Blackjack Basics
Blackjack is a comparing card game between you and the dealer. Your goal is simple:
Get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over (busting).
Card Values
- 2–10: face value (2 = 2, 9 = 9, etc.)
- J, Q, K: 10 points each
- Ace (A): 1 or 11 (whichever helps you most without busting)
Hard vs Soft Hands
- Hard hand: either has no Ace, or the Ace must count as 1 to avoid busting.
Example: 10 + 7 = hard 17 - Soft hand: includes an Ace that can safely count as 11.
Example: A + 7 = soft 18
Pairs
A pair is when your first two cards have the same value, such as 8–8 or Q–Q. Some pairs can be split into two separate hands.
Dealer Rules (typical)
- Dealer must hit (take cards) until at least 17.
- Dealer usually stands (stops) on all 17s.
- You act first, then the dealer. If you bust, the dealer wins immediately.
Use the strategy and counting trainers to learn, then the play tab to practice full hands against a dealer.
Basic Strategy Trainer (Simplified)
This trainer uses a simplified basic strategy chart. Real casinos may have slightly different rules and more detailed charts, but this is good enough to build solid habits.
Hi-Lo Card Counting Trainer
The Hi-Lo system gives each card a value:
- 2–6 → +1
- 7–9 → 0
- 10, J, Q, K, A → -1
You keep a running count by adding these values as cards are dealt.
Current card:
—
Play vs Dealer
Practice full blackjack hands against a dealer. Choose how many decks are in the shoe so you can practice keeping a real Hi-Lo running count in your head. You can also split pairs into two hands.
Dealer
Total: —
You
Single hand
Hand 1
Total: —
Hands: 0 | Wins: 0 | Losses: 0 | Pushes: 0 | Win rate: 0%
The running count continues from hand to hand for this shoe. Click “Reset running count” if you want to zero it out, or change the number of decks to start a fresh shoe and reset both the deck and count.
About This Trainer
This site is a practice tool for learning blackjack, not a gambling site. It’s designed to help you:
- Understand the basic rules of blackjack (card values, hard/soft hands, pairs).
- Build good habits using a simplified basic strategy trainer.
- Practice the Hi-Lo card counting system with drills and a live running count.
- Play full rounds against a simulated dealer, including splitting pairs and tracking a continuous running count across hands.
The goal is to train your decision-making and mental counting so that real blackjack feels slower and easier. There is no real money involved here, and nothing on this site should be taken as a guarantee of profit in a casino. It’s purely for education and practice.
Tip: Start with the Basics tab, drill the Hi-Lo count until it feels automatic, then use Play vs Dealer while keeping the count in your head and only revealing it to check your work.