Your goal is to draw cards that total 21, or come closer to 21 than the dealer without going over. The dealer and each player start with two cards. The dealer's first card faces up, the second faces down. Face cards each count as 10, Aces count as 1 or 11, all others count at face value.
In blackjack, players attempt to reach a score of 21 without exceeding it before the dealer hits 17. You can win if you don't bust and your total is higher than the dealer cards. Hitting exactly 21 can mean even bigger winnings.