Normal BlackjackIt could be easily said that even normal Blackjack has its share of variations. The first and most obvious variation is in the number of decks played. Blackjack can be played with a single deck of cards, or with as many as 8 decks - and perhaps even more in some places. In some cases automatic continuous card shufflers are now in use. A second common variation in Normal Blackjack is in regard to dealer play. Dealer’s must stop hitting their hand when they have reached a hard 17 points. By hard count here, we mean that those 17 points either do not include an ace or if an ace is there, that it is counted as only one point and not eleven. However, in some casinos a dealer stops hitting on a soft 17 - a seventeen count where an ace counts as eleven points, and in some casinos the dealers are instructed to hit a soft 17. Some time back Lake Tahoe casinos, for example, would hit soft 17’s but Las Vegas dealers would not hit soft 17’s. Now dealers in both locations mostly hit soft 17 hands. Spanish 21Spanish 21 is a variation of Blackjack that is really a somewhat sizeable difference. In this game, the 10 cards are removed from the deck - but not the Jacks, Queens or Kings. Also there are a number of favorable rules given to the players - including being able to hit, double down, or surrender at any time - not just after the first two cards. In addition to this there are special payouts for certain combinations of 21 points - including both the 6-7-8 card combination and the 7-7-7 combination. Extra money is paid for those 21 counts - and even more if the card combination is the same suit. Even more extra money is received if that same suit is spades. A very special payout is made if a player has a same suit 7-7-7 combination and the dealer’s up card is also a 7. The payout in that case can be $1000 or $5000 to the player depending on how much the player has bet. The other players at the table also do receive a minor bonus when that happens. Spanish 21 is often played with 6 or 8 decks. Tables where it is played are often plainly marked to denote the difference in rules. Super Fun 21 Single Deck (and double diamond Blackjack)The rules of this one may differ. However, the casino where I saw it played allowed many of the same Spanish 21 rules - of doubling down, surrendering or hitting any time. It was also single deck play. The Blackjack payout in this case, however, is not the normal 1.5 to one payout always. In this case it follows “double diamond Blackjack” pay. This Blackjack pay will pay 2 to 1 to the player if the Blackjack that the player has is made up of two diamond cards. That payout of course is larger than the normal Blackjack pay out. For any other card combination on a Blackjack the payout is 1 to 1. And that payout of course is lower than the normal Blackjack payout. 6:5 Blackjack Single DeckThis game is as stated, single deck Blackjack. And single deck Blackjack is known to be more favorable to the player than multiple deck Blackjack. The 6:5 numbers, however, point to the fact that Blackjacks at this table will only pay 1.2 to 1 instead of the normal 1.5 to one. Otherwise the game is the same as normal Blackjack. Game Variations and rpsoft 2000 Rpsoft 2000 will be making information available for sale regarding the above variations and more. Also, hint charts in that information and in the Blackjack game will show best play for many of these variations.
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