21 BlackJack

21 Blackjack is a free blackjack game played with practice chips. You start with $1,000, place a bet with the $5, $10, $25 and $100 chips and play hands against the dealer. Get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over and you win. There is no real money anywhere in the game, which makes it a good place to learn and practise.

The rules at this table

• Number cards count their value, picture cards count 10, an ace counts 1 or 11.
• Blackjack (an ace and a ten-value card as your first two cards) pays 3 to 2.
• The dealer must draw to 16 and stand on 17.
• Insurance pays 2 to 1.
• Go over 21 and you lose the hand, whatever the dealer has.

How to play

1. Click the chips to build your bet.
2. Deal. You and the dealer get two cards; one of the dealer’s is face down.
3. Hit to take another card or stand to keep your total.
4. The dealer plays by the fixed rule above, then the hand is paid.

A simple strategy

• Always stand on 17 or more.
• Hit on 11 or less: you cannot go over.
• With 12 to 16, stand when the dealer shows 2 to 6 and hit when the dealer shows 7 or higher.
• Skip insurance. Over many hands it costs more than it pays.

Frequently asked questions

Is this real-money blackjack?

No. The chips are for practice only and have no value.

Is this a good way to learn blackjack?

Yes. The rules match a standard casino table and nothing is at stake, so you can try the strategy above as often as you like.