European blackjack is a blackjack variation of casino 21 that is predominantly played in European countries. The game of European blackjack, as found in many Monte Carlo Casinos is played with six decks of cards. The rules of European blackjack are slightly different than traditional blackjack, though the European blackjack game is played the same.
In European blackjack, a player may only double down when their card count is nine, ten or eleven. In traditional casino blackjack, players may double down when they have any card count right off the deal. Speaking of doubling down, in European blackjack, a player may double down after they have split a pair of cards. In most casino blackjack games, players are not allowed to double down off the split.
Another big difference between European and traditional blackjack bonus games is that European blackjack games do not allow insurance to be purchased by the players. In traditional blackjack games, players may purchase insurance if the dealer has an up card of an ace. It should be noted that insurance in blackjack is a waste of money. In European blackjack, the hand plays through regardless of the dealer’s up card. If the dealer has an ace, the hand still begins with first base and progresses through until the dealer’s turn. If the dealer holds blackjack, then he wins all the bets on the table. This means even players who have hit to twenty-one will lose their entire bet. If the dealer does not have blackjack, then the dealer plays through normally. Speaking of the dealer hitting, in European blackjack the dealer must continue to hit until they have a hand valued at a soft seventeen or higher.
Because the dealer does not peak at his down card when his up card is an ace, a blackjack player should adjust his overall posture to compensate for this. When the dealer has an ace up, there will be instances where the player acts and the dealer has blackjack, which means that there is nothing a player can do to win. Instead, a blackjack player should play the hand out without putting forth any additional money. This means a blackjack player should not split their hand when they hold a pair and the dealer shows an ace. Additionally, a player should not double down when the dealer’s up card is an ace. If a player doubles down or splits a pair, they chance losing two bets to a blackjack as opposed to one.