One decision you will be faced with when playing Blackjack is called “Doubling Down” this is simply placing another wager on your hand which is equal to your initial bet, and for this wager you will receive another card.

As usual with so many Blackjack variants in play you should fully familiarize yourself with the house rules, these are displayed on a small sign at the side of the dealer and will let you know when you can double down your hand.

The most common double down rules will dictate that you can double down either on ANY first two cards, or on a 9, 10 or 11 valued hand.

Now you may think that doubling your initial wager is a good move and a novice player will soon find out to his cost, that not every hand should be double downed on, there are only certain situations when this move is a good strategic move and we shall now take a look at these situations.

When you have been dealt a hand totalling eleven then it is a very good move to double down, even if the dealer is holding an Ace. Should the  Blackjack game be a dealer peeks game then you will already know he isn’t holding a Blackjack hand.

Another common situation to double down is when you have a pair of fives, you should not be thinking of splitting them even if the dealer appears to have a week up card, you should double down this hand unless the dealer is holding a Ten or an Ace.

When you are holding a nine you should take a good look at the dealers up card as this will give you an insight into the correct move you should make, in single deck Blackjack you should be considering doubling down this nine when the dealer is holding a 2, 3, 4, 5 or a 6.

With you having the option to double down you should always bear this in mind when you are placing your initial wager, there can be no worse feeling than being dealt a hand which should be double downed on but you not having enough cash or chips on you to make this move!

However if you are visiting a land based casino then a little more decorum is called for and as there is no real dress code you are well advised to wear something comfortable and not something that will annoy fellow players!

Every Blackjack player is different and some like to chat and have a bit of a banter with fellow players and the Dealer, however some players prefer to just sit and play.

With this in mind if you are a loud outrageous player do remember that everyone may not want a running commentary on every hand dealt and you are more likely to find yourself playing alone if you start to get on other players nerves!

Before you sit down and play make sure you are fully aware of the rules of that particular game of Blackjack, every table will have a small sign at the side of the Dealer listing how the game plays, and also on the table felt will be further game rules, namely what a Dealer does on a soft, hard or all 17′s, the Blackjack payouts and the insurance bet information.

Our final etiquette tip is for you not to blame the Dealer for the hands you are receiving, ranting and raving at a Dealer when he is dealing you losing hands will not do you any favors, if you are on a losing streak then take a break, go to the buffet or to the bar and unwind for a while.

The object of blackjack is to geta total value of cards close to twenty one, without going over this number. Numerated cards are worth their face value. Face cards such as Kings, Queens and Jacks — are each worth 10. Aces are worth either 1 or 11, as the player wants.

When the total value of your cards goes past 21, you “bust”, which means you lose. If your total is less than or equal to 21 and the dealer’s total is over 21, then the dealer busts and you win. If either your total or the dealer’s total exceeds 21, then the higher total wins. In the case of a tie, no one wins and no one loses. A tie is called a “push”.

As you place your bet you have begun the game. Next the dealer deals two cards to you and one to himself. Usually these cards are dealt face-up. Then the dealer gives himself a second card face-down. This is called the hole card. Now you have to make a decision, either to call for another card or pass to the dealer.

When the face-up card of the dealer is an Ace, you will be asked if you want “insurance”. The cost of insurance is one-half your original bet. Your insurance bet pays 2 to 1 if the dealer gets blackjack, which will equal the amount you lose on the original bet.

Casinos deal blackjack from a single deck or from multiple decks. Mostly, the dealer is used to “discard” or burn the top card after shuffling.