BlackJack on the web - an online game...

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
March 5, 2004

Dear SW List and Jerry!
Many thanks for this long description on how to play BlackJack. I was 
hoping you would try Stephen's cards! Or his game online? Have you ever 
played BlackJack with SignWriting on the web, Jerry? smile...You can 
play online...right on the web. I hope you or someone will try the 
online game:

You can try the online game Black Jack Run at:
www.pudl.info/games/bjr

SignWriting Playing Cards at:
www.pudl.info/games/swpc

Val ;-)

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On Mar 4, 2004, at 5:04 PM, Jerry Spillman wrote:

>
>  Dear Valerie and List,
>
> Small error in this first send,  I did not mention that the #1 card is 
> called the ACE, and normally does not have a number one figure on the 
> card, although I am sure it does not matter.
>
>  I'm not sure of all the rules of the game as the professionals play, 
> but here is how we used to play it in the service:
>
>  The game is normally played with a deck of cards that are configured 
> as a "POKER" deck, in other words, there is one of each number, 1-10 
> in each of four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades), with each 
> suit having three face cards called, "King", "Queen", and "Jack".  No 
> "JOKER" cards are used in this game, although sometimes two are 
> included with a pack, or "deck" of cards.
>
>  This game is also called "21", as that is the winning score.  The 
> object is to collect the appropriate number of cards to add up to 21.  
> If your numbers add up to over 21, you lose that hand.  The ACE of any 
> suit  is the wild card, worth either one or eleven points, you get to 
> choose!
>
>  The cards are dealt to as many players as are included in your game, 
> just one card at a time, for two times around the group.  Now each 
> person should have two cards in their hand.  If anyone receives a 
> combination of a face card and an ace in this first round, they are to 
> cry out "BLACKJACK", or "21", to declare they have won.
>
>  The "deal" now continues one person at a time in the same direction 
> of rotation as the first two times around.  The dealer asks, "do you 
> want a card", if you ;do, you say, "yes", and may ask for another card 
> also if your total is still under 21, or if not, answer no and the 
> deal proceeds to the next player.  This continues until all players 
> are satisfied that they have a competing number (totalling 21 or less) 
> in their hand, or their total goes over 21, which eliminates that 
> person from that "hand".  until a new "deal" is performed.  Sometimes 
> you can win with only a 13, because everyone else "went bust", as we 
> would say, or went over 21 points.  If you get an ace and a three, for 
> example, that is worth four or fourteen points.  If you got a six 
> next, that would be a hand to hold to the end because if you took 
> another card, unless it was an ace, you would be over 21!  However, if 
> you wanted to add the ace as a four, you could take the six card to 
> make ten, and you could ask the dealer for another card, perhaps you 
> would get a nine, for a total of 19, a pretty good number to win with 
> (unless someone else gets 20 or 21).  Once the hand is concluded, only 
> the person with the highest score gets their score written down 
> (everybody else loses that hand).  Then the deck is shuffled and given 
> to the next person, who becomes the dealer for the next "hand".
>
>  A face card (King, Queen, Jack) is worth 10 points.
>
>  Each number card is worth it's face value (the color is not even a 
> factor) number, as in 1 of any suit =1 point, a 5 of any suit= 5 
> points, etc.
>
>  Aces of any suit are worth either 1 or 11 points, as you choose.
>
>  A "BLACKJACK" is when you receive a face card and an ACE at the same 
> time, that is = 21 points, and is considered a winning hand.  It 
> outranks a hand with several cards equalling 21.
>
>  There may be more finer points to the game; I just don't remember.  
> It will play for sure the way I have outlined it, however.
>
>  Jerry.
>  
>