Best Casinos to play variations of blackjack 2024
Blackjack Variations
Blackjack is a table game that is always played against a dealer. Due to the way the game is set up, one might think there’s only one way to play.
The truth is that there are quite a number of variations of blackjack! In these game variations, rules are amended slightly to give the player or the house advantage.
We’ve selected the most popular variations here below. Check them out! Maybe you have come across one or more of them already.
Blackjack Switch
In Blackjack Switch, the dealer and player push if the dealer’s hand is a total of 22.
It’s played with 6-8 full decks out of a shoe. The main difference here is that players are always required to play two hands simultaneously.
After the initial cards are dealt, players have the option to switch the top cards of their two hands. There are also several side bets available.
Pontoon
In Pontoon, you can always Hit, even after a Double Down. However, you can only hold five cards in your hand.
Getting a natural hand consisting of an Ace and a ten-value card is a Pontoon. It pays 2:1, and it will still pay 2:1 after a Split. In regular Blackjack, a hand of 21 after a Split will only pay 1:1.
A 5-card hand that adds up to 21 also pays 2:1 and is called a 5-card Charlie. The catch in Pontoon blackjack is that the dealer (house) wins all ties.
Spanish 21
Very similar to Pontoon is Spanish 21. Pontoon played in Australia and Singapore is more similar to this blackjack variation.
This version is famous for its low house edge and that all 10s are removed. In Spanish 21, six or eight decks are used.
Dealer must hit soft 17; the player wins if both player and dealer have blackjack (3:2). A six-hand card that adds up to 21 pays 2:1, while a 7-card 21-hand pays 3:1.
Multi-Hand Blackjack
Online, the Multi-Hand variation of blackjack is often offered as an RNG-version. Here you can play up to five hands at the same time!
The game is played with the rules of regular blackjack, so you can use the basic blackjack strategy.
Thanks to the many hands played at once, the possibility of offsetting a lost hand with a winning one during the same round provides an extra level of excitement to the game.
Double Exposure
Also known as “Face Up Blackjack,” Double Exposure is played with both dealers dealt cards facing up.
This means a lower house edge for players, but this is balanced with the dealer taking all ties except when pushing a player’s blackjack.
We recommend learning how to play regular blackjack before taking on this version.
Which blackjack variation is played with a live dealer?
As blackjack is a game based on being played with a dealer, they are all available in live versions.
Online casinos offering blackjack from providers such as Playtech, Ezugi, and Evolution will often have one or more of these variations available.
Although not always promoted in the casino lobby, you can find the game through the provider lobby, which you can reach by opening one of their games and then the game lobby.
