Guide to Blackjack

Below is the table of contents for our comprehensive Blackjack guide. You can access the main sections from any of the guide page using the panel to the left. To read the other pages in a section, you can either use the context sensitive menue that will also appear to the left, or revert back to this contents page.

Table of contents

History
- Origins and early history
- Beginnings of blackjack strategy
- The card counting conundrum
- Blackjack today and tomorrow

How to play blackjack
- The playing area
- The cards
- Object of the game
- Shuffle & burn
- Betting
- Table limits
- The deal
- Peeking
- Playing decisions
- Insurance
- Even money
- Surrender
- Hitting
- Bust
- Standing
- Splitting
- Doubling
- Back playing
- Disputes
- Game resolution

Rule variations
- The Vegas Club
- Charity casinos
- European blackjack
- Dealing down
- Mid shoe entry
- Over and under
- Exposed hole card
- Multiple action
- Spanish 21
- No house blackjack
- Old bar blackjack

Basic Strategy
- Summary
- Pair Aces
- Pair 9s
- Pair 8s
- Pair 7s
- Pair 6s
- Pair 4s
- Pair 2s or 3s
- Ace & 8 or 9
- Ace & 7
- Ace & 6
- Ace & 4 or 5
- A & 2 or 3
- Soft 17 or 18
- Hard 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21
- 16 (not 8s)
- 15
- 13 or 14
- 12
- 11
- 10
- 9
- 5, 6, 7, 8

Money management
- Bankrolls
- Stakes
- The 2% rule
- Where to play
- Knowing when to quit

Playing Approaches
- Aggressive
- Conservative
- Record keeping
- Credit

Counting systems
- How they work
- Thorps Five Count Strategy
- Thorps Ten Count Strategy
- Thorps Point Count System
- Running Count Wagering
- True Count Wagering

Modified Basic Strategy
- Single deck MBS
- Commonsense MBS
- The MBS advantage
- MBS 1
- MBS 2
- MBS 3
- MBS 4

Blackjack Psychology
- The Macho Mentality
- Luck and Chance