The Difference Between Standard Blackjack and European Blackjack

One of the casino games on the online gamble real money hot list is blackjack.  Anyone who knows anything about the game will be aware of its attributes – simple rules, easy game play and a strategy that is more intuitive than anything else.

Along with the standard version of blackjack, gamblers have a comprehensive selection of variants available at their fingertips.  These include Match Play 21, Blackjack and Perfect Pairs, Super 21, Suit Em Up Blackjack and Face Up 21.

What all these variants have in common is the integration of side bets and bonus payouts into the action.  At Springbok Online Casino, however, there is one more betting opportunity that falls squarely into the blackjack category… and that is European Blackjack.

The question is; what is European Blackjack and how does it differ from the conventional form of the game?  In simplistic terms, it is the rules that separate the one from the other.  In strategic terms, it is the number of decks in play that make one version a better prospect than the other when it comes to the online gamble real money returns.

Here is a breakdown of the key game rules and how they fluctuate according to which form of blackjack you are playing at the time:

The Dealer Cards 

In the standard version of Blackjack, the dealer gets two cards - one face up and the other face down.  In European Blackjack the dealer gets one face up card and the other is only dealt once you have finished playing your hand.

Although this rule has no bearing on the online platform, at B&M casinos the dealer in the first instance is allowed to peek at the concealed card when he shows an ace.  If the dealer happens to have a blackjack the round ends then and there and you lose the bet.

What that in effect means is on the live platform you’ve got more chance of losing more money when you play European Blackjack.  Why is that, you may ask?

Well for the simple reason that the game round continues with your play – be it to hit, split or double down – before the dealer reveals both his cards, makes a decision based on their value and the dealer rules and either wins or loses the hand.

Remember, when you split or double down you have to make an additional wager equal to that of the original bet.  That of course means that if the dealer has a blackjack, you will lose twice the amount of money!

The Split Rule 

One of the more exciting rules in blackjack is the split rule.  It allows you to split matching cards into two separate hands and play each hand individually.  In online gamble real money terms, splitting means you can win two-fold from the same game round.

The rules governing the split, however, vary quite markedly from one variant to the other.  In the conventual form of the game you can split any pair up to three times.  The one exception is a pair of aces which you can only split once and draw only one extra card to each of the hands.

In European Blackjack on the other hand, the split feature is usually limited to a pair of tens and face cards.  To add insult to injury the hand can only be split once.

That pretty much curtails your potential to bank more ZAR via the inherent rewards built-in to the feature - and for that reason European Blackjack gets a firm thumbs down!

The Double Down Rule 

The double down feature allows you to double your bet when you think you’ve got a hand that will beat that of the dealer.  It is a great way to either recoup your losses after an extended losing streak or boost the existing balance in your online gamble real money account.

In the standard version of blackjack - that you can play right here and right now at Springbok Casino - you have the freedom to double down on any hand value.  You can also double down after the split.

In European Blackjack the rules pertaining to the double down are really stringent in that you can only double once on hard hands valued at nine, ten or eleven.  As you are sure to remember, hard hands are hands that are without the ace.

That partially puts the skids on your ability to earn more moolah when you play European Blackjack online – and no gambler in his or her right mind would ever compromise on their ability to generate the full quotient of online gamble real money winnings.

For that reason, standard Blackjack gets our upvote.  That’s basically three strikes against the European version of the game.

The Number of Decks in Play

We all know – or should – that the more decks there are in-play, the greater the advantage to the house and the lower the average return to player.  In this sense, European Blackjack comes out tops purely because it is traditionally played with two decks.

Conversely, the conventional Blackjack that you’ll find at Springbok Casino is played with up to eight decks at a time.  That means the probability of hitting winning hands is lower than that of its European cousin.

When all is said and done, however, blackjack – in all its beautiful variants – has an average win rate that is higher than that of most other games at the online casino.  What that effectively means is you have a better than average chance of turning your blackjack gambling sessions at Springbok Casino into online gamble real money generators.

A little inside tip though…  If you really want to build that bankroll, we strongly suggest you choose conventional single-deck Blackjack over all its scintillating sidekicks!