Blackjack has long been the king of casino table games. It got a boost in popularity after the 2008 film 21. Then came the recession and the emergence of new games like sports betting and baccarat. The competition isn’t necessarily bad. But it has shaved some of the edge off a perfectly-played game of blackjack, and that’s not good for a gambling game that relies on skill.

Blackjack is a card game where each player is dealt two cards face-up and the dealer has one face-down (the “hole card”). Players can choose to hit, stand, double down, or split their hands according to predetermined rules. The winner is the player with a higher hand value than the dealer’s.

In most blackjack games, a hand is won when the player’s cards add up to 21 or better. The rules of each game may vary slightly, however, and some casinos will allow side bets on the dealer’s up card such as insurance which pays out 2-1 if the dealer has an ace up. Some blackjack games also have a “blackjack spin” option where the player can make a fixed $5 side bet that will earn them $10 if they have an ace as their first two cards.

To play blackjack, you must place your bets at the center of the table. You should have a stack of chips the same color as the stack the player to your right placed. You should also have a discard holder to hold used cards for each hand. Once everyone has placed their bets, the dealer will deal each player a card. After every player has played their hand, the dealer will look at his or her face-down card. If the dealer has a blackjack, all players who did not have a blackjack lose their bets.

Some casinos have changed the payout for blackjacks to 6:5, which is not in the best interest of players. This change increases the house edge by nearly two percent and is the most common way that casino managers whittle away at the game’s player advantage. While that’s not the only reason that blackjack has been losing ground to baccarat and other games, it certainly doesn’t help. In addition, the recent introduction of resort fees and paid Strip parking has not gone over well with many players.