How to Play European Blackjack
European Blackjack follows the standard rules so anyone familiar with the game will be able to get to grips with it very quickly. The aim of each round is to build a hand of cards as close in value to 21 as possible but without exceeding it and going bust. As long as your hand is closer to 21 than the dealer’s is then you have won. In Blackjack the numbered cards (2 to 10) are worth their face values, the face cards (Jack, Queen and King) are all worth 10, and the Aces are worth 1 or 11. This means that you can build a hand of 21 with just two cards, an Ace and a ten card, this is called Blackjack and it is the strongest hand. A Blackjack hand cannot be beaten, just matched. At the start of a round you need to place your bet, you can bet anything from 1 up to 200 per hand. When you are happy with your bet click on ‘Deal’ and you will receive two face up cards. At the same time, the dealer will receive one face-up card and one face down. You will then be presented with two basic options for your hand, Hit and Stand. If you choose Hit then another card will be dealt to your hand and you can keep repeating this process as long as you haven’t gone bust. If you choose Stand then your hand remains as it is and the dealer will play his hand. The dealer will always draw more cards until his hand is worth at least 17. At the end of a round winning hands are paid at 2:1 except Blackjack which is paid out at 3:2. If both you and the dealer have the same value hand then the bet is returned as a push.
European Blackjack Special Features
Sitwwwions can arise when you have options beyond Hit and Stand. If your first two cards have the same value then you can split them into two hands and play them as individual hands. If you choose to Split then it will double your bet, but you will have double the chances of winning. If the dealer’s face up card is an Ace then you can take out insurance against him having Blackjack. Insurance costs half of your initial bet and if the dealer goes on to have Blackjack then you are paid out at 2:1. If your hand is worth 9, 10 or 11 and does not contain an Ace (this is known as a hard hand) then you are offered the option to Double Down. If you chose Double Down then your bet will be doubled, you will be dealt one more card to your hand, and then play moves on to the dealer. However, you cannot Double Down after a split. The game offers various settings that can increase your enjoyment. For instance, you can turn on turbo mode to speed up the action, and you have the choice of turning the dealer’s voice on or off.
