What Are The Best Blackjack Variants?

Blackjack is one of the most played casino games globally, which explains why dozens of different blackjack variant sprang up. There are different types of Blackjack with each one being more attractive and testing your skills. Some of the modified variants of Blackjack have succeeded in making more impact in the heart of people than others.

The rules of the different variant of Blackjack go around the same standard of having a total card number of 21. The significant difference in the different variants of Blackjack is in the number of cards and a slight change in rules. But the bottom line of how to play Blackjack is having a higher number of total cards than the dealer. However, going above a total card number of 21 would mean you lose the game. In a live game, the dealer 22 card means the live dealer bust, and you’d win the hand.

Different types of Blackjack games

There are different types of Blackjack with some being better than other variants. However, all variants of Blackjack is exciting and profitable to play, or at least if you know your way around the rules and strategies. Either way, let’s take a look at the different types of best online blackjack variants.

The Classic Blackjack

The classic variant of Blackjack is the most favoured and popular types of Blackjack. The classic variant of Blackjack is the standard Blackjack being played everywhere; on the street, at home, and in schools. The main objective of the game is to create a total hand of cards as close to 21 as possible.

While trying to get close to 21 as you can, make sure you do not exceed 21. When a player exceeds 21, the player is said to bust and would lose the game. What makes the classic Blackjack stand out from the remaining blackjack variant is a couple of things.

The dealer is always hitting on a soft 17,
There are between 2 to 4 decks of cards in the classic variant of Blackjack
Players can double down and split their cards
Players can also resplit their cards of up to 2 times with double after split
The dealer can check for Blackjack.

The European Blackjack

The European Blackjack is also another type of Blackjack played with two decks of cards. The rules of the European Blackjack are similar to the classic Blackjack but with a few differences. For instance, in the European Blackjack, the dealer always stands on soft 17, which is one of the reasons why the European Blackjack stands out. Players who know the basic strategies of Blackjack can use this rule to their advantage.

Although online casinos have other rules to make up for this loophole such as a rule where the dealer does not check for Blackjack, however, here are some rules of the European Blackjack that makes it stands out.

The dealer always stands on soft 17
A player’s Blackjack versus the dealer’s Blackjack is a push
The dealer doesn’t usually check for Blackjack
When a player has a total of 9, 10, or 11 cards, they can double down
Players can double after split, but they are not allowed to further resplit

The Pontoon Blackjack

The Pontoon blackjack is another popular variant of Blackjack popular amongst players. The Pontoon blackjack is also very similar to the Spanish 21 blackjack. What makes these blackjack variants exhilarating is that the dealer’s hole cards are always dealt face down. However, the bright side of this harsh rule is the high payout offered to players.

Everybody wants more money, so players still love this variant of Blackjack. Here are some rules of the pontoon blackjack

When a player has two cards that total 21, it is called a Pontoon
Players are only allowed to stand when they have a total card of 15 or more
The dealer is always hitting on a soft 17
The dealer always wins every time there’s a tie

Match Play 21

These variants of Blackjack is a little bit more different than the traditional Blackjack. In this variant all 10s are being removed from the deck, this makes this variant of Blackjack a bit more challenging to win a 21 hand. However, some hands in the game have extra special bonus payouts. Here are what makes Matchplay 21 stand out.

Players can double after splitting in the game
Dealer is always hitting on a soft 17
The excluded 10 cards of the deck except for the face cards

Face up 21

This type of Blackjack is mainly available at online casinos. However, some brick and mortar casino offer this variant. What makes this type of Blackjack different is that the dealer’s cards are always facing up. This added information gives the player an advantage for their next move. Here are what makes the Face up 21 blackjack stand out.

Players can double down after they split. However, doubling down is only permitted on a total card number of 9, 10, and 11
When a dealer has a blackjack against a player’s blackjack, it’s a lose
The dealer always hits on soft 17

Perfect Pairs Blackjack

This type of Blackjack makes use of the same regular rules of the classic Blackjack. The main difference between these two types of Blackjack is the extra side bets at the start of each hand is not added. Here are what makes the perfect pair blackjack stand out.

The dealer always hits a soft 17
Players can play up to 5 different hands per round
The player is also allowed to double down and split

Spanish 21

Lastly, we would be looking at the Spanish 21, which is also one of the best when you’re looking for a little action when you play Blackjack. Like we said it’s very similar to the pontoon blackjack, as all the 10 cards have been taken out. Although the house edge for this variant of Blackjack is exceedingly high, casinos make up for this by offering players friendly rules. Here are what makes the Spanish 21 blackjack stand out.