Dr. Black Jack/Help/Playing the Game

Knowing how to play the card game of blackjack gives you the fundamentals for playing in the computerized world of Dr. Black Jack. The object is to hold two or more cards whose ranks equal either a perfect score of 21, or as near to 21 as possible without going over. All play is against the dealer. If you get nearer to 21 than the dealer, you win the hand.

The dealer gives each player two cards, both face up. The dealer gives himself two cards, one face up and one face down. The uncertainty of blackjack comes from not knowing the rank of the dealer's hole card, and from not knowing what card you will get if you ask to be hit. So remember, you can always ask to stay, because you definitely don't want to bust. Other options for smart play and a fun game are to double down, split, or buy insurance.

The casino
Veteran blackjack players won't need much help. But for newcomers, what follows is a tour of Dr. Black Jack's casino. Under casino rules, bets are placed before the cards are dealt.

The Bet window displays the amount of your bet. Unless you change it, the window shows the house minimum of 10 units.
 * The +10 button: Click to increase the size of your bet. The more you click, the more you bet.
 * The -10 button: Click to decrease the size of your bet. This is where prudence kicks in.
 * The Deal button: Click to begin a hand.
 * The Hit button: Click to receive an additional card.
 * The Stay button: Click to stay with the cards you have.
 * The Double button: Click to double down.
 * The Split button: Click to split your hand.
 * The Result window displays who won (it cheers for you, not the dealer).
 * The Session Winnings window keeps a running total of your wins or losses.

The Longterm Winnings window keeps a running total of the current and previous games.
 * The Count window tracks the appearance of high and low ranked cards according to the Dr. Black Jack method. Count is described further in the Strategies and Hints section.
 * The True Count window displays the card count from the Count window, divided by the number of decks left in the Shoe window. True Count is described further in the Strategies and Hints section.
 * The Shoe window is the long thin window above the playing table. The vertical slats represent the number of cards remaining in the shoe. The window resizes itself depending on how many decks you've chosen.

To begin play
Click the Deal button.
 * You can also press F2, or choose Deal from the File menu.

To change players
From the Game menu, choose Change Player.
 * A dialog box is displayed where you can type in the name of the new player. The longterm winnings of the current player will be saved.

To shuffle the cards
From the Game menu, choose Shuffle.
 * This resets the Count and True Count windows to zero.

To reset the your winnings
From the Game menu, choose Reset Winnings.
 * This resets your winnings (or losses) in both the Session Winnings window and the Longterm Winnings window.

To change the number of decks in play
From the Options menu, choose Number of Decks and then choose to play with 1, 2, or 4 decks.
 * Casinos have been using four decks ever since the first card-counting books were published in the early 1960s.

To change the style of the cards
From the Options menu, choose Card Style and then choose the style you want.
 * This is best done at the beginning of a hand while the dealer still has one card face down, so you can see your choices.

To learn basic strategy
From the Options menu, choose Learn Basic Strategy.
 * A check mark is displayed next to the command when Learn Basic Strategy is in operation and you get tips while you play. You can turn off Learn Basic Strategy by choosing the command again.

To learn counting strategy
From the Options menu, choose Learn Counting Strategy.
 * A check mark is displayed next to the command when Learn Counting Strategy is in operation. To learn about counting strategy while you play, you must also choose Learn Basic Strategy. You can turn off Learn Counting Strategy by choosing the command again.