The Blackjack Syndicate
Rules of Play
Blackjack​
1. Bets
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Each player places their own bet in front of them.
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There is no shared pot; each bet is independent.
2. Deal
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Dealer gives each player 2 cards face up.
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Dealer gives themselves 2 cards: 1 face up, 1 face down (the “hole card”).
3. Player Options (in turn, left of dealer → clockwise):
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Hit → take another card.
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Stand → stop taking cards.
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Double Down → double your original bet, take exactly 1 more card, then stand.
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Split → if you have a pair, you can split them into two separate hands (must place an extra bet equal to your first).
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Surrender (some casinos allow) → forfeit your hand immediately and lose only half your bet.
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Insurance (when dealer shows an Ace) → side bet, up to half your original bet, that the dealer’s hidden card is a 10-value. Pays 2:1 if dealer has Blackjack.
4. Dealer’s Turn
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Dealer reveals their hole card.
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Dealer must hit until 17 or higher.
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Rule detail: Some casinos make the dealer hit a “soft 17” (Ace+6), others make them stand.
5. Outcomes/Payouts
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Player busts (>21) → loses immediately.
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Dealer busts → all remaining players win their bet (1:1).
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Player higher than dealer → player wins (1:1).
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Dealer higher than player → dealer wins, player loses bet.
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Tie (Push) → bet returned to player.
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Blackjack (Ace + 10-value on first 2 cards) → pays 3:2 (e.g. $10 bet → win $15).
Poker (5 Draw)
​​​​​​​​​1) Ante
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Everyone antes the same amount each hand.
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The standard ante is $0.50, but players may agree before the game to use any amount between $0.50 and $5.
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The host/dealer may raise the ante before a hand begins, provided all players agree.
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No player may unilaterally increase their own ante.
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2) Deal
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Each player, including the dealer, receives 5 private cards face down.​
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3) First Betting Round
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Starting left of the dealer and moving clockwise, players may:​
- On their turn, each player may:
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Check → (no bet) (But you can’t check anymore once a bet has been made — then you either match (call), raise, or fold.)
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Bet → between $0.50 and $5
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Call → match the highest bet already made
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Raise → increase the bet (in increments between $0.50 and $5).
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Fold → drop out and lose their ante.
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3) Draw (Card Swap)
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Each player may discard and replace up to 3 cards (sometimes 4 if the 5th is an Ace).
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A player may also “stand pat” and keep all 5 cards.
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3) Second Betting Round
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Another betting round, same as the first.
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Check → (no bet) (But you can’t check anymore once a bet has been made — then you either match (call), raise, or fold.)
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Bet → between $0.50 and $5
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Call → match the highest bet already made
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Raise → increase the bet (in increments between $0.50 and $5).
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Fold → drop out and lose their ante and first bet (if any placed).
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5) Showdown & Winner
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All players still in the hand reveal their cards.
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The best 5-card Poker hand wins the pot.
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If multiple players tie, the pot is split evenly.
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If the pot cannot be divided evenly using available chips, each winning player receives the nearest whole chip value. Any leftover chips (the remainder) carry over into the next pot.
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6) Poker Hand Rankings
(Highest to lowest – use the best 5 cards)
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Royal Flush – A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit.
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Straight Flush – Five cards in sequence, all same suit.
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Four of a Kind – Four cards of the same rank.
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Full House – Three of a kind + a pair.
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Flush – Five cards of the same suit (not in sequence).
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Straight – Five cards in sequence (any suits).
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Three of a Kind – Three cards of the same rank.
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Two Pair – Two different pairs.
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One Pair – Two cards of the same rank.
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High Card – None of the above; highest single card wins.
Royal Flush
The best possible hand is
the combination of ten, jack, queen, king, ace, all of the same suit
Straight Flush
Five cards of the same suit in sequential order
Four Of A Kind
Any four numerically matching cards
Full House
Combination of three of a kind and a pair in
the same hand
High Card
The highest ranked card in your hand with an ace being the highest and two being the
lowest
One Pair
Any two numerically matching cards
Two Pair
Two different pairs in the same hand
Three Of A Kind
Any three numerically matching cards
Straight
Five cards of any suit, in sequential order
Flush
Five cards of the same suit, in any order
