer by finishing closer to 21 than they do — without going over. Simple in shape, deep in choice.
Card Values
Number cards (2–10) are worth their printed value. Jacks, Queens, and Kings are each worth 10. The Ace is worth either 1 or 11 — whichever helps your hand most at any given moment.
A hand containing an Ace counted as 11 is called a soft hand. A hand with no Ace, or with an Ace forced to count as 1 to avoid busting, is a hard hand. The distinction matters because soft hands can never bust on a single hit.
The Deal
You place your bet, then the deal begins. You receive two cards face up. The dealer takes one card face up and one face down — the second is called the hole card. You act first, then the dealer reveals their hole card and plays out the hand.
If your first two cards total 21 (an Ace plus any 10-value card), that's a natural blackjack and you win immediately, unless the dealer also has one — in which case the hand is a push.
Your Actions at This Table
Arctovec Blackjack is a hit-and-stand game. Once the cards are out, you have exactly two choices on every decision, and the round resolves as soon as you stand or bust.
| Action | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Hit | Take another card. You may continue hitting until you stand or bust. |
| Stand | Take no more cards and end your turn with the total you have. |
You also set your bet before each deal. The bet locks when the cards come out and cannot be changed mid-hand.
Actions You Will See at Other Tables
Casino blackjack usually offers more options. None of these are available here yet — double down and split are on the roadmap — but knowing them helps you read any strategy chart, including the one in our strategy guide.
| Action | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Double Down | Double your original bet, take exactly one more card, and end your turn. Usually allowed only on your first decision. |
| Split | If your two starting cards are the same rank, split them into two separate hands with a matching bet on the second. Each hand is then played independently. |
| Insurance | Offered when the dealer's upcard is an Ace. A side bet of half your wager that the dealer has blackjack, paying 2:1 if they do. A poor bet over time. |
| Surrender | Give up the hand after the deal and keep half your bet. Offered at some casino tables for hopeless starts like 16 against a 10. |
The Dealer
The dealer plays a fixed mechanical strategy with no choices. They draw cards until reaching a total of 17 or higher.
At this table, the dealer stands on all 17s — including soft 17 (Ace + 6). This is the player-friendlier of the two common variants.
If the dealer busts, every remaining player wins. Otherwise, hands are compared by total.
How a Hand Resolves
| Outcome | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Win | You finish higher than the dealer without busting, or the dealer busts. |
| Loss | You bust, or the dealer's total beats yours. |
| Push | You and the dealer finish on the same total. Your bet is returned. |
| Blackjack | A natural 21 (two cards) beats every other 21 made from three or more cards. |
Payouts
| Result | Pays |
|---|---|
| Standard win | 1 to 1 — a $10 bet returns your $10 plus $10 in winnings |
| Natural blackjack | 3 to 2 — a $10 bet returns your $10 plus $15 in winnings |
| Push | Bet returned, no winnings |
House Variations in Play
Every blackjack table is its own small ruleset. The exact settings at this table:
- ·Shoe — six standard 52-card decks, reshuffled once 52 or fewer cards remain (about one deck)
- ·Dealer on 17 — stands on all 17s, including soft 17
- ·Blackjack pays — 3:2
- ·Player actions — hit and stand
- ·Double down and split — not offered yet; both are planned
- ·Insurance and surrender — not offered
- ·Bets — play money only; bankroll and session stats are saved in your browser