100cuci lists blackjack in its live casino category (checked 3 November 2026). We could not verify the exact rules at each table, so the figures below are standard estimates for 4 to 8 decks. Check the table's rules panel before you play.
Basic blackjack rules
- Goal: a higher total than the dealer without going over 21.
- Card values: 2 to 10 at face value, J/Q/K = 10, A = 1 or 11.
- Blackjack: an A with a 10-value card as your first two cards. Standard tables pay 3:2.
- Your options: hit (take a card), stand (stop), double (double your bet and take exactly one card) or split (turn a pair into two hands).
- The dealer has no choice: it must draw until 17 or more. Some tables make the dealer hit on soft 17 (A and 6).
- Bust: if you go over 21 you lose immediately, even if the dealer busts later. This is the main source of the house edge.
Basic strategy: the decisions that matter most
Basic strategy is the mathematically best decision for every combination of your hand and the dealer's up card. The summary below covers the situations that come up most often.
| Your hand | Dealer up card | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Hard 17 or more | Any | Stand |
| Hard 13 to 16 | 2 to 6 | Stand |
| Hard 13 to 16 | 7 to A | Hit |
| Hard 12 | 4 to 6 | Stand |
| Hard 12 | 2, 3 or 7 to A | Hit |
| 11 | 2 to 10 | Double (hit against an A) |
| 10 | 2 to 9 | Double |
| 9 | 3 to 6 | Double |
| 8 or less | Any | Hit |
| Pair of As or pair of 8s | Any | Split |
| Pair of 10s or pair of 5s | Any | Don't split |
| Soft 18 (A and 7) | 2, 7 or 8 | Stand |
| Soft 18 (A and 7) | 3 to 6 | Double (stand if you can't double) |
| Soft 18 (A and 7) | 9, 10 or A | Hit |
| Soft 19 or more | Any | Stand |
With a 3:2 payout, the dealer standing on soft 17 and correct basic strategy, the house edge at an 8-deck table is usually around 0.5%. Strategy mistakes can add more than any bad table rule.
Table rules that raise the house edge
| Rule | Approximate effect |
|---|---|
| Blackjack pays 6:5 instead of 3:2 | Adds about 1.4% |
| Dealer hits soft 17 | Adds about 0.2% |
| No double after split | Adds about 0.1% |
On a RM10 bet, a 3:2 blackjack pays RM15, while 6:5 pays only RM12. That RM3 looks small, but it happens on every blackjack you get.
Insurance and side bets
When the dealer's up card is an A, you're offered insurance: a bet of half your original stake that the dealer has blackjack, paying 2:1. It sounds like protection, but it's a separate bet.
About 4 in every 13 cards are worth 10, so the dealer has blackjack less than a third of the time. At 2:1, you need at least one in three just to break even. As a result, insurance usually carries a house edge above 7%. "Even money", offered when you have blackjack and the dealer shows an A, is insurance under another name.
Side bets such as Perfect Pairs or 21+3 usually have a much higher house edge than the main bet. Check the payout table in the rules panel.
Before you sit down at a live blackjack table
- Make sure blackjack pays 3:2, not 6:5.
- Check whether the dealer stands or hits on soft 17.
- Keep a basic strategy chart next to you. Using one isn't cheating.
- Work out your expected loss: RM20 × 100 hands = RM2,000 wagered. At about 0.5%, that's an expected loss of about RM10. At a 6:5 table (about 1.9%), about RM38.
- Set time and money limits. See the responsible gambling guide.