Now, the dealer again starts by asking you if you want more cards.  These cards are dealt one at a time, until you bust or indicate that you want to stand.  Now the dealer will play his cards.  The dealer has no free will.  He must always play by certain public house rules.  These rules usually tell you that the dealer will hit when his total is 16, and stand when his score is 17 or more.

After the dealer has finished with his hand, he will pay off bets with better hands, collect bets on worse hands, or in the case of a tie "pushes".  If the dealer busts, all players that didn't, automatically win.  Players then collect their winnings, if any, and can make a new bet as a new round begins.

Blackjack Basic Rules

1.  All cards are dealt face up. 
2.  The players are not permitted to touch their cards or the original bet on the table.
3.  All face cards are ten points.
4.  Aces are worth one (hard) or eleven (soft) points.
5.  The player wins when his hand has more points than the dealer, without going over twenty-one.
6.  The highest hand in blackjack is an ace and any ten-point card and is called a blackjack.
7.  A winning blackjack pays 3:2.
8.  All other winning bets pay even money.
9.  If both dealer and player have a blackjack the bet is a push.
10.  A hand with points over 21 (a bust) loses

Options

After all players are dealt the first two cards, the dealer will ask each player in turn, from left to right if he wants more cards. The player decides what to do depending on what cards he has and what cards the dealer has showing. The options available for the player are the following:

Stand: If you are satisfied with your cards you may signal you don't want additional cards. To indicate a stand, you wave your hand as if to wave the dealer away. In a one-deck game, put your cards face down under your bet.

Hit: If you want to take another card you may continue to do so until you stand or bust. To indicate you wish to hit tap the table with your finger. In a one-deck game, scrape your cards lightly against the felt.

Double: If you feel you need only one more card you may double your bet and then be dealt one more card- good or bad. This option is possible only on the first two cards. Some casinos restrict doubling to hands totaling 9, 10 or 11. To indicate a double you place an equal value wager next to your original bet. In a one-deck game, place your cards face up next to your bet.

Split: If your first two cards are of equal point value, you can divide them into two hands. Each card is then the first of a new hand. You must also place a bet of the same value as the first, for the second hand. You can re-split if the opportunity arises. Double after splitting is not always allowed. To indicate a split put the additional bet beside the original one.

Surrender: This option is offered in some casinos. On the first two cards, if you feel you will be unable to beat the dealer's hand you announce "surrender", the dealer then picks up your cards and half of your bet but leaves the other half of the bet, thus, if losing, you have saved half of your money. This option is mostly offered after the dealer checks for blackjack, called "late surrender". In some casino's you must announce your surrender decision before the dealer deals to the first hand.

Betting Rules

All betting is done before the first card is dealt.

If you split aces you are allowed to play only one card on each of the two aces, and if you do get a ten as the second card it is not considered a blackjack. These hands will beat a dealers hand if it totals 21, but lose if the dealer gets a blackjack, and only pays even money if the player wins.

Insurance bets

This bet is offered if the dealer's face card is an ace. In this case he will ask if anyone wants insurance, this is a side bet on the dealer having a card worth ten as his face down card - meaning he has blackjack. If you think the dealer has a ten you can bet an amount up to the value of your original bet and if you are correct you will receive 2 to 1 on your insurance bet. This has nothing to do with your original bet, you still have to beat the dealer's hand, if he has the ten the best you can do is tie with a blackjack of your own. After all players had a chance to accept or refuse insurance the dealer will check the down card. If it is a blackjack the dealer will collect losing bets immediately, if not, the player in turn may play their hands.