Get a standard 52-card deck
Remove jokers if included
Choose one person to be the dealer
Decide on the betting rules before starting
Give each player two cards face up
Give the dealer one card face up and one card face down
Count aces as 1 or 11
Count face cards as 10
Aim for a hand total as close to 21 as possible without going over
Let each player act in turn
Choose to hit to take another card
Choose to stand to keep your current hand
Choose to double down if allowed
Choose to split if you have two cards of the same rank and splitting is allowed
Let the dealer reveal the face-down card after all players finish
Have the dealer hit until reaching 17 or higher
Have the dealer stand on 17 or higher if using that rule
Compare each player’s hand to the dealer’s hand
Win if your hand is closer to 21 than the dealer’s without busting
Lose if your hand goes over 21
Push if your hand ties the dealer’s hand
Pay out blackjack hands according to the agreed rules
Shuffle the deck before each round or when cards run low
Keep track of wins, losses, and bets if desired