Traditional card games
Blackjack
- players
- 2–8
- minutes
- 30
- years
- 8+
In the box
52-card deck + chips
Box details
- Origin
- Traditional game, with no specific designer or publisher
- Mechanics
- Betting and BluffingPush Your Luck
Where to buy it
Near you
In a shop
Within 50 km.
The basics
Players place their bets, then receive two cards face up: the aim is to get as close to 21 as possible without going over and beat the dealer’s hand. On your turn, you hit or stand, and going over 21 loses your stake; the dealer then draws while under 17, and a winning hand is paid even money, a blackjack 3 to 2. Play for as long as you like, until a player runs out of chips.
Checked against the official rules · October 2026
Never played? Aim of the game and full rulesStep by step, with examples, for a first game.The rules, step by step
Setup
1 player is the dealer, Bet before the deal, 2 face-up cards
- One or more 52-card decks; six in a casino, dealt from a shoe.
- One player is the dealer (the bank); the others, seven at most, place their bets before the deal.
- Each player is dealt two cards face up. The dealer takes just one, also face up, and draws the rest after the players.
How to play
Hit or stand, Over 21: you lose, Dealer draws to 17
- On your turn, you hit (ask for a card) or stand.
- Going over 21 loses your stake immediately, even if the dealer busts afterwards.
- The dealer draws while under 17, then stops. An Ace counts as 11 for the dealer whenever that makes 17 or more.
Scoring
Court cards 10, Ace 1 or 11, Blackjack pays 3 to 2
- Court cards are worth 10, the Ace 1 or 11 as you choose, the other cards their face value.
- Winning hand: the dealer pays even money on the stake. If you tie on points with the dealer, your stake is returned.
- Blackjack, meaning an Ace with a ten or a court card as your first two cards: the bet is paid at one and a half times (3 to 2). If the dealer has one too, the stake is simply returned. A two-card 21 after a split is not a blackjack.
- The counter tracks each player's chip balance: enter the win or loss for each hand.
End of the game
A player out of chips, Or by agreement
- Play for as long as you like. The game ends when a player runs out of chips, or by agreement.
House rules and pitfalls
Doubling down and splitting pairs are part of the casino game, but are often left out at home.
- Doubling down and splitting pairs are part of the casino game, but are often left out at home.
- In American casinos, the dealer takes a second card straight away, face down.
never played?Aim of the game and full rules8 chapters · about 4 min read
Object of the game
Each player plays against the dealer (the bank), not against the other players. You are dealt cards and must get as close as possible to 21 points without ever going over. If you do better than the dealer, you win your stake; if you do worse, or go over 21, you lose it.
Equipment
One or more 52-card decks (six in a casino), and chips (or matches). One player is the dealer; the others, from one to seven, play against them. The role of dealer passes round after each game, or stays with the same player, as agreed.
Card values
- 2 to 10: face value.
- Jack, Queen, King: 10.
- Ace: 1 or 11, as its holder chooses, and the choice can change during the hand.
Suits do not matter.
A hand, step by step
- Each player places their stake in front of them, before the deal.
- The dealer deals one card face up to each player, takes just one for themselves, also face up, then deals each player their second card, face up.
- Each player in turn says "card" (hit) to receive one more, face up (you can ask for as many as you like), or "I'll stand" to keep their total.
- A player who goes over 21 "busts": they lose their stake at once, whatever the dealer does afterwards.
- When all the players have finished, the dealer draws for themselves by a fixed rule: they draw while on 16 or less, and stop as soon as they reach 17, an Ace counting as 11 whenever that makes 17 or more. They have no choice.
- Compare: if the dealer busts, every player still in the game wins. Otherwise, each player closer to 21 than the dealer wins; further away, they lose; in a tie, they take back their stake.
for example
Léa has a 10 and a 6: 16. The dealer shows a 9. Léa asks for a card: a 4, she has 20 and stands. The dealer draws a 7: 16, they must draw again. A King: 26, the dealer busts. Léa wins her stake.
Winnings
- Winning hand: the dealer pays even money on the stake (Léa bets 10, she receives 10 and keeps her stake).
- Blackjack: an Ace and a card worth 10 as your first two cards. It is the best hand: it pays one and a half times the stake (15 for 10). If the dealer also has blackjack, the player simply takes back their stake.
- A 21 made with three cards or more is not a blackjack: it loses to a dealer's blackjack.
- A two-card 21 made after splitting Aces or cards worth 10 is not a blackjack either: it pays even money.
In Marquoir, you record each player's win or loss after every hand.
Casino options
Useful once you know the basics; many families do without them:
- Double down: on their first two cards, a player doubles their stake and receives just one more card.
- Split: with two cards of the same value, a player splits them into two hands, with a stake on each, and plays each hand separately. A new pair may be split in turn; split Aces receive only one card each, and only one pair of Aces may be split.
- Insurance: when the dealer shows an Ace, a player may, before drawing another card, bet half their stake on the dealer having blackjack; this bet pays 2 to 1.
- Surrender, if the casino allows it: after their first two cards, and as long as the dealer is not showing an Ace, a player gives up the hand and gets back half their stake.
End of the game
Play as many hands as you like. Stop when a player runs out of chips, or when the table decides. The player with the most chips wins.
Tips for beginners
- On 17 or more, almost always stand.
- On 12 to 16, stand if the dealer shows a small card (2 to 6): the dealer is the one likely to bust. Hit if they show 7 or more.
- On 11 or less, always ask for a card: you cannot go over 21.
- Count the Ace as 11 as long as it does not make you bust: 7 and Ace makes 18.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
What is each card worth?
Court cards are worth 10, number cards their face value, and the Ace 1 or 11, whichever suits you. An Ace plus a ten or a court card is a natural "blackjack": 21 in two cards.
What do "hit" and "stand" mean?
To hit is to ask for one more card; to stand is to stop. You can hit as often as you like, but going over 21 means you "bust" (lose) immediately.
How does the dealer play?
By a fixed rule: they draw until they reach at least 17, then stop, counting an Ace as 11 whenever that makes 17 or more. They have no choice at all, which makes the dealer's side of the game predictable.
What are doubling down and splitting?
Doubling down: raising your stake again and receiving just one more card. Splitting: with two cards of the same value, playing two separate hands. These two options are what the strategy is all about.
Who wins a tie with the dealer?
Nobody: it is a "push", and the stake is returned. A natural blackjack beats an ordinary 21 made with three cards or more.