We resume our article on the basics of twenty-one. In Part 1 we covered the concept of chemin de fer, hitting, holding with the current hand and how to double down. In part two we’ll discuss splitting, surrendering and insurance.

Split: if a player is handed 2 cards of the same value (2 8’s as an example) she may split them to make 2 separate hands. If you decide to divide your hand you will need to lay a new wager equivalent to the original wager.

Surrender: Some betting houses will allow players to surrender the hand they have been dealt along with half of the original bet they placed before the dealer looking at their hand. As a rule it’s important to inquire with the croupier for clarification on the twenty-one table rules or look at the rules area on the online casino you’re wagering on.

Insurance: When the dealers exposed card is an Ace individuals have the chance to take out insurance. You will lay half of the initial bet before the dealer checks his cards; if the croupier has blackjack you will come away with a win on the insurance bet but still lose the original amount. Unfortunately if the croupier does not have black jack the competitor loses the insurance. It’s a risk but one that’s absolutely worth it, if used as part of a smart strategy.

As soon as a player has stood or gone bust by exceeding twenty one the croupier will reveal his/her cards and will go on to deal himself cards until one of the following things has happened: if he has surpassed seventeen, a dealer won’t usually draw another card due to the chance of busting, if they have drawn twenty-one or if they have busted.