Blackjack is one of the most popular table games played in online casinos. This is mainly due to the minimal casino advantage in the game. Other important factors are the ease of understanding the rules of the game, beginners can also play without making too many mistakes.

14 Types of Blackjack Variants

Learn the best 14 types of interesting blackjack variants

Blackjack is one of the most popular table games played in online casinos. This is mainly due to the minimal casino advantage in the game. Other important factors are the ease of understanding the rules of the game, beginners can also play without making too many mistakes.

The routine game of blackjack often becomes very boring for players and therefore gambling developers understanding this have invented several blackjack variants to make the game more fun and exciting.

Usually several blackjack game variants are offered in both land-based and online casinos. In this blackjack guide we are going to discover some of the blackjack variants:

We will try to make our guide as complete and simple as possible for novice players who do not yet understand many casino terms and online gambling jargon.

Blackjack Switch

Blackjack Switch is one of the most popular blackjack variants. It requires players to place bets at the same time, on two hands. The lowest bet in Blackjack Switch can sometimes be misleading. The players involved will have to place 2 bets of a minimum amount to be dealt into the hand.

Blackjack Switch players can switch from one of their hands to the other or leave them as they were dealt. In blackjack switching, double downs before and after splitting may be allowed, as well as re-splitting aces. In Blackjack only even money is paid.

The rules of Blackjack Switch allow the player to make what is called a classic cheating maneuver, which is to swap cards between two hands. The basic strategy requires the player to place two bets of the same size and is allowed to exchange the second card that is dealt with either hand. There has to be an exchange for anything to be useful. In this situation, a 22 from the dealer results in a push against all unbroken hands, which makes the blackjacks pay even money.

Free Bet Blackjack

Free bet Blackjack is a Blackjack game variant that offers players to double down for free on 9, 10 and 11. Players can also freely split any pair not equal to 20. Free doubling down after free splitting is also possible. Accordingly, in return for the flexible rules, the dealer can push any live hand if 22 is obtained.

The twist of the free bet is that the player must not put his own money at risk by splitting or, often, doubling down. It’s like playing with a generous friend present at the table, who places the bets and lets you keep the winnings. The trick here is that if the dealer gets a 22, all the side bets that are still standing come out.

The basic strategy of free bet Blackjack is simple, and offers more splits and doubles than traditional Blackjack. Players who find the rules of traditional blackjack difficult may find Free Bet Blackjack simple.

Spanish 21

One of the earliest variants of the game of blackjack was Spanish 21. Spanish 21 was played in Las Vegas but disappeared for years and was later introduced at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and the Palazzo Resort Casino. It is also quite popular in Pennsylvania and Atlantic City casinos.

In Spanish 21 blackjack, doubling down after splitting and on any number card is allowed, even when players have finished hitting. In Spanish 21, players can surrender after their double down or double ransom. Aces can be re-split and hit. The winning hand is 21. For making a five-card 21, 777 and 687, there are bonus payouts. For these player-friendly rules, the trade-off is that the 10’s are removed from the deck.

In recent years, Spanish 21 blackjack has made a resurgence. However, the rules are no longer as flexible as they used to be. In most cases, Spanish 21 is a difficult game to learn, and the basic strategy is very different from that of other Blackjack variants.

Super Fun 21

Super Fun 21 is mostly dealt in single or double deck format. Players can double the number of cards, even after splitting. Split aces can be re-split or hit. Surrender is possible at any time, even after players have called or doubled down. Blackjack usually wins, but only makes even payouts, except if it is a face and an ace of diamonds. In that case, the player receives a 2-1 payout.

Super Fun 21 is one of the blackjack variants played with the standard 52 decks. Depending on the value that benefits the player’s hand, the aces can be counted as 1 or 11. The face cards of the deck all count as ten, and the rest of the cards count at face value. The player must first place a bet and is dealt two cards face up. The dealer is also dealt his first two cards. However, one of the cards is face up and the other face down. The player may decide to ask for another card (hit) or turn down additional cards (stand). The player’s hand must exceed the dealer’s hand by getting as close as possible to 21 without exceeding it.

Most Liberal 21

The Most Liberal 21 is only seen in a downtown Las Vegas casino. It used to be available for play in Las Vegas before it closed in August 2015. Most Liberal 21 blackjack variants have a good house edge and allow players to double down on any number of cards. Surrendering is also allowed, even after calling a draw. Splitting and re-splitting aces is possible, as well as hitting. Doubling down after splitting aces is also allowed. A higher card or five automatically wins. Blackjack games pay even money only, except if a suit is involved. Then it pays 2-1.

Most Liberal 21 players are dealt two cards each, either face up or face down, as required by the casino and the table. Normally, the dealer is also dealt two cards, one revealed and the other hidden. However, in other cases, the dealer is only dealt one card face up. The value of the cards from 2 to 10 is their pip value. The value of a hand is the total of the card values. To improve their hands, players can draw additional cards. A hand with an ace with a value of 11 is called “soft”, which means that it will not break if the hand takes an additional one. The value of the ace will become one so that the hand does not exceed 21, otherwise it will be called “hard”.

War Blackjack

War blackjack is beyond a blackjack game per se, it is more of a side bet, although initially it may not seem so. A player can bet if his first card beats the dealer’s door card. The ace for this purpose is low. The game dealer wins all ties. A player may use the blackjack bet with the war blackjack bet if he wins.

War blackjack is a variation of blackjack that offers a single side bet that plays into the hand. The game begins like a typical game of blackjack. In the betting circles, players place a wager. There are two different bets, traditional blackjack and war blackjack side bets. Players must place a blackjack bet; the War Blackjack side bet is optional.

Players interested in the war blackjack side bet can play at another table in any casino, keeping in mind that the game can be slower than typical blackjack game variants but with a good house edge. Clearly, the rules are not that favorable either. The dealer begins by dealing each card to both the players and the dealer. All the cards dealt are exposed. The side bet determinant is one card, which is the first of the two cards to be dealt and then played in the traditional blackjack hand.

Face Up Blackjack

Face Up Blackjack, also known as Double Exposure or Dealer Disclosure, is a version of the game of blackjack in which cards are dealt face up, including the dealer’s card. This gives the certain advantage to the player. However, there are casino rules involved. The rules may differ from casino to casino, but in general, players can double down only on 10 and 11 and not after a split. Blackjack usually pays even money and, in most cases, wins in case of a tie. The dealer has all other times as a win.

Face Up Blackjack was dealt in Las Vegas casinos once. This was in 2014, and said the last time it was dealt there. In Primm casinos, on the border between Nevada and California, it is still dealt and in some online casinos.

It is essential to read the Blackjack Face Up strategy correctly before sitting down at a table. There are obvious differences between the methods of playing a Blackjack on the Las Vegas Face-Up strip and a traditional one.

Double Attack Blackjack

Double Attack Blackjack is available at land-based casinos in Atlantic City. These blackjack variants use the Spanish 21 deck number, which means that there are no tens in it. There are typical rules for the game, except that a player can make his initial bet double after seeing the dealer’s door card.

Double Attack Blackjack is a version of Spanish 21 that offers more money in a blackjack and allows the casino player to make his initial bet double after seeing the dealer’s face-up card. The game also offers an additional bet called buster. However, the bet has to be made before the dealer raises his card and pays out, depending on the card counter. The bet can only be paid if the dealer has a buster on the third card count.

Zombie Blackjack

Zombie Blackjack is available in Las Vegas. If the dealer shows a 7, 8, 9, 10, face or ace, the bet does not automatically lose. If the dealer busts, it pays. However, the 22 can offset the rule as a push.
The idea of Zombie blackjack is that if the dealer stands on a 7 and the player busts, he still has a chance to win. If the dealer busts, as if he were a zombie, he will come back to life and be paid any money due. If the 22 push rule is in place, so the dealer busts with the number, the player’s hands do not busts, he will push excluding blackjacks.

Down Under Blackjack

The online blackjack game Down Under is a version of blackjack that allows the player to know the dealer’s hole rank when shown with ten, face or ace. The dealer will indicate that the card count is low, meaning two to five, medium, meaning six to nine, high, meaning a ten or ace. This makes the player decide whether to hit or stand on questionable hands.

Online Blackjack Down Under allows players to play against the dealer knowing a card as something about the “down” card. Specifically, the dealer will let them know if the “down” card is small, medium or significant. Often, if the dealer has 22 points, the player left standing pushes rather than wins.

Zappit Blackjack

Zappit Blackjack is a variant of online blackjack with a significant rule change. A player who has been dealt a soft 17 in several hands can decide to discard the first 2 cards and ask for a new hand. It is crucial for Zappit Blackjack players to always switch to new hands when dealt soft 17s. This player-friendly rule change implies that the house will push if the dealer draws 22 on any hand. A player may decide to double down after splitting and with any two cards.

If the player gets a soft 17 on the Blackjack Zappit, based on the rules, then he can zap the hand and replace it with random cards. This rule can be compensated if the dealer wins or gets a 22. All side bets left standing will push instead of winning.

Perfect Pairs Blackjack

Perfect Pairs Blackjack is played like any other Blackjack variant, except that it offers an extra Perfect Pairs side bet. This side bet must match your initial bet, and players can win the side bet after receiving a pair.

This type hardly counts as a blackjack variant because it is only a side bet that is available with a slightly high house edge of 6%. This side bet can be completely ignored, and players can stick to playing regular blackjack at the casino’s perfect pair tables.

European Blackjack

European Blackjack is another variant of Blackjack. It is played similarly to the traditional game, but with one significant difference. The dealer is not dealt a hole card until after the player has acted. This changes the decision for the player in terms of doubling down 11 against a 10 and splitting 8s. This is how European blackjack is treated at many online casinos. For American blackjack players, it is only available online. There are regulated games offered by Atlantic City resorts.

Unlike American Blackjack, European Blackjack uses 6 decks of cards and not a single deck of cards for the game. The number of decks is shuffled before each hand is dealt, and dealers are not given a hole card. Dealers must ask for a hand containing an ace that adds up to 17. If the player’s hand loses with European Blackjack, then the bet lost is only the mandatory bet that was initially placed, as well as the other optional side bets that will be pushed and returned.

Pontoon

Pontoon is another online casino blackjack game with a good house edge that makes use of blackjack theory, but is handled with several rule variations. The player receives two cards, while the dealer only receives one up card after the player acts. The player has to hit until the hand has a minimum of 15. Basically, a pontoon is a blackjack, which refers to an ace and a face.

The pontoon is paid 2-1. Although, if it occurs after splitting, it is still called a pontoon. The player can decide to double down with 2, 3 or four cards in the game. It is also allowed after splitting. Aces can be dealt again, as well as hit and double down.

Conclusion

All Blackjack variants can have a significant difference from other types. Based on how the dealer hits the soft 17 and how Blackjack the dealer has to play his hand, as well as the available options the player has. Other blackjack variants have specific rules that are relevant enough to earn their names.

Many of these blackjack games offer an interesting house edge, bonus payouts and side bets for specific hands. Sometimes, the blackjack player is allowed to make changes to the nature of the game, letting the player see the dealer’s blackjack as well as his hole card or allowing the player to play multiple hands and change the cards of any hand.

Usually, when online casinos give, they take in return. This takes the prospect of a reduced payout in a natural, even money payouts in blackjack games are common in most blackjack variants. Strategic decisions such as the surrender rule, stand with a soft 17 and others vary according to the game options.

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