Bust (Break)

In blackjack, the term bust (or break) refers to going over the score of 21.

What happens when someone busts in blackjack?

When a player busts, they lose their bet. When a dealer busts, all active players who have not busted win the round and receive their payoff. 

How can to avoid busting in blackjack? 

Busting is an inevitable part of the game. Novice, ultra-conservative players will sometimes try to avoid busting by never hitting above 12. However, it is not a good idea and will result in an increased loss rate for that player. Instead of focusing your entire attention on avoiding busts, it is much better to simply follow basic strategy. 

Can I bust with my opening hand?

Only theoretically and only if you really want to. The only position, in which it’s possible to bust with an opening hand is if a player gets a pair of aces. Usually, this will be simply counted as 12, but, in theory, a player could tell the dealer to count both of aces as 11. And in this case, they would indeed go bust and lose their bet.

Bust (Break): 

• A blackjack term that refers to going over the score of 21.
• Busting results in an automatic loss.