Rules Reference
The blackjack rules that govern gameplay in True Count.
True Count follows standard blackjack rules. Every player begins at Jean-Luc LaChance's table, whose rules are covered on this page. As you level up, you unlock four more dealer tables with progressively tougher rules and higher stakes.
Rules Change as You Progress
The rules below apply to Jean-Luc LaChance's starting table. As you unlock new dealer tables, the rules tighten: more decks, restricted doubles, and higher table minimums. See the Dealer Tables page for a full side-by-side comparison of all five tables.
Card Values
- Number cards (2–10): Face value
- Face cards (J, Q, K): 10
- Ace: 1 or 11
The app automatically calculates the optimal Ace value for each hand. A hand with an Ace counted as 11 that doesn't bust is called a "soft" hand.
Starting Rules (Jean-Luc LaChance)
These are the rules at Jean-Luc LaChance's table, where every player begins at Level 1:
| Rule | Setting |
|---|---|
| Number of Decks | 2 |
| Blackjack Payout | 3:2 |
| Insurance | Available (off by default in Settings) |
| Double Down | Any two cards |
| Double After Split | Allowed |
| Re-split Aces | Not allowed |
| Max Split Hands | 4 |
| Dealer Peek for Blackjack | Ace or 10-value upcard |
| Shoe Penetration | 85% |
| Hints | Available (on by default) |
| Starting Bankroll | 1,000 credits |
Dealer soft 17 behavior is controlled in Settings (default: S17).
With a house edge of approximately 0.30%, this is the most player-favorable configuration in True Count. Jean-Luc's table is designed to teach correct play before the rules tighten at higher tables.
Rule Details
Decks
At Jean-Luc's table, the shoe contains 2 standard 52-card decks (104 cards total). The shoe reshuffles automatically at 85% penetration. The current round always finishes before the reshuffle occurs. Each reshuffle produces a fully random card order (every card position is equally likely).
Other dealer tables use 4, 6, or 8 decks with decreasing penetration (down to 50% at Aunty's table). See Dealer Tables for the full breakdown per table and Shuffling & Deck Penetration for how the shoe works.
Dealer Strategy
The dealer's soft 17 behavior is controlled in Settings. S17 is the default. Choosing H17 adds approximately 0.22% to the house edge. See Dealer Hits on Soft 17 for details.
Dealer Peek Policy
True Count uses a hole-card peek model. After the initial deal, the dealer peeks for blackjack whenever the upcard is an Ace or a 10-value card.
- If the upcard is an Ace and insurance is enabled, the insurance decision happens first.
- After insurance is handled (or skipped), the peek resolves dealer blackjack immediately.
- If the upcard is 10/J/Q/K, no insurance is offered, but the blackjack peek still occurs.
- If dealer blackjack is found, normal player actions do not begin.
Payouts
Use these two terms consistently:
- Gross Return: total credits returned to bankroll from the wager
- Net Result: profit or loss relative to the original bet
| Outcome | Gross Return | Net Result (100-point bet example) |
|---|---|---|
| Blackjack (natural 21) | Bet + (Bet x payout rate) | +150 (receive 250 at 3:2) |
| Win | 2 x Bet | +100 (receive 200) |
| Push (tie) | Bet returned | 0 (receive 100) |
| Loss | 0 | -100 (receive 0) |
The blackjack payout rate is 3:2 at Jean-Luc's table and remains 3:2 through Lady Lux (Level 50). Only Aunty "Lucky Lei" (Level 100) uses the 6:5 payout, which alone adds nearly 1.4% to the house edge. See Betting for chip denominations and bankroll details.
Double Down
At Jean-Luc's table, you can double down on any two cards. Double After Split is allowed, but doubling on split aces is not. Higher-level tables restrict doubles to 9-11 only (Jack) or 10-11 only (Lady Lux and Aunty), and Double After Split is removed at Lady Lux onward. See Hand Actions for full details and Dealer Tables for restrictions per table.
Insurance
Insurance is a side bet offered when the dealer's up card is an Ace. At Jean-Luc's table, insurance is available but off by default. Toggle it on in Settings. Insurance is also available at Czarita's and Jack's tables, but unavailable at Lady Lux and Aunty's tables.
When enabled:
- The insurance prompt appears after the deal, before any player actions
- Cost: Half the original bet, placed as a separate wager
- Payout: 2:1 if the dealer has blackjack (break even on the round)
- If the dealer does not have blackjack, the insurance bet is lost and the hand plays normally
Expected Value
Regardless of deck count, insurance is statistically unfavorable. The probability of a 10-value hole card is less than 1 in 3, making the 2:1 payout insufficient to break even over time.
See Insurance for a detailed walkthrough with examples.
Splitting
You can split pairs up to 4 total hands. Re-splitting aces is not allowed. Split aces receive one card each and auto-stand. See Hand Actions: Split for the full split mechanics.
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