Variations of the Game
There are quite a few variations of Blackjack out there in the betting world – “quite a few” being a fairly liberal phrase. Indeed, over one hundred different variations exist – thus, it would be difficult to describe all of them without coming close to publishing a small book. So for the intent of this article, we will discuss the more popular variants of the game.
When checking to see if a Blackjack table has any potential variants, it is important to ask the dealer. Some casinos may even have their own customized versions of the game. We will begin with two of the more popular variants: European Blackjack and Atlantic City Blackjack.
The variant known as European Blackjack uses two decks in play (although in some places, it may be more). It is known as a “soft” game, as it allows for dealers to stand on a soft 17. As for players, they are usually only allowed to double down on “9” or “11” only, although it does not allow for any doubling after splitting, or even re-splitting.
A game such as Atlantic City Blackjack uses eight decks, with dealers hitting on a “soft” 17 for the dealer. A player can double on any of the first two cards and can also double after splitting (they can, however, only split once).
Another variant is Pontoon, which is a British version of Blackjack, and the ancestor of the American version of the game. Another “soft” 17 game, Pontoon has the dealer cards presented in a face down manner, which changes up the usual “face up” playing strategy. Additionally, when it comes to a tie, the dealer wins all ties, as opposed to the standard push.
Other popular variations include the following: Blackjack Surrender, Blackjack Switch, Caribbean 21, Double Exposure Blackjack (think clean thoughts here!), Multi-Hand Blackjack, Single Deck Blackjack, Vegas Downtown Blackjack, and Vegas Strip Blackjack.
As you can see, that is only a small sampling of the games that are currently out there, and merely scratches the surface of what you can play. And although it seems like a lot of games, the differences are usually based on betting limits, “doubling and splitting” differences, and when the dealer can hit. So whatever your preference in play, there is certainly no shortage of ways to get into a good game of Blackjack.
And regardless of the game, the most important rule to follow is to enjoy the game you are playing. Best of luck in the casinos!
