The blackjack playing cards

Standard poker sized playing cards are used in Blackjack.

The most common number of decks (packs) used in modern day Blackjack is six and some casinos are known to use as many as eight. Online casinos tend to use anything up to 8 shoes and usually shuffle the cards after each hand.

Due to the presence of “counters” single-deck games have become something of a rarity nowadays. Many casinos play double deck games and the player will have a greater chance of success if they familiarize themselves with the “face-down” procedures that are the norm for single and double deck-games.

The value of a card corresponds naturally with its face value. The 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of each suit are all given the same value.

The 10, Jack, Queen or King of each suit is worth 10 points, regardless of what suit the card is (traditional suit ranking systems do not apply).

An Ace may be counted as either 1 or 11 points depending on which value is of more benefit to the player.

In most casinos, the player is always permitted to set his own strategy and choose the value of the ace. However, the rules are less flexible for the dealer, with the ace always being valued at 11 if the total hand value is 17 or higher.