In some states or countries, the rules are set by the government. These rules are set by the casino and cannot change after the game has started. The dealer has rules as to when he takes extra cards for himself (or herself). You can ask for any number of cards unless you bust. To ask for another card, wave your hand toward you. Stand means to get no more cards and hit means to ask for another card. Players have a choice whether or not to get extra cards. If both the player and dealer bust, the dealer wins. Hands equal to the dealer's keep their chips. Hands below the dealer's hand lose unless the dealer goes over 21 (busts). Apart from that, unbusted hands rank by total add-up. Five cards adding to 21 or fewer is the next ranking hand. 'Blackjack', an ace and a face card or ten, is the top scorer. Hands which add up to more than 21, called busted hands, lose. Players win if their cards add up to more than the dealer's hand to a limit of 21. Cards are dealt in succession, and bets placed for each hand.
Each player has their own game against the dealer. When there are one or two decks, the dealer usually holds the decks instead of dealing from a shoe. There is a dealer, who deals cards from a special device called a 'dealer's shoe' or a 'shuffling machine'. Blackjack ( Twenty-one, pontoon or Vingt-et-un) is a kind of card game which usually involves gambling.
