How to Play Blackjack: A Beginner's Guide

One day after pumping dollars into the slot machine and staring at a screen, you get up and notice the table games section of the casino. Brightly lit from can lights shining downward and the crisp green felt of the line of games, making you think of the cash in your wallet or purse.

There is a row of blackjack tables. Some have a dealer standing with their hands clasped idly in front of them or pressed along the cushion running along the felt. They stare at the gamblers roaming the casino, eagerly awaiting the next person to place a chip and test their luck. Other tables are crammed with players, the people behind them shifting to look over their shoulders, and you hear the loud clasp of a hand and the cheer of the table, "Blackjack!"

Some tables are hot, some are just warming up, and some are presided over by a cruel dealer who seems to have the luck that any player would crave.

The truth is it is all in the cards, each one shuffled meticulously by man or machine and dealt out randomly. The dealer has the same luck you do.