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Game guide

Blackjack

A card comparing game played against the house, with a fixed target of 21.

How the game works

Players aim for a hand total closer to 21 than the dealer's without exceeding it. Number cards count at face value, face cards count as ten, and an ace counts as one or eleven.

Because the dealer acts last and players who exceed 21 lose immediately, the house retains an advantage even under careful play.

Probability concepts

Blackjack outcomes depend on the composition of the remaining deck, which is why the game is often used to teach conditional probability.

No strategy removes the house advantage. Published strategy tables reduce it; they do not reverse it.

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