European Blackjack
≈0.39% house edge
vs
The no-hole-card game — the dealer takes a second card only after you have finished acting.
Blackjack Variants Compared
12 games that all start from 21. Each one changes the house edge — and many change how you should actually play.
"Blackjack" is not one game. The number of decks, whether the dealer takes a hole card, whether they hit or stand on soft 17, what you may double, whether you can surrender, and above all what a blackjack pays — every one of these moves the odds, and some of them change the correct play.
The single most important number on any table is the blackjack payout. A game paying 6:5 instead of 3:2 costs roughly 1.4%, which is more than every other rule difference on this page put together. Check it before you check anything else.
The games below fall into three groups: the classic casino rule sets, casino variants that add a twist of their own, and the traditional and home games that blackjack grew out of. Rules and figures come from Wikipedia, cited on each page.
Side by side
| Variant | House edge | Decks | Soft 17 | Surrender | Blackjack pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Blackjack | ≈0.39% | 2 (commonly 6–8 online) | Stands (S17) | Not offered | 3:2 |
| American Blackjack | ≈0.46% | 6 or 8 (single and double deck still exist) | Hits (H17) in most modern games; S17 is better for you | Late surrender commonly offered | 3:2 — avoid any table paying 6:5 |
| Atlantic City Blackjack | ≈0.35% | 8 | Stands (S17) | Late surrender offered | 3:2 |
| Vegas Strip Blackjack | ≈0.35% | 4 | Stands (S17) | Not offered | 3:2 |
| Single Deck Blackjack | ≈0.15% at 3:2 | 1 | Varies — S17 is much better for you | Rarely offered | 3:2 or 6:5 — check before you sit |
| Spanish 21 | ≈0.37% | 6 or 8 | Varies — S17 is notably better | Late surrender, including after doubling | Always beats dealer blackjack, pays 3:2 |
| Blackjack Switch | ≈0.25% | 4, 6 or 8 | Varies by casino | Varies by casino | 1:1 (even money) |
| Double Exposure Blackjack | Varies | Varies by casino | Varies by casino | Varies by casino | 1:1 (even money) |
| Double Attack Blackjack | Varies | 8 | Stands (S17) | At any time during the hand | 1:1 (even money) |
| Super Fun 21 | Varies | — | Varies by casino | Varies by casino | 6:5 — and beats a dealer blackjack |
House edge assumes perfect strategy for that variant's rules. Figures are approximate and move with the exact rule set on offer — each page states the rules its number belongs to. "Varies" means no single figure is published for the game.
Casino rule sets
vsAmerican Blackjack
≈0.46% house edge
vs
The hole-card game that every standard basic strategy chart is written for.
Atlantic City Blackjack
≈0.35% house edge
vs
Eight decks, but one of the most player-friendly rule sets you will find.
Vegas Strip Blackjack
≈0.35% house edge
vsFour decks, dealer stands on soft 17, and no surrender to fall back on.
Single Deck Blackjack
≈0.15% at 3:2 house edge
vsThe best odds in blackjack — or the worst, depending entirely on the payout.
Casino variants
Spanish 21
≈0.37% house edge
vs
Every ten removed from the deck, and a pile of player bonuses to make up for it.
Blackjack Switch
≈0.25% house edge
vs
Two hands at once — and the right to swap their second cards before you play them.
Double Exposure Blackjack
vs
Both of the dealer's cards dealt face up — in exchange for even-money blackjacks and losing every tie.
Double Attack Blackjack
vsSee the dealer's up-card first, then decide whether to double your bet.
Super Fun 21
vsDouble on any number of cards and win automatically with six cards totalling 20 — at a 6:5 blackjack payout.
Traditional and home games
Pontoon
vsThe British cousin of blackjack: twist, stick, buy — and a five card trick that beats a 21.
Chinese Blackjack (Ban-Luck)
vs
Southeast Asia's home game of 21 — where an Ace can be worth 10 and a pair of Aces pays 3 to 1.
Which rules actually matter
| Rule | Effect on house edge |
|---|---|
| Blackjack pays 1:1 instead of 3:2 | +2.3% to the house |
| Blackjack pays 6:5 instead of 3:2 | +1.4% |
| Dealer hits soft 17 (H17) instead of standing | +0.2% |
| Doubling on hard 10 and 11 only (European) | +0.2% |
| No double after split | +0.12% |
| No hole card (dealer draws after players act) | +0.11% |
| Doubling on 9, 10 and 11 only ("Reno rule") | +0.1% |
| Eight decks instead of six | +0.02% |
| Hitting and re-splitting split aces allowed | −0.13% for the player |
| Re-splitting aces allowed | −0.03% |
| Single deck instead of six (at 3:2) | −0.48% |
Effects are approximate and not perfectly additive — rules interact. They are accurate enough to rank tables by. Source: Blackjack — Rule variations and effects on house edge, Wikipedia.
Sources
Rules and figures on these pages are taken from Wikipedia:
- Blackjack — Rule variations and effects on house edge — Wikipedia
- Spanish 21 — Wikipedia
- Blackjack Switch — Wikipedia
- Blackjack — Variants and related games — Wikipedia
- Double Attack Blackjack — Wikipedia
- Super Fun 21 — Wikipedia
- Pontoon (card game) — Wikipedia
- Twenty-one (card game) — Wikipedia
- Chinese Blackjack — Wikipedia
Put it into practice
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