If the player's first two cards are an ace and a 10 or face card, he wins. However, if the dealer also has a blackjack, it is a standoff, as are all ties or pushes. A winning blackjack pays the player 3 to 2. The player is allowed to double the bet on his first two cards and draw one additional card only to improve his hand. If the first two cards a player is dealt are a pair, he may split them into two separate hands, bet the same amount on each and then play them separately.
Aces receive only one additional card.
After splitting, A-10 counts as 21 and not as blackjack. If the dealer's up card is an ace, the player may take insurance, a bet not exceeding one-half his original bet. If the dealer's down card is a 10 or any face card, the player wins 2 to 1. Any other card means a win for the dealer. Where permitted, a player may give up his first two cards and lose only one-half his original bet.