European Blackjack

Game Name:: European Blackjack
Decks:: 6
Blackjack pays:: 3 to 2
Insurance pays:: 2 to 1
Winning Hand:: 1 to 1
Double Down:: Yes
Double Down after split:: Yes
Split:: Yes
Split Aces:: Yes, 1 card on each
Dealer draws to:: 16
Dealer stands on:: 17
Surrender:: No
Software Producer:: Cryptologic

European Blackjack enjoys worldwide popularity. In this version of blackjack, the dealer does not receive a second card (or hole card) until after all the player hands have been completed. Liberal split and double down rules are included to ensure an exciting gaming experience.

How to play European Blackjack

Chips values are displayed on the interface in the bottom left corner. Click on the value of the chip you wish to use. The chip will 'attach' itself to your mouse cursor. If you selected a chip that is less than the table minimum, the first click on the betting circle will place the minimum bet in the circle. Each time you click on a bet circle, a chip of that value will be placed in the circle. In Single Player European Blackjack, you may bet on up to five hands per game round. To place a chip on all five circles with one click, hold down the 'ctrl' button and click on one of the betting spots.

If there are no bets on the table, the deal button will not be available. After you have placed at least one bet, the re-bet & deal button will be replaced by the deal button. Clicking on 'deal' will accept your bets and begin dealing the cards.

On your second and subsequent hands, the re-bet button will be activated. Selecting re-bet will place the same wagers on the table that you made on the previous round. You may select re-bet more than once. Each additional click presses your bet(s). When you are ready to play, click on 'deal' to continue.

On your second and subsequent hands, there is a Re-bet & Deal button. If you wish to place the exact same wager on the following hand, use this button to begin the game round with one click. After placing chips on the layout by any other means, this button will be replaced by the Deal button and you will be able to start the game round by clicking it when ready.

If you wish to remove all of your chips from the betting circles, click on the 'clear bets' button. Your chips will be removed from the table and you may start the betting process again.

Rules

Play 1 to 5 hands
6 decks of standard playing cards are used
The dealer does not receive a hole card on the initial phase of the game round. The dealer's 2nd card is delivered following completion of all player hand actions
The dealer stands on soft 17 or higher
A winning player blackjack (an ace and 10-value card on the initial deal) pays 3:2, all other winning hands pay 1:1
Winning insurance bets pay 2:1, insurance is limited to ½ of the wager per hand
The player may double down on any first two cards
The player may double down following a split
The player may split three times for a total of four hands, like-value cards that are not identical may not be split
- Example: K and Q cannot be split
- Example: K and K can be split
Surrender is not available
Split aces receive only one card on each ace
- The player may not re-split aces
- An ace and a 10-value card following a split does not constitute blackjack
The player may not hit on a soft total of 21
The cards are shuffled following the completion of each game round

All face cards are valued at ten and the cards from 2-10 are valued as indicated. Aces can be valued at either one or eleven; if counting the Ace as eleven would put the hand over twenty-one, the Ace is automatically counted as one instead. You do not need to specify which value the Ace has as it's always assumed to have the value that makes the best hand. The value of a hand is the sum of the values of the individual cards. For example, a hand containing a Jack, 3, and 4 has a value of 17. The object of the game is to beat the score of the dealer without exceeding a total of 21.