How to play European Blackjack

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Play European Blackjack Online

Blackjack has long been a game of choice for many gamblers, simply because it involves more skills than luck to win a hand at a Blackjack table. Also, it is perhaps one of the few casino games with a low house edge. European Blackjack is a variation of Blackjack where the Dealer is dealt only one card.

The goal of the game is get a card total of 21 or closest to 21 to beat the dealer and win the hand. If your card total is more than 21, you bust and lose to the dealer automatically.

How to Play

Bet: To begin you need to place a bet. $5 is the minimum bet that you can place and $250 is the maximum. Click the chips to place a bet. To remove chips from the table, click them.

Deal: When you press the Deal button, you are dealt two cards. The Dealer is dealt only one card, which is also called the up card. Depending upon your hand total, you can decide to Hit, Double, or Split your hand.

In European Blackjack, numbered cards, cards from 2 to 10, carry their face value. The face cards, such as Jack, Queen, and King, are counted as 10. The Ace however can be counted as 1 or 11, whichever is favorable.

Hit: To hit is to draw another card to improve your hand. Click the Hit button to get another card.

Double: You can click the Double button to double your bet. In European Blackjack, you can only double if your hand gets a hard total of 9, 10, or 11. Another card is dealt to you automatically after you double your bet. Please note that you can only double once per hand.

Split: When you’re dealt two identical cards, you can decide to play them in two different hands. Once you split your hand, you can continue hitting for each hand till you win or go bust. But in case you split two Aces, you won’t be able to hit more than one card.

Stand: If you’re okay with your hand and don’t want to hit any more cards, you can stand. Click the Stand button to stand.

Dealer’s Turn
After you stand, the Dealer tries to hit more cards to beat your hand. If the Dealer gets a Blackjack, which is the combination of an Ace and any card valued at 10, you lose to the Dealer immediately. The Dealer may go bust attempting to get a healthier hand than yours. When you and the Dealer receive identical hands, it’s called a push. Your get your bet back in case of push.

You Win When:
Your hand beats the Dealer’s hand.
You get a Blackjack and the Dealer does not.

Game Features

Insurance

You can insure your bet against the Dealer’s Blackjack. If the Dealer’s up card is an Ace, you are prompted to insure your bet. You can say no if you don’t want to go for insurance. If you say yes and buy the insurance, an insurance bet, which is also called side bet, equal to half the amount of your ante is placed automatically. If the Dealer indeed comes up with a Blackjack, you are paid 2-to-1; otherwise you lose your insurance bet.

Many Blackjack veterans believe that it’s not a good idea to go for insurance bet. Just because Dealer’s up card is an Ace does not mean that the Dealer will get a Blackjack for sure.

Here’s how it works. Let’s say your initial bet is $100 and you’re dealt a hand valued at 12. The Dealer gets an Ace and offers you to insure your bet. If you go for the insurance bet, a $50 bet (half of your initial bet) is placed automatically. You can hit more cards to improve your hand if you wish. Let’s say you stand at 19. When you choose to stand or go bust, the Dealer will draw another card. If the Dealer comes up with a Blackjack, you are paid twice the amount of your insurance bet, which, in this case, calculates to $100 ($50 X 2). But on the other hand, you lose your initial bet of $100 because your card total 19 is inferior to Blackjack. So, in the end you end up winning no extra.

Another thing that happens more often is that the Dealer does not come up with a Blackjack. In that case you lose your insurance bet. The hand still continues. You may beat the Dealer’s hand and win or vice-versa.

Rules

European Blackjack follows somewhat different rules than Blackjack. It’s always a good idea to have a look at the rules. You can also click the Rules button on the game screen to access these rules.

Blackjack pays 3:2
It means that you will be paid 1.5 times the amount of your ante if you receive a Blackjack. For example, if you place a $10 bet, you will win $15 if you get a Blackjack.

Insurance pays 2:1
The insurance gives you double the amount of that you put on the line.

Dealer must stand soft 17
In case of soft 17, which is a combination of Ace and Six, the Dealer must stop drawing more cards and stand. For example, if you are dealt a hand totaling to 18, and the Dealer receives soft 17, the Dealer would have no option but to stand, leaving you with a winning hand.

Double hard 9, 10, 11 only
You are only allowed to double your ante if you get a combination of 9, 10, or 1l.

1 card dealt on split Aces
When you split your Aces, you can not keep drawing more cards to complete a winning hand. Rather, you can only draw one card to see if you win or lose.

In case of tie, your bet is pushed back to you.

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