Types

Blackjack casino games are among the oldest in gambling industry. Therefore, you should not only expect many variants but also interesting games. There are two major types of blackjack games – online blackjack and casino blackjack.

Online blackjack games require you to be connected to the internet to play. They can be accessed from any location at any time. On the other hand, land based blackjack require you to go to the actual casino to play. They are less paced but offer players with exclusive features such as drinks and meals which are not available at online blackjack. Rules of playing blackjack games at both online and land casinos are virtually the same.

Most gamblers prefer going to land based casinos for two reasons – the feeling of being in an actual casino and bright lights and noises. Those are the only two benefits of playing at a real casino. In contrast, online blackjack casinos have many advantages over land based gambling. For instance, your privacy is always protected, you don’t have to deal with distractions from other players and you don’t have to wait for other players to take their seats. Personally, I would choose online blackjack over land-based blackjack at any time.

Blackjack Variations Present at Most Casinos

Many variations of blackjack games come with changes on payout and bonus features on special bets. For instance, Blackjack Switch allows players to make a super match bet which is a side bet (not available in normal blackjack). In Face Up 21, the dealer wins all ties but as a player you will get to see both dealer’s cards. This makes it easy to decide whether to hit or stand.

Each casino software provider has its unique set of blackjack variants. Famous blackjack casino software providers are NetEnt, Cryptologic, Playtech, Real Time Gaming and Microgaming. Let’s take a look at some blackjack variants:

  • Atlantic City Blackjack

This is a fascinating blackjack variant which allows players to play in either single hand or multi-hand options. Both of these options use the same rules but you will definitely spend more when playing in multi-hand mode.

Atlantic City Blackjack has 8 decks and has a very small house edge in comparison to other casino games. The game is similar to Classic Blackjack. The dealer starts with two cards and inspects if he/she has a blackjack. If so, the game is over before you lose your money.

Players are allowed to double at only two instances – the first two cards and after splitting is allowed. The dealer stands soft at 17 and as a player you can split your cards up to 3 hands. Late surrender is permitted.

  • Double Exposure Blackjack

This variant is somehow different from classic blackjack. The game comes with 8 decks. Just as its name suggest, both dealer’s cards are faced upwards. Even though you might think that this favors you, it’s not the case. For instance, the game has a 0.69% house edge which is considered highest among blackjack variations.

The dealer wins all ties except on the blackjack which pays 1:1. The player is allowed to split cards up to four hands while doubles are available on a hard 9, 10 and 11. The dealer hits on soft 17.

  • Bonus Blackjack

Being very similar to European blackjack, this variant comes with an additional bonus round. This implies that the game pays more than other blackjack variants. It comes with 2 decks of cards and uses the original blackjack rules. If you bet on the bonus option or on a blackjack, the payout is 50:1.

  • European Blackjack

This game is a variant of the Classic Blackjack and uses original rules of the game. It comes with two standard card decks. Here, a Blackjack will always beat any other hand with a value of 21. Aces come with a value of 1 or 11. As a player, you are allowed to hit up to 9 cards during gameplay.

The dealer will always stand at 17 and busts out if he/she goes over 21. If he dealer busts, the player wins. If a dealer’s and player’s hand ties, this is known as a Push.

  • Spanish Blackjack

Spanish Blackjack is very different from other variations. There are 8 Spanish Decks of cards which come with 48 cards rather than 52. This implies that 10 cards are removed which implies that there is a high house advantage over players who don’t know the rules.

  • Vegas Downtown Blackjack

It’s an American Hole Card game which comes in both single and multi-hand variations. Your strategy will vary depending on the variation but basic rules of the game still hold. Vegas Downtown is very similar to classic blackjack as it comes with 2 decks of standard playing cards. Players can re-split up to 3 hands. However, if you split an Ace and receive a 10, the overall value is 21 and not a Blackjack. This means you are still beaten by a Blackjack.

Ensure that you read through the rules of any variant before playing with real money.