The gaming options of an online casino aren’t just limited to the singular games you know of. There is no one roulette game, there isn’t just one form of poker to play, and as you will soon learn, there are multiple forms of blackjack that you can play right here online.
The card game has been played for centuries and in all that time, there have been numerous alterations and additions to the core rules, that have spawned many good variations. Here we introduce you to five of the gaming variants that you may very well have not known existed.
<h2>Introducing the blackjack card game</h2>
The card game is one of the iconic features of any casino, both online and land-based. It is a card game easily enjoyed and easily played. In total, there are approximately 18 different blackjack variants in circulation. The majority of these games will be found online, with land casinos opting to just provide you ‘classic’ form of blackjack.
Online you are treated to all forms of blackjack and knowing how to play just normal blackjack will help you to play them all.
For newly registered online players, blackjack is considered the easiest card game to play. The rules are simple, there are no skills required and there are only 3 key moves that you have to learn to position yourself into a winning advantage.
Why are players attracted to blackjack?
Why are players attracted to blackjack over every other game? Well, there is only one really good reason and, to put it bluntly, it’s the fairest of all casino games out there. To find out more, we spoke to Charlotte Fitzgerald, Editor and Chief of Casimoose, a casino comparison site that specializes in casino games for real money such as online blackjack. She explained to us how, data gathered from the site, reveals certain player trends:
“For players in Canada, all the more popular games are definitely defined as social games and blackjack falls into this. Most younger players will have learned this through colleges and that’s how it starts. So, the game is already at an advantage when it comes to this generation looking to experience blackjack in new ways and forms.
“The pros on our site all agree that its attraction is also due to the game’s player advantage stats. The house edge of blackjack comes in at about 1.48% and this is before any cards are dealt, this is the advantage of the casino. This is incredibly small, and with a player almost having a 50/50 chance of winning, this is what makes blackjack more advantageous than all other casino games built and created.”
Variants of blackjack
When it comes to playing blackjack, the core rules are the same, the end goal is to try and beat the dealer with a hand that totals a value closer to the sum of 21, than their hand. Getting to this total of 21 is where players will discover the nuances in the variants. The slighting of alterations can change how players are able to beat the casino and overrule the 1.48% house edge.
Here we look at the five most popular variants of blackjack that are easily accessible within the top casinos online.
Atlantic City Blackjack
As the name suggests, this is where the variant was created. Atlantic City Blackjack begins with the dealer issuing the cards out once all bets are placed. In this instance, the dealer is allowed to peek at their card to see the total and the dealer must stand if they hold a soft 17,
When it comes to the split option for a player, they are able to double down on any two cards. They are also able to re-split up to four times across their hands. The only rule on this splitting is that Aces cannot be re-split.
Atlantic City Blackjack offers players an insurance bet if the dealer is holding an Ace. Players are also able to call a late surrender to the game, leading to a loss in half the wager. The variant can also be played with 8 decks of cards.
Vegas Strip Blackjack
Perhaps the most popular of blackjack variants, this game originated in Las Vegas, as the name suggests. This is similar to a number of other variants, but the game’s main noticeable change is found with the number of decks that are used and when the dealer must stand with his hand of cards.
Played with 4 card decks at all times, the dealer issues the cards out once all bets are placed. As standard, you have two cards, and the dealer is also given two cards with one face up. This variant makes dealers stand on a soft 17. Players are able to take out an insurance bet with this variant also. When it comes to doubling down, this can be performed on any hand and split. Players are able to split up to 4 times in the games with aces only being able to be split once. One other change is that no player can opt to surrender.
Perfect Pairs
This variation of blackjack is played with six decks. The dealer must stand when drawing a soft 17. For players, they are able to perform a spit on any pair of cards that are of the same value only. From the split, players are able to perform double downs but only on totals that are between 9 and 11. Now, with this variant, you can split aces. Now, the Perfect Pairs is considered to be a side bet, a feature that makes this game unique.
The Perfect Pairs side bet works by rewarding the players who are dealt a pair of the same valued cards in their initial hand. This is face-value, not those that are jack to king.
There are mixed payouts on this side bet:
- Mixed Pair = 6 to 1
- Same Colour = 12 to 1
- Same Suit = 25 to 1
Pontoon
Possibly the most well-known game for those that grew up in the UK and perhaps a little surprising it formed as a casino game; pontoon is a classic British card game that takes on new ways of playing from its American counterpart. Played with a single deck of cards, this variant introduces players to the Five Card Trick. Reaching the sum of 21 in under 5 cards. Whereas all other variants focus on the achievement of getting blackjack, pontoon looks at how the achievement is formed. With this variant, it is only ace cards that can be split, and players are only able to stand with a minimum hand of 16, where the standard is normally 15.
All other standard rules apply.
Free Bet Blackjack
Well, the name certainly sounds inviting given the word Free Bet stands out, so is it free? Well, this is one of the numerous differences that come with this variant. When players perform a split of their hands and double down, these moves are paid for by the house, not the player. What this equates to, is the possibility of getting seven free bets should a player decide to split three times and doubles down on all of them.
The benefits of this should be evident, giving players a chance to win more with little risk factored in.
Now, the splits can only happen on cards that are of matching pairs. From this point, players can then only double down on hands of 9, 10, and 11 where there is no ace. Players cannot surrender with this variant given the luxury of the free bet as a trade-off.
All variant options are available online, but choices will vary between sites. All are blackjack variants are accessible for desktops, laptops, tablets, and all mobile devices. Before you register with any online casino, players are able to view gaming menus to ascertain what blackjack variants are available and if they are accessible as both virtual and live casino games.
Bringing blackjack into a new domain
Live casino gaming is what brings traditional features into the future of online gaming. This is a streaming platform that shows live gaming broadcasts for players to engage with. Evolution, for example, makes live blackjack variants available in this online format that will present some of the games listed above and many others.
This gives you the chance to not only experience new forms of blackjack gaming but new ways in how to experience the variants one-on-one with the tables live dealer, all played out in real-time.