Benjamin Goldeagle's Guide to BlackJack
 

BlackJack is a very fun game and is a sure moneymaker in POTCO, if you are a good player. Read this guide to get some starting tips on BlackJack, and as you play more and more, you'll develop some skills on your own!

• Bust - Referred to getting over the total number value 21 in your hand of cards. When a player busts, he/she automatically loses or pushes.
• Push - Referred to both you and the dealer busting, or getting the same total number in total card values. If you push with the dealer on a bust, it is automatically even, there is no scoring on how close you where to 21 if you bust.
• Hit - Referred to when a player says he/she wants another card based on the value of the cards that players already has. This is why BlackJack requires good judgement.
• Double down - A player can only perform a double down when he has not hit or stayed in his turn. That means double down is the one and only move that is used in a turn. A double down is when a player doubles his bet on one card, meaning: The player gets one card and one card only. When the game is over, if the player lost, the player would have to pay the dealer double the original bet, but if the player won, the dealer would have to pay the player double the original bet.
• Stay or stand - Referred to when a player decides that he/she does not want anymore cards, therefore ending that player's turn.
• Turn - Every player's turn lets that player hit as many times as he/she wants and then staying. When a player stays, that person's turn is over. Remember BlackJack only has one round per game.

The actual play of BlackJack is very simple to understand. First, learn that suits are of no importance in BlackJack. Only the ranks matter. Here are the separate values of all the cards:
Rank: 2 | Value in BlackJack: 2
Rank: 3 | Value in BlackJack: 3
Rank: 4 | Value in BlackJack: 4
Rank: 5 | Value in BlackJack: 5
Rank: 6 | Value in BlackJack: 6
Rank: 7 | Value in BlackJack: 7
Rank: 8 | Value in BlackJack: 8
Rank: 9 | Value in BlackJack: 9
Rank: 10 | Value in BlackJack: 10
Rank: J | Value in BlackJack: 10
Rank: Q | Value in BlackJack: 10
Rank: K | Value in BlackJack: 10
Rank: A | Value in BlackJack: Either 1 or 11, depending on whether it busts you or not.
The ace is a tricky card in BlackJack, and a lot of people get confused about the ace. If you have 10 and then you get an ace, then 10 + 11 = 21, so since that would not bust you, the ace would then be the value of 11. However, if you had 15, 15 + 11 = 26 which would bust you, so ace then takes the value of 1.

1. The dealer starts by dealing 2 cards to each player, including himself, all of which cards are face down. With only 2 cards at first to each player, it is impossible for any player to bust at the start.
Steps 2 and 3 are played differently, depending on whether you are playing Classic BlackJack or POTCO BlackJack.
Classic BlackJack
2. Each player picks up their cards, hiding them from everyone else in a poker-style manner. Starting with the player to the left of the dealer, everyone takes their turns in a clockwise fashion. The dealer is always the last person to have their turn.
3. When the dealer finishes his/her turn, all cards are revealed (to find out the winners, see "The Object of BlackJack").
POTCO BlackJack
2. Without looking at their cards first, each non-dealer player flips both of their cards face up on the table. The dealer, however, without looking at his cards first, flips over one of his cards face up, keeping the other card face down and concealed. Starting with the player to the left of the dealer, everyone takes their turns in a clockwise fashion. The dealer is always the last person to have their turn. When the dealer's turn comes, his flips the concealed card face up. That means the dealer's concealed card stays face down until it is the dealer's turn. Then the dealer plays normally like everyone else.
3. When the dealer finishes his/her turn, the winners are figured out (to find out how to distinguish the winners, see "The Object of BlackJack").

The Object of BlackJack is to beat the dealer. You beat the dealer when:
1. You get closer to 21 then the dealer.
2. The dealer busts and you don't.
BlackJack is a dealer vs player game, not a player vs player game. That means each player makes a separate bet with the dealer. When a game is over, the dealer pays money to those who beat him, and collects money from those he beat. BlackJack can be played with an unlimited amount of players.

A "BlackJack" hand is getting an ace and a royal or a ten. For example, if someone got a Q and an A this is BlackJack because Q = 10 A = 1 or 11, and 10 + 11 = 21. A BlackJack is getting 21 at the start of play. Here are all the possible BlackJack hands:

• A and 10
• A and J
• A and Q
• A and K

• It is best to double down when having 9, 10, or 11 as your starting number. This way, it is impossible to bust, so the only possible negative output is getting a total too low.
• In POTCO BlackJack, cheat cards can be very helpful. Even though you may get caught cheating, it is a risk and that is what most card games are about. Cheat cards allow you to switch a card in your hand with a cheat card you have collected from an enemy, quest, ect.
• In POTCO BlackJack, if you are a risk-taker and need some money, play BlackJack on Padres del Fuego. The betting is a lot higher there and you will win a lot more money (or lose a lot more money).

The most cards you can possibly get in a hand without busting is 8 cards.