How to Play Live Blackjack Party
In regards to the rules, Live Blackjack Party is a completely standard game. It is played with eight decks of cards that are shuffled into a shoe and the aim of each round is to build a hand of cards with a value as close to 21 as possible but without exceeding 21 and going bust. At the end of the round, as long as your hand is closer to 21 than the dealer’s is then you will win.
The value of a hand is determined by what cards are in it. Aces count as 1 or 11, Jacks, Queens and Kings are all worth 10, and the number cards 2 to 10 are worth their face values. This means that 21 can be made with just two cards, an Ace and a 10 card. This hand is known as Blackjack, it is the best possible hand and will beat all others, including those worth 21 but comprised of more than two cards.
At the start of a round, players need to place their main bet and any side bets that they are interested in. Once the betting period has elapsed, the dealer deals two face-up cards to each player while the dealer position receives one face-up and one facedown.
If the dealer’s face-up card is an Ace then players can place an insurance side bet. The side bet costs half of the main bet and it pays out at 2:1 if the dealer does have Blackjack, thereby ensuring that players will not lose any money for that round.
Each player then takes his or her turn to play. The game offers all the standard options:
- Hit – Another card is dealt to the hand. If it doesn’t send the hand bust then players can hit once again.
- Stand – The hand remains as it is and play moves to the next player.
- Double – This doubles the bet and the hand receives just one more card before play moves on.
- Split – If the first two cards dealt to a hand have the same value then players can split them into two separate hands by placing a second bet equal to the first. The hands are then played as standard hands. However, Double is not available after a split and a split hand cannot be split.
When all players have finished, the dealer will play their hand. The dealer must draw to 16 and will stand on all 17s.
At the end of a round, winning hands are paid out at 1:1, except for Blackjack, which is paid at 3:2. If the hands are tied then the bet is returned as a push.
Live Blackjack Party Special Features
Live Blackjack Party is all about the social atmosphere and players are sure to have fun joking with the dealers through live chat. However, the game offers a number of additional features to enhance enjoyment.
The game offers two side bets, the Perfect Pair and the 21+3. The Perfect Pairs side bet is on the first two cards forming either a Perfect Pair, a Coloured Pair or a Red/Black Pair. A Perfect Pair is two cards of the same suit and value, a Coloured Pair is two cards of the same value and colour, but from different suits, a Red/Black Pair is two cards of the same value but different suits and colours. The 21+3 side bet pays if your initial two cards and the dealer’s first card form a Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Straight Flush or Suited Three of a Kind combination.
There are seven seats available at the Live Blackjack Party table, but if the table is full then players can use the Bet Behind feature. This allows players to bet on a seated player’s hand. It does not allow players to make any decisions but it is a way of joining in the action while waiting for a free seat.
