Blackjack is one of the leading casino games at local estalishments and is available at nearly every land-based or iGaming sites. The most popular variant of Blackjack, unsurprisingly, is American Blackjack, which is the standard blackjack game of 21, but not going over. A number of variants are based, for the most part, on the same basic rules of the standard blackjack game.
Playing 21 is one of the easiest card games for beginners to pick up. However, many different variants of the game are popular throughout the world. While you won’t find all of these options at every land-based or online casino in the USA, these are the most popular variants of blackjack, including for online play today.
American Blackjack
American blackjack is one of the most popular variants of blackjack in both land-based and online casinos. The basic rules of American blackjack are: The dealer is your opponent. You play with two cards. The objective of American Blackjack is to beat the dealer by getting a total as close to 21 without going over. The variations of American Blackjack are: Players can split or double down, which results in two hands. In American Blackjack, the house edge is affected by the number of decks used. The more decks, the higher the house edge. The dealer also gets both the upcard and hole card before players make their moves.
European Blackjack
European Blackjack is similar to American Blackjack, but there are a few differences. This blackjack table is a European blackjack second. The dealer stands on soft 17 in most European blackjack variants. Players have the freedom to double down on 9, 10, or 11 and split on 10 points in European blackjack. You can separate two Queens, but not 10 and Jack in European blackjack. Both player and dealer with blackjack push. European blackjack pays 3-to-2.
Also, dealers don’t peek for Blackjacks in European blackjack, which could hurt aggressive players. Doubling down and splitting occur less often in European blackjack. Most versions only split once on Aces and nines.
Atlantic City Blackjack
Atlantic City, New Jersey, is home to the largest casino on the East Coast and is the inspiration for the fan favorite blackjack variant, Atlantic City Blackjack. The majority of Blackjack games played in casinos in America use Atlantic City rules. It is a variation of classic blackjack. Players are allowed to double down regardless the value and can split up to three times.
Players can only split Aces once, including one Ace. American blackjack allows players to divide 10-point cards. Jack and King may also be divided. Late surrendering is available in Atlantic City Blackjack, allowing players to recover some of their bets.
Pontoon
Pontoon is the British equivalent of the American version of blackjack. It has many of the same features, but with a few differences that can make it more strategic. The biggest difference in the casino version is that the players are allowed to see one card first before making bets, and can increase their bets in the middle of a hand itself.
All players dealt one card; then they can choose how much to bet on the hand. Then the second card is dealt, and the game generally proceeds very similarly to standard blackjack, except with different terms, such as twist, which is to hit. The player wins having a higher hand than the dealer except if they have five cards worth less than 21 to get double the bet.
Spanish 21
How does the idea of playing blackjack without any tens in the deck hit you? That’s the art of playing Spanish 21. The objective is the same as blackjack: beat the dealer by having the best hand up to and including 21. All players make their bets to start each round, then receive two face-up cards and the dealer one up-card and one hole card.
In Spanish 21, players make their decisions to hit, stand, double down, split, or surrender according to the player’s hand and the dealer’s up-card. Spanish 21 plays with six to eight decks to better your chances of getting to 21. A player’s 21 always beats a dealer’s 21, which is a winning hand instead of a push. Players can double down on any value, even after splitting pairs multiple times.
Late surrender is allowed so that a player can forfeit half of their bet after the dealer checks for blackjack. Bonus payouts are paid for sure 21 combinations that are made with five, six, or seven cards. Re-splitting of aces is allowed, and hitting or doubling down after splitting aces is also allowed.
The dealer must hit on any total of 16 or less and stand on all totals of 17 or more. Dealer does not double down, split, or surrender, and if the dealer busts, all remaining player hands receive even money payouts, except for special bonus payouts.
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A blackjack game can vary from another based on the dealer’s hand or the player’s choices. Other blackjack games have specific rules and have different names. Many of these games feature side bets or bonus payouts, particularly when played online. Playing online offers the added advantage of picking up bonuses, starting with the welcome bonus. With better technology, playing online blackjack is more personalized, including with more live dealer options compared to playing at a retail casino.