European

How to Play European Blackjack

Fans of 21 blackjack will have little trouble catching on to online European blackjack because it’s practically the same game. The major difference is that the dealer receives their second card after the player(s) has finished making his/her hand. This means the dealer is not allowed to look at their hand to check for a blackjack. This one rule discrepancy makes it harder on players because they might make additional bets before competing a hand, only to find out that the dealer has a blackjack.

The rest of the game plays out the same though with every round beginning with players being dealt two face-up cards; the dealer is dealt a single face-up card. Players can then make the decision to hit, stand, double down or split (if cards are of equal value). If the dealer’s face-up card is not an ace, players without a blackjack can choose the early surrender option to only lose half a bet.

If you’ve played 21 before, the main difference to keep in mind is that the dealer doesn’t get to check for a blackjack. Those used to traditional blackjack strategy will need to adjust their normal playing strategy to compensate for this one rule change. The biggest change arises when the dealer has either an ace or a 10 because you have to factor in that they could have a blackjack. This being the case, you have to be careful when splitting or doubling down since these add additional bets into the equation.

Fortunately, if you use correct blackjack strategy, the house edge is only 0.62% in online European blackjack. If you contrast this to 21 blackjack, which has a 0.5% edge when proper strategy is used, you aren’t giving away much to the casino. In short, European blackjack is just as good as any other game to play.