Here are the basic rules for Blackjack. You may be wondering if the game is played like this everywhere and it is my understanding that some countries have different rules.
The name of the game is either "Blackjack" or "21". The game is played between a dealer and one or more players. The players are only playing against the dealer. They are not trying to beat each other.
Everyone starts the game with a hand of two cards. You can play on tables where the first dealer card is dealt down and the second card is dealt up but this really doesn't matter except when the dealer wants to offer you insurance. I'll get to that later. Players usually keep their cards hidden until their turns are over and the dealer plays.
The object of the game is collect enough cards in your hand that when counted up total no more than 21 points. You want to get as close to 21 points as possible. A natural 21 or a Blackjack is a 2-card hand where you get the 21 points on the deal.
The Ace is a special card in Blackjack. It can count either as 1 point or 11 points. You have to decide how you want to play it. You cannot change your mind after you make that decision.
The King, Queen, and Jack all count 10 points. And the rest of the cards count the same points as their numbers. So there are four 10-point cards in each suit and 16 10-point cards in each deck.
In the casino you will probably sit at a table where the cards are dealt from a shoe. That is a box that holds from 2 to 8 decks of cards. The casinos play with a lot of cards to make it harder for players to count the cards. If a casino suspects you are counting cards it can reshuffle the cards in play, change the shoe, close the table, or ask you to leave. If you refuse to leave they can have you arrested.
Sometimes you are dealt two of the same card. You have the option of splitting these cards. Most players won't split any 10-point cards or 9s. That is because with two 9 cards you have 18 points and with two 10-point cards you have 20 points. You'll probably do worse if you split your hand.
To split your hand you tell the dealer, "I would like to split." Then you lay down a second bet the same amount as your first bet. The dealer then gives you two more cards and you are playing two hands.
In some casinos you can keep splitting your hand several times if you keep getting cards of the same value.
You can also double down. This means you think you have a very good hand and you want to double your bet. The casino requires that you take 1 more card and then your turn is over. Doubling down is not really the best move you can make.
The dealer checks his cards after the deal. If he has a 21 he declares the game over. All players who also have 21 keep their bets. Any players who have less than 21 lose their bets.
At some tables the dealer must play his cards up. This means he doesn't need to check his cards. When the dealer plays one card down he may look at it first before allowing play to continue. But if the dealer's face up card is an Ace he will ask if you want insurance before checking his face down card.
Insurance is a second bet where you are wagering the dealer has a 10-point card alongside the Ace. If the dealer does have a 21 you win your insurance bet. If he does not have a 21 you lose your insurance bet. If you are lucky you were dealt a blackjack AND win the insurance bet but the chances of this happening are very narrow.
When you want more cards you tell the dealer "hit" or "hit me". When you don't want any more cards you say "stand" or "I'll stand". The dealer must stand if he is dealt a 17. On some tables the dealer must stand if he reaches 17 after drawing a 3rd card, but on other tables the dealer must draw 1 more card. This is called a "soft 17" because the dealer had to take at least 1 extra card to reach 17.
If you are not very experienced it's a good idea to stand on 17 but when you have 12 to 16 points you'll need to study the probability tutorials to understand when you should stand and when you should hit. That depends on what the dealer's up card is.
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