Teach Your Kids Blackjack

Put the words "Blackjack" and "kids" together and some people will have an instant reaction. Does this mean I'm advocating gambling for kids? No.

Blackjack is a game skill, and therein lies its educational value. You can omit the $$ factor entirely if it makes you uncomfortable. (See Playing Blackjack With Kids.)

And if you want to learn more about the skill involved in playing this game--or read research about kids, families, and gambling--please visit my links.

Have fun!

Job No. 1 is to make sure kids understand what's in a deck of cards and what the value of each card is for Blackjack. (Image of Jack of Spades by Jesse Fuchs and Tom Hart)

Every deck of cards contains 52 individual cards. There are four suits (club, spade, heart, diamond) and 13 cards in each suit.

In Blackjack, the suit doesn't matter--only the value of each of the 13 cards matters.

The value of the cards from 2 to 10 is identical to the face value. In other words, a 5 of hearts (or clubs, spades, or diamonds) = 5.

The jack, queen, and king of any suit = 10.

The ace of any suit = 1 or 11. That means you can dial back your ace to 1 if you need to.

Now let's move on to how to play.

Note: These guidelines are adapted for kids. When they get more adept at the basic game, you can add more flourishes by consulting one of the linked articles or books, such as The MENSA Guide to Blackjack.

Sit down around a table where you can all see each other with a deck of cards and stuff to bet with. Some ideas are beads, jelly beans, small pretzels, paper clips, pennies or Monopoly money.

Explain that the goal of Blackjack is to get your cards to total 21 without going over based on the card values described above. If you're a player, your goal is to be closer to 21 than the dealer. If you're the dealer, your goal is to be closer to 21 than the player. In Blackjack, players play against the dealer only, not each other.

Appoint a dealer and rotate this role. The rest of the group will be players.

Portion out the loot to every player. The dealer doesn't bet but she needs the "house" money.

Get ready to bet. You can bet before or after the first card is dealt. In casino Blackjack, the game starts with the bet. However, it's better for kids to bet after the first card is dealt. This helps them focus on the value of their card and directs their attention to other kids' cards and what they might be worth. Bets can be placed right in front of each person's cards.

Have the dealer deal one card face-down to each player, including himself. Players should look at their card to determine its value. It is important not to show the face-down card to anyone. If you've decided to delay betting until this stage, do it now. Remember, the better the card, the larger the bet. Consult Blackjack Strategies for Kids for tips.

The dealer can deal the next card automatically, face-up, after the step above. The dealer deals herself too. In Blackjack, the value of the face-up card or cards is called what's "showing."

Ensure your kids are calculating the value of their two cards while continuing to hide their face-down card. (Consult the Blackjack Strategies for Kids, for tips on judging how good these two cards are.) Remind everyone that the goal is to get to 21 without going over.

Blackjack gives kids the opportunity to practise these addition facts and develop speed. No one wants to look pokey while they add up the following:

1 + 1 to 11 (i.e., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 8, 9, 10, 11)
2 + 1 to 11
3 + 1 to 11
4 + 1 to 11
5 + 1 to 11
6 + 1 to 11
7 + 1 to 11
8 + 1 to 11
9 + 1 to 11
10 + 1 to 11
11 + 1 to 10

Each player now has the chance to ask for another card. When players want another card, they say, "Hit me." When they don't want any more cards, they say, "Stand." Players should continue to ask for cards until they wish to stand. (NOTE: In casinos, there are alternatives to Hit and Stand. These are described most articles an books about Blackjack.) The dealer then finishes dealing her own cards. Remind your kids to keep that poker face on, no matter which cards they get--good or bad!

Now it's time for the moment of truth. The cards are revealed. Let's say you're one of the players.

1. If you have a better hand than the dealer, you win. The dealer pays your bet.


2. If the dealer has a better hand than you, you lose. You pay the dealer.


3. If you went over 21, you're "busted." The dealer gets your money.


4. If you and the dealer tie, nobody wins. This is called a "push" and you keep your bet.


5. If you managed to get 21 in two cards--an ace and a card worth 10--that's called "Blackjack." You win, and you get paid 1½ times your original bet.


6. If the dealer got this great hand (21 in two cards), all the players pay him 1½ times their bet. NOTE: This is a great percentage/fraction problem for kids.
   
   

   Example
   Annie bet 45 cents and got Blackjack. What does the dealer owe her?
   
   45 x 1 ½ = 67.5, or 68 cents

Don't surrender yet! (Opposite: Blackjack throw pillow)

This is where the fun--and the thinking--comes in.

Blackjack strategy depends on a few things. One is the game itself and the value assigned to each card. Some cards are obviously more desirable than others. The second big factor is probability--the likelihood of something occurring.

Knowing the Deck and the Odds
In a complete deck the probability of being dealt
- a ten (real 10, jack, queen, king) = 30.77%
- every other card = 7.69%

Check out those odds! Your kids can "see" these odds by removing all the cards worth 10 in the deck and comparing that stack to a stack of cards worth 1 - 9 or a stack of aces. There are 16 cards worth 10 compared to 4 cards worth every other value. This is why "basic strategy" for Blackjack dictates that every card you can't see is worth 10. Yup, there's a 1-in-3 chance that it will be.

Remember that the probability also changes as the cards are dealt. So if there are a bunch of 2's or 3's sitting on the table and someone needs a low card, the odds just got worse for that player.

Below, some tips on other hands.

2 - 9
You might even land here with the first card. This is an automatic "Hit" because you can't go over 21.

The Magic 10
Help your kids understand that 10 one of the most advantageous cards in the deck. If they get one, the probability of getting another 10 is still high. That would add up to 20, and that's a great hand. Moreover, if they get an ace, that's a Blackjack 3:2 payout. Even if they get a 10 in combination with an 8, 9, that hand should stand. The odds of improving it are micro-slim. In a casino, you never hit 18 or 19--no matter what.

The Ace
Make no mistake about it--the ace is a great card because you can always dial it back to 1. Moreover, an ace + 10 = 21 (see above).

12
Most kids think that 12 looks innocent because it's a long way from 21. But there are rules for hitting 12 depending on what the dealer's showing. Hitting 12 can be risky. Why? Because 12 can get hitched with the ever-popular 10 and that spells B-U-S-T. (Still, you gotta hit 12. That's what makes the game fun.)

16
Should you hit 16? There are 5 cards that can make that hand better--ace, 2, 3, 4, 5--but 8 that can kill it--6, 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen, and king. With 16, the decision to hit depends on what the dealer has. If the dealer shows 7 or 8, the rule is to hit. That's because the most popular girl in the deck is 10 and she could be the dealer's hidden card. But if the dealer shows 9, 10, or ace, don't bother--just surrender!

17
In a casino, the dealer is not allowed to hit 17. That's because you're about twice as likely to draw a card that will put you over 21 as you are to draw an ace, 2, 3, or 4. And those odds worsen if some low cards have been dealt already.

Kids love adding these moves to their repertoire. See how slick you can get!

The Poker Face
This is the face that says nothing, sort of like, uh, her --->

Your kids may be interested to learn that the human face gives away so much information that some poker players wear dark glasses at the table to avoid having anyone look in their eyes. Remind kids that when they bust, they need to keep the poker face on. Why? Because they're playing against the dealer and they don't want to give it away.

Hit me
The signal is to is tap the table behind your cards with your forefinger bent down slightly.

Stand
The signal is to wave your hand over your cards, palm down, fingers straight. Try tilting your hand slightly up and don't wave like a maniac.