Basic Rules of Blackjack: Learn How to Play Macau Blackjack

In the glamorous and thrilling casino city of Macau, the Blackjack game has consistently been a classic choice for attracting players. Macau Blackjack is a game full of blackjack strategy and blackjack luck, immersing players in a tense atmosphere. In this article, we will explore the basic rules of blackjack as well as the special rules of Macau casinos, revealing the complexities behind this fascinating table.

Basic Rules of Blackjack Game

In the poker game of Blackjack, the player with the highest total points wins, and the points must be equal to or below 21; players exceeding 21 points are considered to have "busted." The value of an Ace (A) can be considered as 1 or 11, and if counting it as 11 would cause a bust, it is counted as 1. Cards with values 2-9 have points equal to their face values, while 10, J, Q, and K each have a value of 10.

After placing chips in the betting area on the table, the dealer gives each player and themselves two cards. During the initial dealing, players receive two cards, one face-up that everyone can see, and one face-down, allowing players to choose the most advantageous total points. Players can decide whether to "hit" (draw an additional card) to increase their total points.

Basic Gameplay in Macau Blackjack

After we teach you about blackjack strategy, we will go into gameplay for the Macau Blackjack game.

• Hit: Hitting means drawing an additional card. If a player wishes to hit, they can gently tap the table to signal the dealer. Players can hit repeatedly until satisfied with the total points in their hand or until they exceed 21 points. When a player is satisfied with the total points after the initial deal or hitting, they can signal the dealer to stop hitting.
• Betting: The table usually displays minimum and maximum bet limits, which may vary for each table in every casino.
• Black Jack: If a player or the dealer has one face-down Ace (counted as 11 points) and one face-up ten-point card (K, Q, J, 10), it is referred to as "Black Jack." If both the player and the dealer have Black Jack, it results in a tie. If only the dealer has Black Jack, all player bets lose.
• Insurance: If the dealer's first face-up card is an Ace, players have the opportunity to place an additional bet, known as an insurance bet, to guess whether the total of the dealer's first two cards is 21.If the dealer does not have 21 in the end, the insurance bet is lost immediately. However, if the dealer has Black Jack, players with insurance bets receive a 1:2 bonus.
• Double Down: When a player decides to double their initial bet after receiving the first two cards, it is called doubling down. Players can choose to double down at any total points but can draw only one additional card after doubling down. If a player decides to double down, they place chips equal to the original bet next to the original wager.
• Split: When a player has two cards with the same point value, they can choose to split them into two separate hands, adding an additional bet equal to the original wager. Players can split up to three times, resulting in a total of four hands.
• Pairs: There is a betting area called "Any Pairs," allowing players to bet on whether either side's first two cards have the same point value or the same face value.

How Macau Casino Blackjack Game Process

In Macau casinos, there is a unique version of the Blackjack game with rules differing from the standard version. Here, cards are dealt face-down to players, and players control the first two cards.

Macau's Blackjack also has some special rules, such as allowing players to double down when the total points of their first two cards reach 11 (excluding Black Jack). The method of doubling down involves placing a bet equal to the original wager next to the original chips. Additionally, if one hand after splitting has a total of 11 points with the first two cards, players as the player can also choose to double down.

Betting Rounds:

1. Deal one face-down card to each player.
2. Deal one face-up card to each player.
3. If the dealer's face-up card is a 10 or an Ace, the dealer will ask players if they want to purchase insurance.
4. Players make actions such as doubling down or splitting.
5. The dealer asks each player in turn if they want to hit until the last player decides to stand or bust.
6. Once the last player decides not to draw more cards, the dealer must reveal all their cards. If the dealer has less than 17 points, they must draw cards until reaching or exceeding 17 points.
7. For players who have not busted or achieved a higher point total, compare the point values, and the higher hand wins, earning the corresponding payout.
8. If the dealer busts or players have not busted, those players receive a payout.
9. Collect used cards and tips.

Exceptional Rules in Macau Blackjack

6 Decks Continuous Shuffling Machine (CSM)

1. Some casinos use a CSM that shuffles some cards before placing them back, not recycling every deck.
2. Dealer Stands on Soft 17.
3. Players can double down on any two cards, including after splitting.
4. Usually, players can split up to four hands, and Aces can be split only once.
5. Early Surrender is allowed for values below 10; Aces cannot be surrendered.

Under these basic rules of blackjack, the basic losing rate is 0.16%, and splitting Aces can be done again, reducing the dealer's advantage to 0.08%. If a 5-deck CSM is used (commonly in places like MGM and Wynn), the dealer's advantage increases slightly, about 0.01%. However, the difference is minimal, so we estimate that all Macau blackjack strategy use a 6-deck shoe.