Multihand BlackJack Card Game
Casino Table Games
Another popular staple in the world of online casino games is the Multihand Blackjack card game. Commonly referred to as twenty-one, this is without a doubt one of the most popular options players flock to. One of the reasons this game is so common is because of the simplicity of the rules, as well as how riveting the play can be. Nowadays Blackjack can be found at every casino. But since we live in a modern age, most players prefer to take their action to an online casino. And while many fans are used to playing at home, the version you encounter at casinos is a tad bit different.
In the casino, both in life and online, the house is the dealer and they're in charge of running all aspects of the game. This includes shuffling cards, dealing, as well as the handling of bets. But the biggest difference is in the deck. Apart from the single deck blackjack variant, almost all versions of online blackjack will be of the multihand blackjack variant. This might be a bit confusing at first but it simply differentiates between games using 52 cards, a single deck, or more. But before we cover these different variants, let’s mulch over the rules of a standard blackjack game.
Online Blackjack Rules
- The objective of the game is to beat the dealer by reaching a count of 21 or as close as possible, without going over.
- An ace is worth 1 or 11. Each individual player determines the value of his ace.
- Face cards have a value of 10. All other card shares its pip value.
- Bets are placed before the deal begins.
- After bets have been placed and the deck has been shuffled and cut, the dealer will give one face up card to each player in a clockwise rotation, ending with a face up card for himself. Afterwards the dealer distributes the second hard in a similar fashion. The second card will be face up for players but face down for the dealer.
- If your first two cards are an ace and a 10, you have won a natural or have achieved ‘blackjack’. If a player has a natural and the dealer does not, the dealer pays out 1 ½ times the original bet. If the dealer has a natural and no player does, the dealer immediately collets all bets. If the dealer and another player both have naturals, the bet of that player is a stand-off and is refunded.
- Play starts with the player to the left of the dealer. He must decide whether to stand (no more cards are drawn) or hit (as for another card to get closer to the 21 figure). If he hits and goes over, this is called a bust and he subsequently loses his bet. Play then continues towards the left.
- Soft hands are hands featuring an ace with the ace counting as 11. For example a hand of 14 featuring an ace and a 3 is called a soft hand. This refers to the players ability to dial down the value of his ace in the case that he goes over.
- There are certain rules regarding the dealer’s play. Once all players are served, the dealer must flip his face down card. If the total is 17 or more, the dealer must stand. If it is under 16 the dealer must hit. In this scenario, the dealer will keep hitting until his total is 17 or more, at which point he must stand. In the case of a soft 17+, the dealer must count the ace as 11 and stand. This means that the dealer’s decisions are automatic while the players can employ strategies.
- If a player’s first two cards are the same, i.e. two jacks or two tens, he can opt to treat them as separate hands. This is called splitting pairs. However, in order to do so, he must transfer his original bet onto one of the new pairs and place an equal bet on the other. The hand on the left is played until completion and then the one on the right is played, treating each as their own separate hands. If you split a pair of aces, you are given one card for each ace but are not allowed to draw again. Also if you get a natural off of this split you will be paid out 1x your bet not the normal 1.5x.
- You can double down when your original two cards dealt total 9, 10 or 11. When it’s your turn, you can place a bet equal to your original bet. However, you will be given just one card, face down. That card is not revealed until the bets are settled at the end of the hand. Also, if you have two fives you can choose to split a pair, double down or play regularly. The dealer can never double down.
- In the case that the dealer’s face up card is an ace, players are afforded the ability to place an insurance. This insurance will be a bet whose value cannot exceed half of the original bet made by that player. The bet will be on whether or not the dealer’s face down card is a 10, essentially betting on whether or not the house has blackjack. Once these insurance bets are placed, the dealer looks at his face down card. If it is a 10-card, it is flipped up and those who made the insurance bet are paid 2x the amount of their half bet. This keeps you from suffering any losses on a dealer blackjack. This isn’t that great of an option unless you are certain there are a high number of 10-cards still left in the deck.
- The dealer has an advantage in that the player goes first, allowing the player to go bust first. If he does bust, he loses his bet and the dealer collects. If the dealer busts, he pays out 1x the players’ that stood. If the dealer stands at 21 or less, he pays players who have reached standoff or who have a higher total, he also collects bets of any player having a lower total.
Top Casino Table Games
The above listed rules are the most common you’ll find when playing online blackjack. However, some multihand variants of the game employ different rules. To help you out, we’ve amassed a simple guide to bring you up to speed.
Vegas Strip 6-Deck Blackjack Rules
- All Standard Rules Apply
- Dealer Must Hit Soft 17: YES
- Double any two cards: YES
- Double after split: YES
- Re-split: YES (up to 4 hands)
- Surrender: Variable
Atlantic City 6-Deck Blackjack Rules
- All standard rules apply
- Dealer Must Hit Soft 17: NO
- Double any two cards: YES
- Double after split: YES
- Re-Split: YES (up to 4 hands)
- Surrender: Variable
Spanish 21 8-Deck Blackjack Rules
- All standard rules apply
- Dealer Must Hit Soft 17: YES
- Double any two cards: YES
- Double after split: YES
- Re-Split: NO
- Surrender: YES
- Surrender after doubling: YES
- 5+ Card 21: YES
- All 10s removed from decks (not face, just 10s).
