When all players have received their cards the dealer deals cards to his own hand. When the dealer originally dealt his own cards he will have dealt one card face down and one of his cards face up (Sometimes the dealer will deal the second card when it gets to their turn). When it comes to the dealers hand he will show all the players his second card and deal cards to his own hand. In most casinos once the dealer has reached a total of 17 or more he must "stand" and if the dealer has 16 or less the dealer must "hit". After the dealer has finished his hand he will pay out on any winning hands as follows. There are three different scenarios.

1. If your hand totals more than the dealers or the dealer has gone "bust" he pays you at even odds.

2. If your hand totals less than the dealers or you have gone "bust" you lose and he takes your bet.

3. If your hand is the same total as the dealers this is called a "push" and no-one wins and he will leave your original bet on the table (If both you and the dealer go "bust" you lose).

When you are dealt an ace you are able to choose the value of the card as either 1 or 11 as mentioned. This value can change during the playing of each hand. For example if you were initially dealt a 3 and an ace, it's up to you whether this adds up to 4 or 14. So you may want to stand with a total of 14. If however, you "hit" and receive a 10 rather than being bust your cards would now total 14 as counting the Ace as 11 would result in you being bust. The dealer will know this automatically and you don't have state your intention.

There is one way in which your hand will automatically win at Blackjack and this is when you receive a total of 21 in your first two cards. This is called a "Blackjack" or "natural" and is how the game got its' name. When you are dealt a blackjack you are also paid a bonus. This bonus is paid at odds of 3 to 2. So if you have bet £10 on the hand you will receive winnings of £15 rather than the usual £10. Unfortunately if the dealer has also dealt himself a blackjack this is a "push" and no-one wins.