Blackjack Variations

There are many different types of blackjack variations out there, and if you want to get to the point that you can play well at most of them, then you have to learn the differences in the rules and how those differences affect strategy. Here we have the information you need about some of the most popular forms of blackjack that you can find in online casinos if you’re wanting to get good at each of them.

Blackjack Switch

Blackjack Switch allows you to change cards between two hands. In exchange for this advantage, there are a few rules that lower your advantage overall. This game is typically found at online casinos that use the Playtech software. To be good at this blackjack game, you’ll need to study the switching strategy concepts that we cover.

Blackjack Surrender

Blackjack Surrender is the best blackjack game available at Playtech-powered sites in terms of the highest possible payout rate that you can achieve with correct play. The key feature of this game is the ability to surrender in a wide range of situations. If you want to get good at this game, one of the most important things to do is avoid surrendering too often in situations where it’s not warranted.

21 Burn Blackjack

21 Burn Blackjack is a game by Betsoft that includes a side bet that gives you the opportunity to switch out the second card that you’re dealt for a price. There are extra payouts you can get with the side bet, but you’ll need to employ a conservative strategy since it costs you $0.35 per dollar bet to take the burn card. In exchange for this option, blackjacks pay out at 1:1.

Super 7 Blackjack

Super 7 Blackjack is another Betsoft game that includes a side bet, but this one you should never take because it doesn’t offer any advantage. Instead, focus on the ability to double in a wide range of scenarios and the other atypical rules that are critical to know for making the right adjustments.

Pirate 21

Pirate 21 is one of the trickiest blackjack games to learn because it seems like it’s almost designed to frequently punish what seems like standard plays. This game has a selection of special rules like the Spanish deck. You should also avoid the sidebet in this Betsoft-powered title.

Pontoon

Pontoon is often said to be the game that blackjack was created from, and with the similarities between the two games, it’s likely to be true. With Pontoon, you won’t ever see either of the dealer’s cards, but you can win just by getting five cards without going bust. This game greatly rewards the right types of aggression.

Blackjack Lucky Jackpot

Blackjack Lucky Jackpot is a type of progressive blackjack game that offers a side bet that includes a progressive jackpot. It’s possible to get an advantage on this side bet if the jackpot is large enough. The rules of the regular game make standard play correct a majority of the time, so this is a good game for people who are just learning blackjack since there are fewer tricky situations to learn.

Spanish 21

Spanish 21 is a blackjack game that centers around what’s called a Spanish deck which is a 48-card deck that removes all of the 10s. This hurts your payout rate by making it harder to get blackjacks and making it harder to goad the dealer into busting, but they make up for it by giving you a lot of bonus payouts and the ability to double twice in a hand to take two cards and quadruple your original bet.

Super Fun 21

Super Fun 21 is a blackjack game by Microgaming that gives you lower payouts for blackjack in exchange for lots of extra chances to use the atypical betting options like doubling, surrendering and splitting. There are also a number of bonus payouts for getting 21 in different ways or by getting six or more cards without going over 20.

Big 5 Blackjack Gold

Big 5 Blackjack Gold is another Microgaming blackjack game that uses a very atypical five-deck shoe. The right strategies don’t change much for this shoe, and the main adjustments that you will have to make in this game involve being conservative against tens and aces because of the no-peek rule and taking advantage of the late surrender option.

Single Deck Blackjack

Single Deck Blackjack is usually the type of blackjack that offers the best overall payout rates for correct play. One of the features of this game is that because there are so few cards in the deck compared to shoe-based games, you can make atypical plays based on the exact cards in your hand instead of just relying on the total of those cards. If you want a game to play that allows you to practice the fundamentals, then this is a good one to do just that.

Double Deck Blackjack

Double Deck Blackjack is the main type of blackjack offered at online casino sites that use the Realtime Gaming software. The correct strategy for this style of blackjack revolves around being extremely aggressive with doubling in a wide range of situations. This is also a good game for practicing the fundamentals since there are no side bets or atypical rules to be concerned with and you don’t have to worry about special strategies based on which cards you hold.

European Blackjack

European Blackjack can be found at a number of different online casinos and is provided by a number of different software packages even though the rules stay about the same. The key feature of European-style blackjack is that the dealer never peeks for blackjack on a ten or ace. This means that you have to adjust by never doubling when facing a ten or ace and by only ever splitting against a ten or an ace in one very specific situation. In exchange for this disadvantage, you’re able to double after splitting which adds a lot to your payout rate if you split in all of the right situations.