When does blackjack pay out

Hello all,

I am in a programming class and my final project is to make a blackjack game for the computer. I posted a while ago with some questions and now I have another. Essentially I need to make sure everything in my game happens in the correct order.

This program is fairly simple - there is only one player and the player can play only one hand at a time.

anyway, here we go:

I know that a natural blackjack on the deal is paid out right away unless the dealer also has blackjack. However, assume the player is dealt A/A. Player does not have blackjack yet so play begins. When it is the player's turn, the player splits and assume is dealt a ten on the first hand - Now the player has Blackjack, yes? Would this be paid immediately or at this point does the player have to wait until after the dealer goes (in other words does the dealer have a chance to push)?

Thanks,
Ian

This is not a blackjack, and the dealer plays out his hand in the normal manner.
A blackjack is paid immediately at 3:2. If the dealer does not tie the split ace and ten this is paid at 1:1.

one of any split Aces is really cool and it pays 1 to 1 unless the D pushes your soft 21's with his/her built 21. Then of course, no $ exchange.

Nothing herein would be considered a BJ.

Currently the logic of my program won't allow the player to split if the dealer has blackjack. In fact, the player can't do anything (hit, stand, double, split) except take insurance if desired. At best they can push with a blackjack of their own.

Once I determine the dealer was dealt a blackjack (A/10 or 10/A) then I go straight to the "resolve game" routine which determines win/loss/push and skip the "player plays" routine which allows them to make decisions like hit or stand.

Is there a situation where this is possible? It will be good to know if such is the case so I can model it into my program.

Thanks,
Ian

In Europe the dealer doesn't take a second card before all the players have made their decisions. So it is perfectly possible to get two pictures on your aces and still lose double to a dealer natural.
If you make your program exclusivly for American hole card games you don't need to consider this case.

Francis Salmon

They don't check the hole-card for the dealer's ten-upcard in *some* (small) casinos where they don't have the "peeking device". The rationale is that they try to minimize the chance of cards getting bent. The peeking (and the possibility of card-bending) would be unavoidable if the dealer's upcard were ACE.

In this case, they don't pay you right away even if you had a blackjack since it can be a tie. Your can also lose your hands with the value 21 (even if they consist of Ace and Ten).

BTW, the definition of blackjack is a hand with an ACE and a ten value card on your *FIRST* two cards. (Hence your program should be written accordingly.)

~BJ in the box.

Blackjack is quite a complicated game to progam *if* you want to take into account all rule variations. Under the rule I just described, for example, I *believe* the players do NOT lose their doubled or split hands right away even if, say, they busted. If the dealer has a blackjack, then (I believe) the player is supposed to lose only the original bet. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks,

~BJ in the box.