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Blackjack Variations
Blackjack switch
Blackjack Switch is a blackjack variant which is predominantly played at online casinos. When playing this variation it is possible to switch cards to give yourself an advantage over the house - a technique which was once considered to be cheating. The way in which this technique is played involves the switch of two top cards whilst playing two hands. The house then deals the players two hands, however the difference in this variant is that at any given moment players can swap the top two cards for the others that they have been drawn with. This grants players the opportunity to manipulate the odds in their favour, so as to increase their chance of winning.
For example if a player receives a 2/9 and an A/4 hands they can then switch the 9 with the 4 thus having A/9 hand (19) and 2/4 hand (6). Despite this obvious advantage gained by the player, the casino do have there own method of increasing there own odds.
The advantage gained by the house when playing ‘Blackjack Switch variation’ is the fact that the dealer can reach a total hand of 22 without busting. If the dealer receives a hand of 22 it will tie with a player'shand equalling 21, unless the player has blackjack. Blackjack pays a ratio of 1 to 1 and players will as a result lose on a push. Apart from the above mentioned rules, the rest of the Blackjack switch rules are the same as used when playing the standard variation of blackjack.
Notice that in Switch there is the option of a Super Match side bet, which does not affect the player's initial bets. This bet is placed before any cards are dealt. If a player has a pair than the Super Match would pay him 1:1, 5:1 for a strip, 8:1 if he receives two pairs and 40:1 for four of a kind. A super match bet is paid only for the first four cards that are dealt.
The majority of Blackjack Switch tables have a house edge of either 0.02% or 0.2%. This game is suitable for novice players as well as skilled blackjack players as the advantage is favourable for all players.
Blackjack bonus variation
"Bonus" is a blackjack variant which entails a player betting on the outcome of two initial cards. This blackjack variant is played using only two decks, thus increasing the overall potential for betting on the right combinations. The casino does however make a significant profit on players because as with all online casino games the house is the eventual winner because the odds are heavily stacked in their favour.
One of the best hands that can be dealt in this variant is Blackjack consisting of an Ace and a Jack, both Spades. This hand is likely to appear every 52 rounds of Bonus Blackjack, this should mean that the payout will be 52:1 however; this is not the case as the casino increases its edge by manipulating the payouts in their own favour.
The value of hands:
- A+J of spades: 50 to 1, for other suits the payout is 25:1.
- Other pairs of cards totalling 21 of the same suit are paid 5:2.
- Other 21 hands are paid 3:2.
Bonus Blackjack rules are essentially the same as in the "traditional" game of blackjack for example; you can double, split up to four cards, hit after a double etc... The dealer has to stand on a Soft 17 and one of the dealers’ initial cards is left faced down. A player is unable to surrender and there are no winners in a push. Also, you cannot re-split aces once played and after a split it’s not possible to win. You can however double after a split and hit as well. Notice that any pair of ten-rated cards can be split for example; Q and K, or J and K.
Double exposure blackjack variant
Double Exposure is a new variation of blackjack, thus making it more enticing to both experienced and novice players. The Double Exposure variation is commonly played online and you may have seen it before with a different name such as Face up 21 or Dealer Disclosure. The main difference between Double Exposure and the "traditional" blackjack variant is that the dealers’ cards are dealt face up.
Though this is clearly an advantage for the online casino they do make sure to remove it by incorporating new rules, these increase the casino edge even higher than in other variants of blackjack. The house edge shifts from 0.26% to 1.47%. In the online version of Double Exposure the cards are shuffled each round, thus making card counting near impossible, which accounts for the high house edge.
The rules used by the casinos in Double exposure are as follows: All ties are considered as a loss and your bankroll goes to the dealer, bar the exception of getting blackjack. Blackjack pays 1 to 1 however, after splitting the cards blackjack is not paid. Also you cannot hit after doubling. A Player may split only once the dealer has hit or stood on 17. You cannot surrender in this blackjack variation.
Pontoon blackjack variant
Pontoon is a British version of blackjack which has only recently been accepted by worldwide fan base of online blackjack. Though most of the rules are similar to traditional blackjack, a few twists in Pontoon makes it slightly more challenging and therefore exciting to potential players.
Pontoon is played with a minimum of two players and a maximum of eight players. If eight players are playing at any one time then two decks of cards are used. The card values match those in regular blackjack; an ace can be "1" or "11", a Queen is 10 and so on. The game's objective is essentially the same as the players aim is to reach a total of 21. The banker in this game has a handsome advantage because of the fact that they win when a hand is tied plus they also has the option of selling his/her sit.
The value of hands from high to low are as follows:
- Pontoon – is when you have a total of 21 with two cards, such as and Ace and a K\Q\J\10.
- Five Card Trick – a 21 or less with five cards. Example: 5-2-3-4-7 or 8-3-4-2-1.
- Three cards of 21 in total - beat everything else but the above mentioned hands.
- Hands with less than 21 - which is consisted by less than five cards.
- Bust - hands with more than a total of 21.
Firstly the banker deals a card to each player faced down; the first to receive a card is the player who sits to the left of the banker. The banker then deals in clockwise order, all but the banker may view their first card. After each player receives a card the banker then deals his/herself a card also facing down. The players bet and then a second card is dealt to each player and the banker as well. If the banker has Pontoon he declares it in which case the round is immediately over, and the banker collects double from the players' stakes, otherwise it is the players' turn again.
A player may split two similar cards (e.g. 8-8 or 5-5), or he/she may buy up to three cards, and raising the stakes by no more than the double the initial bet in the first purchase. In the second purchase of a card (the fourth card) a player must raise by a sum no bigger than the last bet that was placed and no less than the initial bet. Same goes for the fifth card.
Example: If your first bet was £10 and the max of the table is £20 you may buy a third card with £10-£20. If you placed £17 down, you may buy the fourth and fifth cards for a sum of £10-£17. These cards are dealt face down. But, if you feel that funds are in short supply get the third/fourth/fifth card for free which is called a "twist". The cards can be dealt face up by saying to the dealer "twist me one". If your cards value is no less than 15 you may "stick" to your cards without buying any more.
You may twist after purchasing cards, however you can not purchase cards after a twist. Players can stick at any time if their total is over than 15 and less than 21. In case of a twist, bust, split or a pontoon the players would then reveal their cards for everyone to see.
If your total is above 21 you must ‘throw away’ the cards, then the house will then take your stake as you have lost the bet. The banker is then entitled to take up to five cards, all faced up, until he/she is satisfied, then he/she can stay, if not he/she busts.
If the banker has a Five Card draw he/she pays double only to players who have been dealt a Pontoon, everyone else playing loses. If he/she has less than a Five Card Trick but still has a total of 21 or less he/she pays equal to higher hands, such as 18 with four cards, and he/she doubles Pontoons and Five Card draws. If the banker busts he/she has to pay all players that haven't busted.
After the round, the cards are then collected by the banker, who then shuffles the pack and if any one of the players or the banker had a Pontoon, only then can another round begin. So if no one had been dealt a Pontoon, the cards are collected and are dealt again without being shuffled. If a player does reach Pontoon and the banker doesn’t then he/she gets to become the new banker. If there's a tie between players with Pontoon then the player to the banker's left becomes the new banker, and the game continues.
Match play blackjack variant
Match Play 21 is a variation of blackjack that gives players payouts for different cards combinations. Most of the Match Play 21 rules are the same as "traditional" blackjack, bar a few changes. In Match Play 21 all cards worth 10 are removed from the decks (match play is played using two decks), thus increasing your chances to be dealt sevens, which is the main aim of the game.
In Match Play 21 the dealer stands on a Hard 17 and soft 18, players may surrender at any given period; you can split and double but take notice that you may only double once during the game. You may split to no more than three hands, regardless, Blackjack is paid after splitting. You can hit after a split as well as being able to split Aces if you want to. One of the dealer's cards is faced up while the other is faced down. Blackjack pays 3 to 2. Though this game offers more payouts than Triple 7's, the odds to win them are considerably lower than the odds to win special payouts when playing Triple 7's blackjack. For a Triple 7, of the same suit, your ratio payout is 40:1, however you would also need the up facing card of the dealer to be a Seven as well. Note that after a split or a double you will not be entitled to receive this bonus.
Super 21 blackjack variant
Super 21 is an online blackjack variation that offers players bonuses for certain hands combinations, this variant is similar to triple 7s and match play 21. The difference between them is that while Super 21 is played using a one card deck, Super Fun 21 is played using eight decks. This significantly lowers a player’s chance of winning the bonuses. The rules used within super 21 blackjack are essentially the same, with one exception and that is the fact that hands of five and six cards e.g. a six card hand totalling 20 wins, unless you haven't doubled.
Super 21's payouts on average are higher than most blackjack variations: diamond blackjack pays 2:1 and regular blackjack pays even money. If you have not doubled and you hit 21 with five or six cards then your payout would be also 2:1. Other hands of six cards would pay you 1:1.
Although this game doesn’t offer much in terms of monetary gain it is however payed at a fast pace in comparison to other variations. The odds for hitting a good hand are low, so if you are passionate about blackjack and you do not mind the low odds offered but instead prefer "winning big" from time to time, then this is the blackjack variant for you.
Blackjack pro
Blackjack Pro is comparable to the Las Vegas Strip so if you are a blackjack novice then you should stay well clear of this variant, this is due to the fact that Playtech's software doesn't allow users to re-split and this narrows down the playing options severely, which isn’t good for players in the long run.
Blackjack Pro rules state that you cannot double after a split, and doubling is only allowed for cards with a value of 10/11. If you decide to double at Blackjack Pro you would not get paid for a blackjack so there really wouldn’t be much point. A push doesn't pay either; however you don’t you lose money.
After a split you lose out on a range of options that would have been possible to take advantage of using a different variation of online blackjack. Such options include re-splitting aces, not being able to hit after splitting aces and not being permitted to surrender under any circumstances.
Extreme 21 blackjack variant
Extreme blackjack is a variant that is for users who play blackjack purely for fun because there is very little potential for monetary gain when playing extreme 21 blackjack because the house edge is three times that of traditional blackjack. The game itself is similar to normal blackjack apart from one crucial difference and that is that the dealer cannot stand.
In extreme 21 blackjack users compete against the dealer during their turn, the dealer keeps on hitting until he wins or goes bust, whichever comes first. There is no push in this variant of blackjack. Players may double and re-double (if the online casino allows it), also you can re-split as many times as you please, which gives you an opportunity to card count. However may players may not re-split Aces.
Know that all players' 21 hands win, these are paid 1:1, but blackjack pays 1:1 as well, this is the online casinos' way to increase their edge without players noticing it.
Triple 7 blackjack
Triple 7s blackjack is without a doubt the most famous of all blackjack variants mainly because of the availability of large bonuses for certain hand combinations. The game is a main staple in online casinos worldwide and is similar to the regular version of blackjack with just a few minor differences.
The main attribute of triple 7s blackjack is the bonuses offered for hands containing 7s. In triple 7s blackjack there is a progressive jackpot so every round the jackpot increases so the more players participating, the more money a player can win. So if you were to go away now and play triple 7s blackjack your best bet of winning a large some of money would be to find a table with as many players as possible.
For a single 7 the payout is 5:1 and for an unsuited pair the payout is 25:1. For a suited pair the payout is 50:1 and for a Triple Seven each casino has his own special payout's ratio so before you play check what the online casino is offering player if they are dealt a diamond 7s hand.
In Triple 7's the dealer's cards are dealt face up, which gives users an advantage, but also a significant drawback is that players can only double on 9, 10 and 11; you cannot double after a split. Also do not split 7's, which automatically eliminates any bonuses. Dealer stands on 17 and draws on 16. A player gets his money back if there's a draw. The chances of receiving a 7 are very slim. You will receive a Seven in 8 out of 100 rounds so the odds are stacked against you but if you playing for serious money triple 7s blackjack is the variation for you, so, if you're interested in big scores – Triple 7's is not the best choice and it is better for players to play the bonus blackjack variation which is a blackjack variation that has higher bonuses.
