How to Compare Blackjack variants
Knowing when to hit, split and stand is crucial to your blackjack gaming success.
Topics Addressed
- Spanish 21
- Blackjack Switch
- Tips & Tricks
‘Blackjack' is an entire mix of games which all bear the blackjack characteristic of beating the dealer without going bust. And the goal of course is to hit that prized Ace & Jack - or at least 21. Here's how the blackjack variants go about the task entrusted to them:
Spanish 21 what you need to know
This hot number has all the 10s removed. This kills the player's edge, but the game's rules compensate with many extras including:
Late Surrender at any time with a loss of only half the bet
Re-splitting whereby players can split Aces and also Re-Split and Double or Re-Double after splitting any pair
Because there are no 10s it's less-likely to go bust with fewer cards, so players can draw more cards too
Side bets and bonus games allowed
Blackjack Switch throws you a curve ball
There's nothing ordinary about Blackjack Switch. This game has many weird and wonderful rules such that players receive 2 cards and can switch the 2nd cards dealt to each hand. The player benefits from this, but the dealer will push on 22.
Tips
Las Vegas Strip blackjack allows players to double-down on any initial 2 card combo. Identical pairs may be split, re-split and even drawn. But not with split Aces because these only permit one hit on each Ace. With Atlantic City blackjack, players can double-down on any initial 2 card combo. And identical pairs may be split, but not re-split. Doubling after splitting is allowed.
European blackjack only allows doubling on totals of 9 to 11. Only identical pairs may be split. Split Aces only allow 1 hit on each Ace. And doubling after splitting is perfectly okay. In American Blackjack if the dealer's card face-up card is an Ace or 10-value card, then the dealer checks for blackjack before the player makes a move. And if the dealer hits blackjack, it's game over for the player.
With European blackjack the dealer doesn't check for blackjack - regardless. Thus the player can make a move (no hole-card rule). The dealer's 2nd card reflects after the player completes his/her move. But if the dealer has blackjack, all bets are off - so to speak!
