The objective of the game is to beat the dealer in one of the following ways: The score of each player’s hand is calculated by adding the points of their cards.

Players must bet before receiving their first card, which is dealt face down.

Players may stand or hit as long as they do not go bust (exceed 71⁄2).

If the dealer doesn’t go bust, all players must show their face down card.

Whether a player with a natural 71⁄2 beats a dealer with a regular 71⁄2 depends on the variant being played.