If youve ever traveled to Vegas or Atlantic City - or even to a local Indian casino - and taken a look at the flow of foot traffic to and from the tables, you probably noticed that blackjack is an extremely popular game. The reasons for this are simple. Blackjack is relatively easy to learn, compared to some more sophisticated games like poker and craps. Many casinos offer blackjack tables starting with very low limits, often no more than one or two dollars.

These sensible reasons aside, the true source of blackjacks evergreen popularity among games of chance is that its so much fun to play. This basic fact applies in full measure to the experience of playing blackjack on the internet. Thus, you will find a whole bunch of web sites offering a wide range of blackjack games. Simple market economics of supply and demand are at work here.

But perhaps youve never actually sat down to play a few hands of blackjack. You know its one of the best games to master, but for whatever reason you just havent gotten around to learning. Well, have no concerns on this score. Below you will find an introduction to some basic elements of the game.

In the game of blackjack, the player whose hand contains the highest total wins, as long as it doesn't exceed 21. If you go higher than that, you bust. Cards 2 through 10 are worth their face value, and face cards (jacks, kings and queens) are also worth 10 each. An ace's value is 11 unless this would result in a bust, in which case it is worth 1. A hand in which an ace's value is counted as 11 is called a soft hand, because it cannot be busted if the player draws another card.

Your objective with each hand is to beat the dealer by having the higher hand. If you and the dealer wind up with hands that have the same point value, it is called a "push", which is essentially a tie. Neither one of you collects any money, just proceed to the next hand. No matter how many players are sitting at the table, each of you has an independent game with the dealer, so it is possible for the dealer to lose to one player, but still beat the other players in the same round.

A two-card hand that totals 21 (an ace plus a ten-value card) is called a "blackjack" or a "natural," and is an automatic winner. Obviously, its the best hand you can possibly be dealt, as it requires no betting or calculation on your part. A player with a natural is usually paid 3:2 on his bet. Conversely, if the dealer has blackjack and you do not, you automatically lose. If neither you nor the dealer has blackjack, then you will play out the hand. You options here are to hit (which means take another card), stand (take no more cards), double down (double the wager, take exactly one more card, and then stand) or split (double the wager and have each card be the first card in a new hand, which can only be done when both cards match).

There you go: the basics of blackjack explained. Give it a shot. Youll be amazed how quickly your confidence blooms, and before you know it youll be ready to play at some of the money tables.