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How To Play 2-Player Blackjack: Complete Guide | LeoVegas

How To Play 2-Player Blackjack

There are many advantages to playing two-player blackjack over a single-player game like Blackjack+. With an extra hand to be played, the game tends to be slower, allowing for better bankroll management. Plus, if you’re seated with a good player, two-player games offer the chance to learn from others and see more cards.

Table of Contents:

Overview of Blackjack Rules and Objectives

The rules of two-player blackjack mirror those of regular blackjack. The aim is to get a hand that’s as close to 21 without going over (or bust) while also trying to get a hand that’s better than the dealer’s final hand.

Key Differences Between Classic and 2-Player Blackjack

The key difference here is that there’ll be another player at the table. In two-player blackjack, the dealer sends out two hands and sees them both played before they play their hand.

Setting Up a Game of 2-Player Blackjack

What You Need to Play

To play two-player blackjack, you just need to find a blackjack table with more than one seat—most of them in land-based casinos. Online, even when it comes to live casino options,most games are you (the player) versus the dealer, but there are some multiplayer blackjack games on the market that offer a more authentic casino experience with multiple players seated at the same table.

Basic Blackjack Terminology for New Players

If you’re new to blackjack, you’ll need to know a few terms and table lingo.

  • Hit - adds another card to your hand.
  • Stand - staying put, you’re happy with your hand and are sticking with its current value.
  • Double Down - doubles the bet on your hand.
  • Split - splits your pair into two separate hands. Also requires an additional bet, equal to the first.
  • Bust - too many, you’ve gone over 21 and are out of the game.

Role of the Dealer and the Player in a 2-Player Game

The dealer is there to run the game, perform the action that each player requests, and pay out any winners who end the round with a better hand than them. The players around a two-player game will go from the dealers left to right making their action calls until they stand or go bust.

Fundamental Rules of Blackjack

Card Values and Hand Rankings

Cards numbered 2 through 10 are valued at face value. Royal, or face cards (Jacks, Queens, and Kings), are all worth 10. Aces can be worth 1 or 11, depending on what’s more favourable to the hand. The outright top-ranking hand is an Ace + a ten-value card, which totals 21 for blackjack!

Understanding Blackjack and Busting

You cannot go bust with two cards in blackjack. The maximum two-card hand value is 21, which is called blackjack. While hitting increases your risk of going bust, certain starting hands require hitting to have a chance against a dealer's moderate hand. Remember that the dealer also risks going bust.

How to Win in Blackjack: Reaching 21 or Outscoring Your Opponent

Unlike in other table games your opponent in blackjack is the dealer. You need to get closer than them to having a hand value of 21, without going bust. However, the dealer must follow a fixed rule to hit or stand on 17 - typically standing on all 17s or hitting on soft 17s. This consistent dealer behaviour is why players are advised to stand on any 17 or higher.

How to Start a 2-Player Blackjack Game

Initial Deal: Who Goes First?

In the first round, the dealer will deal the cards first to the player on their left, closest to the shoe, and it’ll be that player who gets to play their hand first.

Explaining the First Moves

The first move of a player will be to double down, split, or hit, depending on their hand. If the dealer’s face-up card is an Ace, all players in order will be offered insurance, but this should almost always be declined. After this, you play your hand as usual.

Betting Rules for Two Players

Each player gets the same range of betting options, be they the first or second player to act in two-player blackjack. That being said, the second player has to wait for the first player to finish their hand before they can go.

Taking Your Turn: Choices for Each Player

The “Hit” Option: When to Draw a Card

Hard hand totals of 8 or lower should always hit. As you move up the hand values, when to hit becomes more dependent on what the dealer shows, as per basic blackjack strategy.

Choosing to “Stand”: Knowing When to Stop

You should always stand on a hard hand value of 17 or higher and all soft hands of 18 or higher. When else to stand depends on how high your hand value is and if the dealer is showing a low or weaker first card.

Special Moves: Doubling Down and Splitting

Always split Aces and pairs of 8s. For doubling down, always double on 11, double on 10 unless the dealer shows a ten-value card or Ace, and selectively double on 9s and soft hands based on the dealer's up card.

What Happens When You Bust?

When you bust (go over 21), your round is over. You lose your bet and have to wait for the next round to place a bet and play again.

Advanced 2-Player Blackjack Strategies

Basic Strategy Guide for Optimal Moves

While basic strategy does shift a little between blackjack variants, like games with different blackjack payouts, the number of decks in the shoe, or when playing European blackjack, you can adopt some general rules for making optimal moves.

As a general rule, you shouldn’t hit with a hard 17 or above, regardless of what the dealer is showing. From hands valued at 16 down to 13, it’s best to stand if the dealer is showing anything from a 2 to a 6, but hit if their number is 7 or higher. Plus, you should always double down when you have a hard 11 in your hand.

Card Counting in 2-Player Blackjack

Two-player blackjack, in theory, makes card counting easier and swifter as more cards come out of the shoe during each round.

Recognizing Patterns and Opponent Tendencies

Your opponent, the dealer, won’t have any tendencies that will change the game at hand, so you just need to concentrate on making an optimized play for your current hand.

Bluffing Techniques to Use Against One Opponent

There’s nothing to bluff in blackjack or two-player blackjack as your hand is face-up and the dealer will always react as they are instructed to by the table’s rules.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in 2-Player Blackjack

Overvaluing Certain Hands

You may be surprised at how many players overvalue 16s and 15s, but whenever the dealer has a card of 7 or higher showing, these should be hit on automatically. The same can be said of soft hands totalling 17 or 16 if the Ace is taken as 11. With these hands, the player should double for a lower dealer face-up card and hit regardless.

Misusing Splits and Double Downs

In most forms of online blackjack, which are usually American blackjack, you can double down whenever, but there are actually rather few opportunities to double down if you’re following basic strategy.

As for splitting, the common mistake is to assume that any pair should be split - in fact, splitting pairs like 5s, 10s, or face cards typically reduces your chances of winning and wastes an already strong hand.

Ignoring Betting Limits and Risks

Even with a refined understanding of basic strategy, there’s always a house edge. So, you need to be sure to weigh the risks of each hand and appropriately stick to your betting limits. Blackjack is a game for the long haul and not one of high-odds wins, like roulette for example, so be sure to stay in the game.

Betting in 2-Player Blackjack

Types of Bets: Standard, Insurance, and Side Bets

Your first bet for each round will be the standard bet that lets you play. Insurance is a bet that can be placed if the dealer’s face-up card is an Ace. It’s not recommended that you take the insurance bet.

Felt blackjack games, like Blackjack 23+3 and Perfect Pairs offer side bets that pay out before the player battles the dealer for the better hand.

Setting and Managing Betting Limits

Essential to playing any form of blackjack or casino game is first setting your bankroll by working out how many rounds you want to play. From there, set betting limits accordingly. If you’re playing in a brick-and-mortar casino, many players keep a side stack of their original bankroll so there’s a constant visual reminder of where they stand in terms of wins and losses. Not necessary, but it can help you walk away with something!

How Betting Changes with Only Two Players

Two-player blackjack is a slower and more social game than regular blackjack, which allows for your betting to be more bankroll-friendly.

FAQs

Is 2-Player blackjack harder than regular blackjack?

Two-player blackjack isn’t any more difficult than regular blackjack as their rules mirror each other.

What are the best starting hands in 2-Player blackjack?

The best starting hand in 2-Player Blackjack is a natural blackjack: an Ace paired with any ten-value card (10, Jack, Queen, or King) for an immediate 21. Next in line is a pair of Aces or f 8s as they are prime for splitting, giving you an opportunity to create two strong hands.

Can you make money playing 2-Player blackjack with friends?

You can make money playing two-player blackjack with friends provided that you concentrate, utilize basic blackjack strategy, and win some hands.

How does splitting work in a 2-Player game?

Splitting works in a two-player game of blackjack just as it does in a one-player game of blackjack.

Can you count cards with only two players?

Yes, with fewer players at the table, card counting in 2-player blackjack becomes more straightforward as there are less cards and less moves in play.