How to Play Blackjack European
As with most Blackjack games the aim is simple. You need to build a hand of cards as close in value to 21 as possible. If you exceed 21, it is called going bust and you lose the round. At the end of a round, as long as your hand is closer to 21 than the dealer’s is then you have won. The only difference with this game is that it allows you to play up to four hands simultaneously. In Blackjack European, the numbered cards are worth their face values, the picture cards (Jack, Queen and King) are all worth 10, and Aces are worth either 1 or 11. This means that you can form a hand of 21 with just two cards, an Ace and a ten card, this is called Blackjack and it is the strongest possible hand. To start a round you need to place your chips in the betting areas of the hands that you wish to play. When you are happy with your bets click on ‘Deal’ and you will receive two face-up cards to each active hand. The dealer will receive one face-up card. You will then be presented with two options for each hand, ‘Hit’, and ‘Stand’. If you choose ‘Hit’ it will draw another card to the hand and if you select ‘Stand’ it leaves the hand as it is. When you have finished playing your hands, the dealer will play his. The dealer must draw to 16 and will stand on all 17s. At the end of a round, all winning hands are paid at 1:1 except for Blackjack, which is paid out at 3:2. If both you and the dealer have the same hand then the bet is returned as a push, if you have Blackjack and the dealer has 21 then you will win the round.
Blackjack European Special Features
On occasion you will be offered more options. If the dealer’s first card is an Ace then you have the chance to take out ‘Insurance’ against the dealer having Blackjack. Insurance costs half of your initial bet and if the dealer does have Blackjack then it is paid out at 2:1. If your hand has a value of 9, 10 or 11 then you have the chance to ‘Double Down’. This will double the bet for that hand, you will receive one more card to that hand, and then play moves on to the next hand or dealer. If your first two cards in a hand are identical then you have the option to ‘Split’ them into two hands. You can then play them as individual hands. If you have split two Aces then you can only draw one more card to each hand.
Blackjack European Side Bets
The game offers two side bets, the 21+3 and the Pair. The 21+3 pays out if the first two cards of a hand together with the dealer’s card form a flush, a straight, a three of a kind, a straight flush or a suited three of a kind. A flush pays 5:1, a Straight pays 10:1, Three of a Kind pays 30:1, a Straight Flush pays 40:1 and a Suited Three of a Kind pays 100:1. The Pair bet wins if a hand’s first two cards form a perfect pair (two identical cards), a coloured pair (the same colour but different suit) or a mixed pair (different suit). A Mixed Pair pays 6:1, a Coloured Pair pays 12:1, and a Perfect Pair pays 25:1.
