Different Rules and Variations of Blackjack

Before I get into the different variations of blackjack, let me describe the different rule variations that you will come across while playing blackjack from one casino to another.

Does the dealer hit on soft 17?

Most of the time if you are in an American casino or play at an online casino, the dealer will hit on soft 17. This wasn't always the case. Back in the early 90's, this practice was almost unheard of. The idea is that the casino gets a slight advantage because of the chance for a small card to hit and get closer to 21 without jeopardizing the dealer busting if a large card gets dealt.

This is the one rule that is always plainly marked on the table.

How many decks are in play?

A lot of online casinos don't let you know how many decks that they are using. I've found tools that can approximate the statistical odds of receiving the first four cards between 6 and 8 decks but they have to be run with many thousands of hands to determine anything accurately. Ultimately, the online casino could have the cards shuffled after every hand without you noticing.

This ultimately isn't that important unless you are trying to count cards because there is only a significant difference in house advantage only when you are playing with 1 or 2 decks. I would advise against counting cards while playing online. The only exception is if the casino clearly states that they use a certain number of decks somewhere on their site. The casinos that do usually have their games checked periodically to make sure payouts are legitimate.

Can you surrender?

Surrendering is a favorable option that is not always offered. Some online casinos will have a separate game called Blackjack Surrender where this option is available.

Surrendering is offered so that you can receive half of your bet back in the event that you have very low odds of winning, say when you have 16 and the dealer is showing 10.

At a live casino, this will often not be posted and you should ask the dealer if surrendering is allowed. With online casino, you will see a surrender button. If it isn't there when you have 16, then the game you are playing doesn't offer it.

Splitting options

Online casinos have a limit to the number of times you can split. This should be in the rules page at any online casino or should become apparent when you can't split again. The most you will ever see is a total of 4 hands or 3 splits total, though a lot of casinos only allow one resplit.

Another option that some casinos offer is the ability to double down after you split. This one is pretty common to see with any casino that allows doubling down on any two cards.

One to watch out for is whether or not you are allowed to hit or resplit aces. It's pretty common to see casinos only allow one card to be drawn per hand when you split your aces.

Double down options

You are most likely to see one of three options for doubling down. You will either be allowed to double down whenever or not. If you are not allowed to freely double down, the casinos will either restrict you to doubling down with 9, 10, or 11 or just 10 and 11.

Standard Blackjack

Your standard blackjack game at many online casinos will have the following options unless otherwise stated:

Blackjack pays 3:2, Insurance pays 2:1, Dealer must hit soft 17, Double down on any two cards, One card dealt on split Aces.

European Blackjack

Usually at online casinos, European Blackjack means that the dealer must stand on any 17. Because of this, you are no longer able to double down on any two cards, but can only do so if your cards total 9, 10 or 11.

The other rules still apply unless otherwise noted.

Faces Up or Double Exposure Blackjack

In this variation, you get to see both of the dealer's cards. But there are a lot of restrictions that apply because of this. The biggest rule that applies is that blackjacks either pay out even money or 6:5 at best.

The other thing you should notice right away is that the Dealer wins all ties. This means if the dealer has a hard 17 or higher, you have to hit if you're hand has a lower or equal total. Even if you have 20 and the dealer has 20, you still have to hit because you will lose. This also means that you will lose if the dealer gets 21. The only tie that the player wins is on a blackjack.

Other rules: Dealer must hit on soft 17. Double after splits are allowed. One card dealt on split Aces. Double down on two card totals of 9, 10, or 11.

Match Play 21 or Spanish 21

This is a game that you will want to practice playing a lot before you should play for real money. This is because it has several variations to the rules of blackjack as well as bonus hands that can be won.

The first thing that you need to know is that there are no 10's in the decks used. The other face cards are there. Removing a quarter of the cards worth 10 points changes a lot of your normal decisions about what to do with 12 to 16 points.

The one good rule that you automatically win when you get 21. Other abnormal rules include being able to double down once at any time, even if you have already made several hits. You can also surrender half of your bet anytime, including after you double down.

The bonus hands can only be won if you do not double down or split. The bonus hands that have 3 to 1 payouts include getting 6, 7, 8 of spades, three 7 of spades, or a seven-card 21. 2 to 1 payouts for suited 6-7-8, three 7's or a six-card 21. 3 to 2 payout on any 6-7-8, three 7's or a five-card 21.

You can win 40 to 1 on your bet if you get a Match Play 21. The way to achieve this is to get three suited 7's in your hand to make 21. The dealer must also have any seven in order to win this.

Pontoon

Pontoon is variation of blackjack that is primarily played in the UK and Europe. The Ace/10 combination is called Pontoon instead of blackjack and pays out 2 to 1, better than the traditional  3 to 2 payout for most blackjack games.

One of the unique features of Pontoon is that you can win if you get 2 to 1 if you can hit to 5 cards in your hand. The great equalizer is that the dealer gets to win all ties. This includes when you get a 5 card hand, the dealer can draw to 5 cards and beat you or if you both receive a pontoon.

One thing you should notice immediately is that both of the dealer's cards are face down. This means you just have to play your hand to the best of your ability without any clue of what the dealer has. The dealer must hit on soft 17 and the player must hit on 14 or less.

The rules for doubling down are completely unique. You can double down once at any time during the hand and you can also hit after you have doubled down. If you have a four card 11 or less, you will want to double down automatically because the 5 card hand wins 2 to 1. You can also make up to 2 splits during a round.