Casino players like to play blackjack for a number of different reasons. It’s an easy game to learn, there are both high and low betting options and it’s one of the casino’s highest Return to Player game options. Today there are multiple variations of blackjack, each with its own unique rules and strategies. Many blackjack aficionados enjoy exploring the different options, each with its own challenges and opportunities.
If you’re ready to take a break from real money online slots and try a different type of game, give blackjack a whirl. What are the most popular blackjack variations?
Classic Blackjack
The classic blackjack game, sometimes referred to as “21”, remains the casino’s most popular blackjack game. Classic blackjack dates back to the late 16th or early 17th century when it was called “vingt-et-un” – “Twenty-One”. All variations of blackjack are built on that early version which was one of the first games featured in the French Riviera casinos of the 1800s. Classic blackjack is can be played with a group of players or with just one player playing against the dealer.
In classic blackjack, all competitors are dealt one hidden card and one revealed card. Everyone makes a bet, based on their assessment of whether they believe that they will be able to come close to a total value of 21 without exceeding that value. Picture cards are valued at 10 and Aces can be valued at either one or eleven, based on the player’s decision. A picture card and an Ace are considered an immediate “Blackjack” and, unless there’s another player with a Blackjack, wins the entire pot.
After the bets are made, each player can request as many additional cards as he wants as he builds his hand, all the while trying to stay at or under 21 while coming as close to 21 as possible. When all participants have had their chance to build their hand, the hands are compared. The player who came closest to 21 is the winner.
Many gamers like blackjack because it offers an element of control. It’s possible to turn the game in your favor with skillful betting and careful decision-making, unlike random games like slots or scratch cards where the results are completely based on luck.
When you play classic blackjack, it’s important to stick to the basic blackjack strategy which will give you the best chances to achieve top results. The most important of these strategies include:
- Always split pairs of aces or 8s
- Never split pairs of 5s or 10s
- Double down on a 10 if the dealer’s upcard (the card that is displayed) is 9 or less
- Never take insurance
Perfect Pairs Blackjack
Perfect Pairs is played by making an extra wager in addition to the regular Blackjack bet. This side bet is made based on the prediction that the two cards the player is dealt will make a pair. There are three different types of pairs and they pay out at different odds. For cards between two and 10, a pair is considered to be two cards of the same numerical value. Pairs involve the same face value for jacks, queens, kings and aces.
The first two cards are drawn in the traditional Blackjack fashion and if those two cards are either a Colored Pair, a Mixed Pair or a Perfect Pair, you win, with your payout calculated according to the paytable!
- A Perfect Pair is an identical pair (for instance, two Jacks of Clubs).
- A Colored Pair is when both cards are either black or both are red (for instance, a 7 of Diamonds and a 7 of Hearts).
- A Mixed Pair is a pair made up of one black card and one red card (for instance, a, 3 of Hearts and a 3 of Spades).
Perfect Pairs Blackjack is a side bet and is independent from the regular blackjack gameplay and betting, You must decide whether you want to participate in the side bet before any cards are dealt. The side bet is settled and then the main blackjack game is played.
So the progression of the game is that, when you play Perfect Pairs Blackjack, you make your side bet alongside your main bet, you receive your cards (and the dealer receives his cards), the Perfect Pairs side bet is settled and the main blackjack game resumes.
Suit ‘Em Up Blackjack
Suit ‘Em Up Blackjack is growing in popularity because the side bet pays up to 60/1 which is a pretty big payout. You start by selecting your deposit for every hand being played along with a side bet. You’ll receive two face-up cards while the dealer receives one face down card and one face up card.
The side bet is settled after the deal, with the payout occurring if the player’s first two cards are suited. If those first two cards are not of the same suit, the player loses the Suit ‘Em Up wager and the game progresses onward to the main game.
Side bet payouts calculations:
- Suited Aces – 60-1
- Suited Blackjack – 10-1
- Suited Pair – 5-1
- Suited Eleven – 3-1
- Other Suited Cards – 2-1
After the side bet is settled, the main game resumes with a few rules variations from the classic blackjack. The payer may double down on any two cards and the dealer must hit on a soft 17. You can only draw one additional card on split aces.
Whatever your preference, SlotoCash Casino has the blackjack variation that suits your gaming preferences.
