Our Blackjack game is governed by the following set of rules and settings.
Players try to obtain a higher total card count than the dealer by either reaching 21 or as close to 21 without exceeding 21. If the player's total count exceeds 21, then the player has busted and the dealer collects the player's bet. Similarly, if the dealer's total count exceeds 21, the dealer busts and the player is paid out the amount that they wagered. The player, at his proper turn of play and at his own discretion, may stand (not take any more cards from the dealer) or draw up one or more cards in an attempt to better his count without going over 21.
Minimum and maximum bets are posted on the game launch pages. Members may be asked to select a table with the appropriate level of wagering that they wish to play at.
Cards are reshuffled after dealing a percentage of the virtual shoe. There is no cut of the deck as there are no physical cards in the game.
Before the deal begins, each player must place their bet in chips into the betting space as indicated by the painted circle on the playing surface directly in front of the player. The game will not allow player's bets to exceed the maximum allowed bet for the table that is being played. If a player desires a table with higher betting limits, then they should move to a table with betting limits that are more suitable to the player.
Once the player finishes placing their bet, the dealer proceeds to deal the cards. The dealer deals a face-up card to the player, a face-down card (the hole card) for the dealer, a face-up card to the player and finally, a face-up card for the dealer. At the conclusion of the deal, the player has 2 face-up cards and the dealer has one face-up card and one face-down hole card. If the dealer's face-up card is a 10 count or an Ace, the hole card is checked to see if the dealer has a natural 21 (a count of 21 with two cards). Upon the dealer obtaining a natural 21 on the deal, the dealer will flip over the hole card to display the natural 21 to the players and all wagers are settled. If the player also has a natural 21 the software will declare this to be a standoff or push. There is no action on this hand and no payoff is made, the player's bet is returned to them. The dealer wins and collects bets from players that do not have Blackjack. When the dealer does not hold a natural 21, the player's turn begins. If the player holds a natural 21, the game will award the "Blackjack" payout of 3:2. This means that if the player has bet 2 pounds, then the player collects 5 pounds (the wagered 2 pounds plus an additional 3 pounds). The dealer then burns the all of the played-out cards.
If the player's two cards total less than 21, they may elect:
If the player's hand is still active (i.e., player has 21 or less), the dealer will play out their hand with the following guidelines:
It is important to note that the Blackjack dealer has no choice of whether to stay or draw. Decisions are pre-determined and known to all the players. Since the dealer's hole card is exposed at their turn of play, the dealer has no opportunity for any departure from these rules. The rule requiring the dealer to hit on 16 or less and stay on 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21 is standard in all major casinos around the world.
At the end of the dealer's play, the dealer will either:
Any two cards that hold the same value may be treated as a pair. Any two cards each having a value of 10 may be treated as pairs, such as a ten and Jack, Jack and Queen, or Queen and King. Because Blackjack is played with more than one deck of cards, identical cards may also be dealt (i.e. two 4 of Hearts) as a hand. A player who receives two cards forming a pair (or considered to be a pair) on the initial round may (i.e., the first two cards dealt to the player at the beginning of the hand) can elect to "split" or separate the two cards and treat each card as the first card dealt in two separate hands. This action in Blackjack is called "splitting pairs". When pairs are split, the player's original bet is placed beneath each hand, and an equal wager must be placed on the other. The player is then dealt one face- up card on the face-up card on their right and proceeds to play out the first hand to completion. The first hand must be played to completion before the adjacent split hand is dealt a second card. Each split hand must be played out in its proper order. When a player splits a pair of Aces, the player is only permitted to draw one card to each split Ace, giving them two new cards in all. If a point (picture card) or ten or Ace is part of a split hand and the player makes a two-card count of 21, it is not a Blackjack and the player is paid off at even money.
A player, after being dealt his first two cards (which may be any two cards), may elect to double his bet and draw one additional card only. This is known as a "double down" or "down for double". A player, before calling double down must double his original bet. He is then dealt a third and final card, with no further option to hit, and must stand on their three cards only. Doubling down is also available on split hands after the first extra card.
When the dealer's face-up card is an Ace, players have the option to make an insurance bet against losing to the dealer's possible natural 21. The dealer, before looking at their hole card, inquires if the player wants insurance. A player who desires insurance places an amount equal to half of their present wager on his own hand. When this bet is made, the dealer looks at their hole card. If it is a 10 count, the dealer turns the hole card face up and announces a Blackjack. The insurance bettor is paid off at the rate of 2 to 1 for every unit wagered. If the down card in not a 10-count card, the player loses the insurance bet and the player's turn begins.
If the player chooses to make a wager on the progressive jackpot, the posted amount will be charged from their account for the bet. If the player is dealt a natural Blackjack consisting specifically of a Jack and Ace of spades, the player wins the posted progressive jackpot value.
