O.K., first things first. You're in a casino. You walk up to a blackjack table and grab a seat. Chances are, you'll be seated next to a bunch of other people. Ignore them, they have nothing to do with you. You are not playing against them. You are playing against the House, represented by the dealer. All that matters is that you beat him.

But, how do you win? Simple. You receive a bunch of cards. Your object is to get closer to the number 21 than the dealer, without going over that number. If you go over 21, you "bust." If the dealer "busts" and you don't, you win. If you get 21 and the dealer gets 19, you win. If the dealer gets 20 and you get 19, the dealer wins. Starting to get it? It's easy, I told you.

First tip in blackjack: do not think of the cards as cards, but as point totals. Cards with the numbers 2-10 are worth as many points as the number on the card. An Ace can be worth 11 or 1, depending on what you want, and a face card (king, queen, jack) is worth 10 always.

O.K., you got that. So, you're sitting at a table, you put your cash or chips in front of you, and you're ready to play. You will receive two cards, face down, from the dealer. Take a look at what you've got (carefully! Don't want anyone looking!). The dealer also gets two cards, but one will be placed face up so you'll be able to see one of his. My advice: don't worry too much about his, worry about yourself.

So, you have two cards, but you think you can get closer to 21 without "busting." You say "hit me" to the dealer, and you'll get another card. You can say, "double down," which means you double your bet size (not advisable to rookies). You can say "split," which means if you have two cards of equal value, you can split them into separate hands. You can "stand," which means you like the number you have with your first two cards and you're going to take your chances with what you've got. Or finally, you can "surrender," meaning you give back the hand you were dealt (on the table, not in life) as well as half of your bet amount. But you don't want to "surrender," do you?

Now, you can keep hitting all you want until you get closer to 21, but don't forget, the more you hit, the greater the chances are you'll bust. If you bust, you lose, pure and simple. If you get reasonably close to 21, and don't want to take a chance, stand and see what the dealer does (by the way, you have to play your hand out first before the dealer can play his).

When it is the dealer's turn, the dealer is required to draw another card if he has a 16 or below with his first two cards. The dealer has to stand on any number from 17-21 (unless it's a "soft 17," a 6 and an Ace).

If you and the dealer end up having the same number, it's a "push," you've neither won nor lost. If you win, you get even money with your bet. If you get a blackjack, an Ace and a ten-value card, you win 3-2 on your bet.

And that's about it. It sounds more complicated than it is. If you get the point system down, you're pretty much ready to go. Every casino has its own table etiquette, so if you do something wrong, they'll let you know. But believe me, there is no more game men would rather play at the casinos than blackjack, so learn the game, pull a chair up to the table, get a drink, and good luck.