This is the virtual counterpart of the single-deck game with 3:2 payouts and fairly liberal rules that has almost entirely disappeared from land-based casinos. In the online world, the game retains the same payouts and Vegas rules table, but the difference is that the cards will be determined by a Random Number Generator instead of a shuffling machine.

The rules can differ from one software provider to another, although, in general, most single-deck games will have the dealer hit on soft 17 and allow doubling down on hands 9-11 and splitting hands, including aces, but there won’t be re-splitting cards. Insurance is also offered at 2:1.

Like the name implies, in Multi-Hand Blackjack you can play several hands at the same time while placing individual bets on each hand. The game starts by picking the number of hands you want to play (a single-hand is also allowed), being dealt each hand, and then making your move, right to left, for each hand.

Depending on the variant, you may play from 3 to 5 hands at a time. The rules are mostly similar between different games and allow for doubling down on hands 9-11 and after splitting. The dealer will also stand on Soft 17s and peek for Blackjack in most online versions of the game.

Double Exposure Blackjack is a variant where the dealer’s both cards are dealt up, rather than having one facing down. Thus, there is no peeking for Blackjack. The game is mostly played with 6 decks and follows standard Vegas rules like dealer standing on Soft 17 and doubling down on hands 9-11 and after splitting.

However, to counteract for the advantage of seeing your dealer’s cards, in Double Exposure  all payouts will be usually lowered to 1:1, which makes it a much less profitable option. On the other hand, there are both single hand and multi-hand variants available among today’s online offer.

The classic Vegas game as can be found on the Strip. Unlike Vegas Downtown Blackjack, the Strip version is mostly played with more decks (usually 4) and has the dealer stand on all 17s and up and hit on any lower hand. And the biggest difference between online Strip Blackjack and land-based tables is that online casinos haven’t swapped their payouts to 6:5.

The rules of the game say that you can double down on any hand, double after splitting, and split up to 4 hands. Aces can be split but not re-split, and any two 10-cards are considered a pair in this variation. The dealer also peeks for blackjack, so keep this in mind.

Atlantic City rules is one of the most advantageous Blackjack variants thanks to its liberal rules that take the house edge down to approximately 0.35%. The game is usually played with 8 decks of cards, and just like the Vegas Strip game, here the dealer stands on all 17s and peeks for Blackjack on 10 or Ace cards.

In Atlantic City you can split any pair up to three times (4 hands), except for aces, which you can only split once. Doubling rules state that you can double down on any hands you want and even after splitting hands. In short, you’ll rarely find other games that are so advantageous to the player.

Blackjack Party is the online equivalent of the party pits you might have seen in traditional casino resorts. In the land-based sector, party pits are pits hosted by several dealers with entertaining music and dancers in the background to pump up the atmosphere. In the online world, the only difference is that you have 2-5 dealers working the table, no dancers in the background, and much better rules.

Online Blackjack Party games retain the standard 3:2 payouts and have the dealer stand on all 17s, which is great, while the bet sizes are usually set lower. Doubling down is allowed, although only on the first hand, and the 21+3 and Perfect Pairs bets are often also included in the offer. Any other rules, however, depend on the software provider of the game.

Pontoon is similar to BJ but with so many rule twists that had made it a game of its own. The game was derived out of two separate variants from Asia and the UK, the latter being the common basis for the online version. Some of the more notable differences are:

• 5-card hands that don’t bust are paid 2:1 along with natural Blackjacks (also called Pontoons);
• Dealer wins every tie;
• Players must hit (called “twist”) on hands lower than 15;
• Players can double down after splitting aces;
• All payouts except Pontoons and 5-card hands are paid 1:1.

You should also note that all the dealer’s cards are dealt face down, while player’s cards are dealt face up.

Blackjack Switch – In this new variation of the game the names give it away … you can SWITCH cards. And actually it is quite some fun playing this version. Instead of being dealt one hand you will receive two cards for each hand. Now the switch part means you are able to swap the top cards of both hands with another.

So double the chance and in fact you can even adjust the top-cards when not happy with what you have received. One thing to bear in mind when playing Switch… double the fun can be double the risk as well!

• Basically the same rules as the regular version apply
• Both bets on the hands needs to be equal
• In most of the casinos, the dealer hist at a soft 17
• A dealers 22 will push against all hands with 21 or less of the player!