Blackjack is a casino game in which players compete with the dealer to make the best hand. The objective is to beat the dealer by getting a total higher than the dealer’s, or by not going over 21 when the dealer does. Players have several playing options, including surrender, splitting, doubling down and hitting. Using basic strategy can help players reduce the house edge to less than 2%.

Before you begin playing blackjack, you should set your bankroll. This will ensure that you don’t gamble more than you can afford to lose. Also, you should be aware that blackjack is a skill-based game and you can improve your chances of winning by practicing regularly.

Keeping track of the card values in the deck is an important part of any blackjack strategy. A player can count cards by following a number system such as Hi-Lo or another method. This can help them make more blackjacks and bust the dealer more often, but it is not a guarantee of victory. Card counting is not illegal, but casinos may discriminate against players who use it.

A player can indicate to the dealer that they want another card by making a beckoning motion with their hand or tapping the table behind their cards lightly with a finger. The dealer will then give them another card until they have a total of 17 or more. The dealer will then reveal their face down card and must take new cards if their total is lower than 17. The dealer’s play is fully automatic.

In recent years, the popularity of blackjack side bets has increased tremendously. These side bets can be placed on the table at the same time as a player’s main wager. They can include betting on the dealer having a blackjack, betting on the dealer’s hole card being a specific value, and more. In addition to insurance, these side bets can increase a player’s expected return by up to 15%.

One of the most important things that a player can do to improve their odds of winning at blackjack is to understand when they should split and when they should not. The best way to do this is by studying a blackjack strategy chart. This chart will show a player’s starting two cards, the dealer’s up card, and the best move (hit, stand, split, double down, or surrender) for every possible situation. This chart can be found online at the Wizard of Odds and other sites. Practicing the chart will help players develop the skills needed to beat the dealer.

When it comes to blackjack, it is essential to know when to split pairs of similar cards. The most common ones to split are aces and eights, but you can also split nines, sevens, sixes, and threes. In most cases, splitting these pairs will increase your chances of beating the dealer.