Blackjack Essentials
- 7 players at the same time
- 1 dealer required
- Stand-up height: NO chairs are necessary
- Table dimensions:
- 6.5 feet long
- 3.5 feet wide
- 3 feet tall
- 125-150 square feet are needed for the table itself as well as everyone around it
Blackjack Photos
Casino Party Blackjack Tables
Blackjack or "21" is the most popular game in a casino. It's the one most people know how to play, and for this reason most casino parties have more blackjack tables than any other kind of table. Our recommendation is that at least half of the tables at a successful casino party should be blackjack.
The object of the game is easy: "get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over." But beating the house takes skill, knowledge, and a little bit of luck. Our dealers are experts and can teach you how to play "by the book" so that you have the best odds of walking away a winner. Because itʼs a simple enough game to learn in a minute or two, our dealers can teach even a complete novice and have them hooked for the rest of the night. At the same time, there are enough nuances to blackjack and its strategy to keep even seasoned players coming back again and again.
What Makes Our Blackjack Tables Special?
Youʼll notice that our blackjack tables have wooden legs. Real casinos donʼt use metal folding legs or table skirting. Real casino companies shouldnʼt either!
Blackjack Rules
The object of the game of blackjack is to accumulate cards with point totals as close to 21 without going over. Face cards (jacks, queens, and kings) are worth 10 points. Aces are worth 1 or 11, whichever is preferable. Other cards are represented by their numerical values. If a player and the house (i.e., the dealer) tie, this is called a "push" and no one wins. Receiving an ace and any card with a numerical value of 10 on the first two cards dealt is an automatic player win at 2 to 1, unless the house ties. A player may stand at any time.
To win you need to beat the dealer without "busting" (going over 21). You're only playing against the dealer, not the other players at the table. You bust when your cards total more than 21. In this case, you lose automatically. Between the player and the dealer, the winner is whoever has a total closest to 21. You reach 21 by adding up the values of each of your cards.
The blackjack table accommodates 7 players. Either four or six decks of cards are used and are shuffled together by the dealer and placed in a card‐dispensing box called a "shoe."
Before receiving any cards players must place a wager. Then the players are dealt two cards face‐up. The dealer gets one card face‐up and one face‐down. Each player in turn either stays or takes more cards and tries to get as close to 21 as possible without busting. Players who do not bust wait for the dealer's turn. When all the players are done, the dealer turns over the face‐down card. By rule, on counts of 17 or higher the dealer must stay; on counts of 16 or lower the dealer must draw another card.
If you reach a total of 21 with the first two cards received (a 10 or a face card and an ace), you win automatically. This is called "blackjack." If you have blackjack, you will win two times your bet unless the dealer also has blackjack, in which case it is considered a push or tie and you get your bet back. The remaining players with a higher count than the dealer win an amount equal to their bet. Players with a lower count than the dealer's lose their bets. If the dealer busts, all the remaining players win.
Two other common betting options in blackjack include "doubling down" and "splitting."
Doubling Down: You may double your initial bet immediately following the initial two cards you receive (you may not do this later in your hand), but you are allowed to "hit" or receive only one additional card. This is considered a good bet if the player is in a strong situation.
Splitting: When your first two cards are of equal value (e.g., two 8's) you are allowed to split the initial two‐card hand into two hands and play each separately. Each of your first two initial cards is used as the start of a separate hand. You must place a second bet equal to your initial wager in order to split your hand. After the player puts up another bet equal to his initial one, a card is drawn to the first hand, and that hand is played out. A card is then drawn to the second hand and that hand is played out. Pairs may be split up to four times.