Blackjack, also known as vingt-et-vingt-et-un, twenty-one 21 and pontoon, is one of the most popular card games in casinos around the world. Much of its popularity is due to the mix of chance with elements elements of decision making, skill and luck, and the publicity surrounding the practice of card counting, in which players can turn the odds of the game making decisions in their favor and bet strategy based on the cards have been dealt.

Casinos frown heavily on players with the ability to count cards have been dealt, but it is a difficult skill to master and few players are successful at it. In blackjack, players bet against the dealer (distributor) of the house against other players.

The goal of each player is to have a total of one point higher than the dealer without going over 21. The values of the cards in each hand are added 2 to 10 who are the face values, "As" that has value 1 or 11 (player option), and letters from the king (K), Queen (Q) and Prince (J) that have the value 10. If the players and the hands of the dealer have the same point value, this is known as "push" and neither player wins the hand. After initial bets are placed, the dealer deals the cards: two cards to each player, including himself.

One of the two cards the dealer is visible, the other hidden (the hidden card is known as the "letter hollow", in European blackjack, the "letter hollow" is not actually dealt until all players have played their turn). The cards of the players hated to face up or face down depending on the practices of the casino in charge; face up is the most common. At this point, if any player has a 21 "natural" (an Ace with any card equal to 10), he is immediately paid 3:2 (most of the time: see the basic strategy below) for your wager, unless the dealer also has a natural, what is a "push". If the dealer has a 21 natural, all players without a natural lose immediately; no chance to improve his hand.

If the dealer does not have a natural, it offers the opportunity for additional cards to each player (called a "take a hit") or staying with his current total (called PLANTAR = "standing" or "holding"). The player can continue asking for more cards, one by one, until he has gone from 21 ( "bust"), or he is satisfied with the cards you have. Furthermore, depending on which cards the player owns, and depending on the rules in effect at the table, the player may have the option to do some special games (described below). If the player goes over 21 (drawing a card that puts him on 21), he immediately loses the bet.

After all players have finished making their decisions, the dealer then reveals the "hole card" and may or may not take additional cards. The decision to take no more cards are held by the dealer; depends only on the total points the dealer has. If the dealer has less than 17, he takes another card, and continues to take more cards until reaching a value equal to or greater than 17. If the dealer goes over 21, all remaining players win.

Bets are normally paid in the ratio 1:1. Casino rules vary if the dealer takes a card when it has a "soft" 17. In Atlantic City, all dealers stop when they have a "soft" 17. In other areas, this varies according to individual rules casino.