There are a number of player options in blackjack. They are standing, hitting, splitting, doubling, surrendering, and insurance. Players need to understand what they are and when to use them. In land-based casinos, hand signals are used to let the dealer know what the player wishes to do. This is because land-based casinos can be noisy, and mistakes can be made if the player is not heard correctly. Disputes can also be solved if they arise by watching which hand signals were captured on the casino's security camera. Online casinos do not have this issue since players simply select the option they want to take.

Hit

The player chooses to take an extra card or cards depending on what the previous card was that was dealt to them.

Stand

The player is satisfied with the total value of their cards, and chooses not to draw any more cards. The player "stands."

Split

When possible, it is advantageous for players to split a hand. Players who have been dealt their first two cards, and they are of the same value, may split them. This means that the player plays each card as a separate blackjack hand. When splitting, the player needs to place a second bet on the card that has been split, which is equal to the bet they had previously played on the original hand. If the game is a face-down game, where players do not show their cards, those wishing to split a hand must then show their cards and place them face-up on the blackjack table for all to see. It is possible to split the cards again if another card of the same value is turned up.

Double Down

Doubling down is when a blackjack player doubles their initial bet, and when doing so, chooses to only draw one more card. Usually, players will only double down when they have a hand which totals either 10 or 11 points. Essentially, players double down when they already have a good hand, which can turn into an even better hand with one additional card. To place the double down bet, players may place a second bet which is less than or equal to their initial bet. In face-down games, players need to show their cards and play them face-up once they double down. Some casinos allow doubling down for any card values, while most allow it for values of either 9, 10, or 11, while others only allow it for 10 and 11. Cards that can be split can also be doubled down.

Insurance

When the dealer shows an Ace as their first card, players may bet on the dealer's hand obtaining a value of 21. A second bet is placed, and won if the dealer has blackjack, and lost if they do not.

Surrender

A player may choose to surrender half their bet if, when they compare their hand to the dealer's hand, it looks unpromising. This way, half the player's bet has been saved, even though they forfeit the other half.